The Washington herald., 1912-03-09

10, 80 feet above sea level This was at
81 degrees 20 minutes south latitude.
Bad weather was left behind on De-
cember g. The sun shone out once again,
and the marchers were able to get an
observation and dead reckoning. To their
great satisfaction, they found that the
dead reckoning and observation were eN-
actly alike at IS degrees l6 minutes south
latitude.
Reach ShackIetOn's Mark.
Now they found them an absolutely
fiat plateau. marked only here and there
with tiny sastrugi. In the afternoon of
this day, December s. Amundsen and his
party passed SS degrees 9 minutes
south latitude, which was Shackleton's
farthest point south. They continued on
and reached IS degrees IS minutes, the
farthest south up TO that time. They
camped for the night, and on the morrow
established their last depot not ten min
utes farther south than IS degrees %
minutes. Here the plateau commenced
tC slope down quite slowly and very
smoothly toward the other side. They
reached IS degrees y minutes on Decem-
Der .. On December 10 they gained 81
degrees Sc minutes; December II. 50 de-
grees Is minutes, and on December L.,
50 degrees 30 minutes, within half a
degree of the pole.
II was on TO the pole now. and on De-
cember Il the mark of - degrees =
minutes was attained Up to this time
the observation and dead reckoning had
agreed remarkably well, and they fig
ured that they ought 10 be at the pole
on December II.
To their great satisfaction the after
noon Of that day was clear and beauti-
full. There was only a light breeze from
the southeast, and the temperature was
minus 3 degrees. Sledging was perfect.
and tn day went on without noticeable
incidents until y. m, when they came
to a halt.
According to their reckoning, they had
reached their destination. The colors,
beautiful silken flag, was broken out, and
all hands gathered around and took hold
OF the standard and planted It on the
spot.
The explorers gave to this vast plateau
where they reached the bottom Of the
earth the name Of the King Haakon VII
Plateau. 1t appeared to be a vast plain,
very much alike in all directions.
At the Pole mt Last.
During the night the explorers circled
their camp mile after mile in a radius Of
eighteen kIlometers. On the following
day in the fine weather that continued
d SERIES VI ODSCl NdAlOHS "NTt ldhtn
which lasted from a. m. until p. m
The result gave them 50 degrees 50 min
utes.
This was really at the pole, but in
order to observe the position of the pole
as closely as possible, they travelled as
near true south as they could for the |
nine kilometers. On December |
l6 they reached the true pole, and there |
they camped. 1t was an excellent day |
and they grasped the opportunity for OBJ |
Servation. |
Under the brilliant sun four members |
of the party took observations every hour |
Of the day for tWenty-four hours. The |
exact result Of these observations will |
be a matter for expert examination, but |
there is no doubt in the minds of Amund- |
sen and his men that they camped on !
the south pole and circled II many times. |
1t is certain that they observed the po-
sition of the pole as closely as it is in /
the human power to do so with instru-
ments such as the expedition carried,
sextant and artificial horizon,
and place circles within radius Of eight
kilometers
Placed Pennant on Pole.
Observations at an end. on December
Il they fastened to the ground a little
tent which they had brought along with
hem, and broke from its top the Nor
wegian flag and the pennant from the
Franz II was a Norwegian home raised
IN the south pole, and was given the
lame of Polheim.
The explorers found that the distance
rom their winter quarters to the pole
vas about LOO kilometers, SO that on an
Iverage they had marched twenty-five
Iilometers a day from the time they
Itarted.
The return trip began on December IL.
md was inaugurated in fine weather. All
Usually favorable, and made the journey
much easier than had been the march in
'earch of the pole. The winter quar-
ers, which the party named Franheim,
we're reached on January Is 1872 The