Evening star., 1913-02-25
FAR SOUTH VICTIMS
Two More Deaths Added to
Antarctic Toll.
Lieut.. MINIS of London and DR..
Merz of Switzerland Perish.
MEMBERS OF MAws0N'S PARTY
Expedition Left Tasmania in 1911
for Scientific Research and South
ern Exploration Only.

SYDNEY, y. S. W.. February 25.-An-
other was added to the list of ANTARCTIC
tragedies by the news received here to-
day of the death OF two members Of the
expedition commanded by DR.. Douglas
Mawson. The party left Tasmania in
1911. accompanied by a large body OF
scientific men to explore thoroughly the
regions around the southern magnetic
pole
Once again the British army is affected
by the loss of a brilliant officer Lieut.
B. E. S. MINIS of the famous Royal 4 :
silliers Regiment. He was a close frienu
of Capt Lawrence Oates Of the 1nnis-
killing Dragons, who perished while re-
turning from the south pole with Scott.
Switzerland also has suffered a great
loss by the death of DIR. Merz. a promi-
nent scientist and sportsman. After win
ming the ski jumping championship ir
Switzerland i'm 1908 lie offered his services
to DR.. Mawson.
Lieut. MINIS Was the expert of the eX-
petition on surveying and sledging.
Lieut. MINIS, according to a dispatch
was killed by falling into a creVasse
nearly year ago. His death was prac-
ticaliy instantaneous.
The expedition started out, not with any
idea of rushing to the south pole, but
with the intention of exploring and nam
ing the unknown lands of the antarctic
and making numerous observations arouno
the magnetic pole.
Objects of Expedition Attained.
According to the wireless reports re.
ceived from DR.. Mawson, the principal OBJ
jects of the expedition were attained.
Unfortunately DR.. Mawson and six OF
his companions after they had been pick
ed up by the Aurora, undertook another
expedition and were unable to rejoin tht
ship, which was compelled to leave then
to spend another year in the antarctic.
Prof David, VINO was member or Sil
k.hest shackieton's south pole expedition
received the following wireless dispatch
from Adele Land:
DIR. Douglas Mawson and several of hi:
men missed the Aurora, which had gone
to fetch them under the command of Capt
j. K. Davis. This happened owing to un
fortunate circumstances.
Lieut.. b. f. :. MINIS of the City o
London Regiment of Royal Fusiliiers, ant
Dr. Merz, who was ski champion o.
Switzerland in 1908, are both dead. Al
the others are well.
DIR Mawson and six other members Of
his party probably will winter on Adele
Land.
Some very successful sledging eXpedi
tions were made during the sojourn oi
DIR. Mawson and his companions i'm the
antarctic"
Failed to Rejoin Ship.
The last previous message received here
from the Aurora arrived February IL. AND
said that all the members of the eXpedi-
ton We're on board the vessel. 1t would
appear, therefore. that DIR. Douglas Nav
son. with some of his companions, mus,
have landed and gone on an expedition
from which they were unable to get back
in time to rejoin the Aurora before the
ice compelled her to leave.
The expedition headed by DR.. Mawsor
set out from Australia I'm the latter part
of 1911. 1t consisted of nearly fifty men
most of them graduates Of the Universe
ties of Australia and New Zealand. II
was financed by popular subscription.
DIR. Mawson was not seeking the pole
but proposed to make a complete geo
antarctic region between Cape Adare ant
Gaussburg. distance of over 1900 miles
The expedition landed on Adele Land
which is a barren tract of what has ais,
been known as Wilkes Land. after th'
American explorer. and the men ther,
divided into three parties From tim,
to time there have come reports of thu
success of the explorers in the discover,
of new islands, and only recently. afte
having been out of communication fo
several months. what purported to be Z
wireless message was picked up from tn,
Aurora reporting "all well'' on board.
Message From DR.. Mawson.
MELBOURNE. Australia, February %
Lord Denman, governor general Of tn.
commonwealth Of Australia, received q
wireless message from DIR. Mawson today
in which he says:
..Our sledging season has been very
successful. We have opened up a large
area of new land both east and west OF
Commonwealth bay. We have obtained
important new data from numbers of sta
tions in close proximity to the magnetic
pole
well as myself may be unavoidably de.
tanned for another year in the antarctic u
Loss to Scientific World.
"The death of any of the members OF
the Mawson expedition means a great
loss tc the scientific world,'' said Gilbert
Grosvenor, director Of the National Geo.
graphic Society today when told Of the
reported deaths of Lieut.. Innes and DR..
Merz members of that expedition.
The Mawson expedition went to Wilkes
land for the purpose Of making q scien.
tific survey of the land. which was dis.
covered by Commodore Wilkes Of the
United States Navy In 1912. For many
years the scientific world laughed al
Commodore Wilkes reported discovery
but such Is not the case now. for Shackle.
ton, Amunsden and Scott went into the
depths of the antarctic and confirmed the
navy officers claims. For many years
after it's discovery by Wilkes little was
known of the land, as no expeditions had
ever been sent there to carry on scien-
tific researches The Mawson expedition
was the first to undertake the work.
'MawsOn is an Australian, and SO are
most of the members of his party
Formerly he was one Of Shackleton's
best lieutenants. and he has had much
experience in antarctic exploration The
Mawson expedition set up it's primary
base on Adolie Land and q second base
on Termination Land. both of which
are included in the territory discOv-
cred by Wilkes. Before sailing from
New York last week, Shackleton re-
ferred to Commodore Wilkes as the
pioneer antarctic explorer. He paid a
high tribute to his work. A niece of
Commodore Wilkes named Miss Jane
Wilkes makes her home in Washing
ton. Capt Amundsen visited her when
he was in Washington recently"
Hollis Lacks Three Votes.
CONCORD. n. H.. February 25.-Henry