New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-13
Not Necessary to Deal with
Subject Now, Says Surviv-
ing Head of Scott
Expedition.
.BETTER NOT BE PUBLISHED
Pennell, Another Member of
Party, Declares Details
Might Hurt Peoples Feel
ings and Pander to
Morbid Tastes.
TBy Cable to The Tribune. I

IBy Cable 20 The Tribune
London. Feb. l3.-Commander L. r.
q r. Evans reSolutely declines to
throw any light on the mystery sur
rounding the shortage of fuel to which
CAPTAIN Robert f. Scott referred in his
dramatic dying message. In an inter-
view given to The Daily Chronicle"
At Christchurch. New Zealand, COM
mander Evans said he did not wish 10
discuss the matter, as il was not
subject with which he thought it nee
essary TO deal at present. Pencil, an
other member of the expedition. but
not one Of those who went in search
Of II party. said
1T would be highly undesirable TO
enter into the details. some Of which
might hurt peoples feelings. and mere
" be pandering 10 the morbid tastes Of
a section of the public TO publish
things which had better not be pub
lished."
Commander Evans agreed with his
~, and consequently attempts TO
throw light on the significant and most
important passages in Captain SCOTS
diary have up TO the present proved an
utter failure. The full diaries of Cap
tain Scott and other members of the
unfortunate party have been recovered
intact. They have not been opened and
will be forwarded to relatives. Com
mander Evans will compile Captain
scott's book with other members of the
expedition.
CampbeII's Remarkable Escape.
The escape of Lieutenant Campbell
and the northern party is described as
miraculous. They landed at Cape
Adare in February, 1912. intending to
make short sledge journey and return
10 the Terra Nova before she sailed
FOR New Zealand. Ice prevented the
ship from reaching them and they
were left to their own resources for
nine months. or till November. 1912,
with only two months provisions.
Lieutenant Campbell gives graphic
description Of the party's life i'm an
igloo I'm which they lived through the
Antarctic winter They existed in abb
solute darkness. except for the faint
CLEAN Of q seal bluhber lamp. Their
SIMPLY Of biscuits was soon exhausted.
and thenceforward they lived entirely
on seal meat. Extraordinary hardships
we're endured. on the return journey
10 cape Evans. Browning and Dickin-
son fell in and the latter was carried
on a sledge. Commander Evans de-
clares that the public can have no con-
ception Of the hardships which Camp
bell and his party endured.
Going south 10 bring back the ex-
plorers the Terra Nova passed between
two immense icebergs in a fog and
only fine seamanship prevented the
total destruction Of the ship.
DR.. hansen suggests that Captain
Scott and his party were attacked by
scurvy. He says:
81 believe SCOTS calculations were
correct. and, had he only adverse
weather TO contend with, would have
been back with all his men safe and
sound. but the treacherous enemy
which defeated them was surely
scurvy. Of which he had no suspicion,
and therefore could not take it into
his calculations when it was stated
that Petty officer Evans was i'll. this
can scarcely have been anything but
scurvy, and for several days they had
10 take him with them. until at last
he died from conclusion Of the brain.
which weak man suffering from
scurvy might easily get when descend
ing a glacier.
Unaware Of Dread Disease.
Then Captain Oates's illness must
surely have been scurvy, also. Frost
bitten hands and feet are just what
scurvy patients are 50 liable 10, be-
cause the circulation is impaired, and
it IS not improbable. either, that Cap
tain Scott and the others were suffer-
ing from incipient scurvy. and their
physical powers thus reduced Without
they themselves being aware OF II.
Thus. this appears TO have been the
real enemy but one which Scott could
not know Of and one. moreover, when
there could be no means OF combating
after having once left winter quarters.
In plain and simple language the
story Of how Captain Scott ana MS
companions met their death VIII be re-
lated by school teachers to 'oo,Vo emil
dren Of the London County Couhcii
schools tomorrow. This happy sug-
gestion came from THE London EVEN
ing News" and at meeting OF the
sducation committee Of the LONDON
County Council yesterday, when the
letter from the editor containing the
suggestion was read. it met unanimous
approval and the idea was sanctioned.