The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-11

!
Providence. determined shll 10 do our
best 60 the last
But II we have been willing TO give
our lives 10 this enterprise. which IL
for the honor OF our country. I appeal
J 70 our countrynen 10 see that those
who depend upon us are properly
cared for. Had we lived. ! should
have had a tale 70 tell OF the hsrdi-
companions which would have stirred
tho hearts Of all Englishmen.
These rough notes on our dead
great rich country like ours viii see
that those who depend upon as are
properly provided for
I (Signed) ar SCOTT,
! March IS. 1914"
/ LONDON. Feb. 11.-While cabinet
ministers and high oficials today
We'd with each other In paying trib-
utes to Captain Robert +. Scott, the
Antarctic explorer. and his four COM
panions who persisted after reaching
the South pole. year ago, his rela-
tives were making every effort 10
reach Mrs. Scott, who 10 out on the
Pacific ocean on her way to New
Zealand. expecting to meet her hus-
band.
Leaving their little son, Peter,
with relatives In England, Mrs. Scott
started from London Ave weeks ago,
and on February 8 sailed from San
Francisco. aboard the liner Aorangi.
The ships FIRST stop Is Tahiti. The
Aorangi's wireless has radius OF
only 500 miles.
Lady Ellison McCarty. the explor-
er's sister, was the first to learn OF his
fate. and she imediately began an
EFFORT to communicate with Mrs.
Scott.
One OF the most tragic documents
In the worlds history Is the last
message Captain Scott left for the
world. Ii was written March 90.
1912, when the stocial explorer. un-
dergoing the most exquisite torture
from cold and privation, knew that
he and his companions were bound
to die.
In II he told how he and HE little
band, for more than year had un-
dergone the greatest suffering from
cold and loss OF supplies, and equip
ment without murmuring. The mes
sage stated that the horrible fate
about to, overtake the brave men was
not due to faulty organization or
Encouragement on the part OF any
body. but to unavoidable misfortune.
1t contained glowing tribute to
Scott's four companions who had ac-
companied him on the dash to the
pole, and back to within IL miles OF
safety. when the fatal blizzard over
took them.
New light on the utter unselfish-
ness and generosity OF Captain Scott
was given today by j. p. Watson, OF
the Central News. who In 1912 made
a contract with the explorer for ex-
elusive rights to all news OF the
South polar expedition. Watson said
that Captain Scott sought no per-
sonal profit for himself and his sole
stipulation was that whatever the
news agency might pay for the
stories they received. should be d.
vided equally among the members
OF the Scott expedition. exclusive OF
himself.
News OF Captain Scots move
ments was 20 meagre because he en-
tered into a most elaborate cipher
arrangement with the agency and
he lived up to II absolutely.
The diary left by Captain Robert
Falcon Scott Is a wonderful docu-
ment, judging from extracts OF II
'hat have been given to the Royal
Geographical society. 1t tells the
tragic story OF successful journey
to the end Of the earth. the triumph
OF which was swallowed up by death
in one OF its most agonizing forms.
Petty oficer Evans died az the re-
suit OF q fall Captain l. z. q.
Oates, frost bitten until he could not
proceed further, deliberately let him
self freeze to death that he might
no longer delay the rest. and Scott.
Wilson and Bowers froze 20 death In
tent, several days later. The last
entry in the diary was March 20.
1912, and the bodies were found only
IL miles from One Ton depot, where
the expedition had left supplies.
Captain Scott paid a touching
tribute TO the bravery and self
sacrifice OF Oates, and was unsparing
In his praise OF the other members
Of the party. The loss Of their pony
transport in March, 1911, was the
first misfortune that overlook the ex-
plorers, causing them to get later
start for the pole than they planned
and also necessarily cutting down
the amount Of supplies that they
could carry.
On the outward journey, because
OF the delayed start, the expedition
encountered unexpectedly Indictment
weather. and a gale caused a com
plete halt at Parallel S3. In the
lower reaches OF the glacier the,
ran into much soft snow, which i'm.
peded their progress and drained
their supplies and endurance.
Captain Scott defended his prep
arations and equipment. Arrange.
ments for the return from the pole
were quite adequate. said Scott, and
nobody would have done better than
did he, In the weather encountered
The biggest surprise of the journey
lcame at the Barrier. On the summit
in latitude IS degrees, the tempera-
ture was from minus 80 to minus 20
all the time, and on the Barrier, in
latitude SO degrees, 10000 feet low
er, the temperature was minus 80
during the day and minus 40 during
seven nights. with a strong head
wind
Scott said he did not think that
\ human beings ever endured such a
month as they did In the four weeks
before the diary ended When they