Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-02-19
TELLS OF STRUGGLE
DIARY KEPT BY CAPT. SCOTT DE-
scRI5Es TERRIBLE BATTLE
AGAINST DEATH.
APOLOGIES FOR HIS NOTES
British Explorer Says Rough Pages
and the Bodies Must Tell Story
Capt. Oates Left Party and Perish
ed Alone.

London, Eng, Feb. IA number
Of details OF the disaster in which
persisted in the Antarctic are brought
here in special dispatches Of the Cen
trial News Service.
At a meeting OF the Royal Geo
graphical society announcement was
made OF the disaster resulting in the
death OF Captain Scott. DR.. T. A. VIII
son, Lieut. II. X. Bowers. Capt l.. 4.
G. Oates and Petty. Officer e. Evans.
Captain SCOTS party, said Douglass
w. Freshfeld, vice-president Of the
Geographical society. in max ng the
announcement. founi Captain Road
Amundsen's tent ant records at lie
south pole.
overwheIned by Blizzard.
On the ret3-1 "trip, about March %
1912, eleven miles from One Ton de-
pot a blizzard overwhelmed them
rney had suffered greatly froln hun
ger and exposure and the sests OF
Scott, Bowers and Wilson virtually
was due to that They died soon
after the blizzard swept down on the
party
Oates died from exposure a feS
days later. The death OF Evans re-
suited from a fall The other mem
beTs OF the expedition are reported TO
be IN good health. A searching party
discovered their bodies and records
some time later.
Captain Oates evidently set out
from the tent in which the four men
had all but succumbed to starvation
and exhaustion to brave death alone
in the blizzard which had oveTwh s!med
them. After struggle for weeks with
his hands frostbitten. Oates declared
TO his comrades that he was going to
set out in the storm and didn't know
when he would come back He left
the tent and was never seen again.
He evidently knew he was setting cut
to meet his death alone.
Give Up Struggle With Storm.
The others later tried to push on,
but were forced into camp again
March q, after nine days of struggle
In the blizzard. Food and fuel we're
botil exhausted.
=, badly realizing that his party
was doomed. Captain Scott entered In
his diary four days later; "A message
to the public" In this he declared
that the disaster was due not TO faulty
organization. but to misfortune. He
, said nobody IN the world could expect
successfully TO encounter such tenn
peratures and storms as they had met
on the barrier. which so retarded
thei. progress. When they arrived
within eleven miles of One Ton depot
| ;icy had fuel for only one hot meal
End food for two days.
The doomed explorer wrote apollo
| getically of his rough notes" He said
these and the bodies must tell the
tale. He appealed to his countrymen
! for the care OF those dependent upon
the perishing explorers.
White Mourning for Victims.
Grief and pride in the simple nara
tive of high courage. endurance and
sacrifice given in Capt. Robert f.
SCOTS farewell message to the world
are close competitors for dominance
In the feelings of the British public
ut is white and not black
mourning we wear 70. these gallant
souls who have done and dared so
greatly" was the comment OF a cabl-
net minister.
4 The closing words of Captain SCOTS
epic were:
Had we lived l should have had a
tale to tell of the hardihood, the en-
DURANGO and the courage OF my com
panions which would have stirred the
heart OF every Englishman. These
rough notes and our dead bodies must
tell the tale But surely, surely a
great and rich country like ours Will
see that those who are dependent
upon us are properly provided for"
Words Have Electric Effect.
These words have had an electric
effect, Steps are on foot to respond
to his appeal TO the nation by assur-
ing comfortable future for those de-
pendent on the men who, while await
ing certain death. still could write
that they did not regret their jour.
ney.
/ A memorial service for Captain
Scott and his companions is to be
held in ST. Paui's cathedral Friday
Flags in all parts of London are flying
at half mast
DYING EoTE FROM SCOTT.