The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-23
CAPTAIN AN1uNpsoN.

Tonight. after Il period of IA sooo
MANY years, the people OF Grano
Forks will have an opportunity TO SCI
and hear Captain Roald
who has won laurcls at both ends O
,,,c earth. When he first visited us
Captain Amundson had just conaplet-
ed his journey around h north enc
of tho American continent. havln
successfully n~avigatcd the northwest
massage, in the search for which, as a
commercial route to n indies Sc
much treasure had been spent. AL
MANY lives had been lost. me 81
much treasure had been spent. AL
most every one of the early navgators
from Columbus down, had hoped to
ind by way OF this passage Il short
route to Asia. Gradually it had beer
demonstrated that whether or not q
massage existed, 1t could not be used
for purposes Of commerce. Then 1t
became known that there was actually
n massage, but no ma navigated II
until Amundson and his companions
in their little bark Gioa, found their
way through the mazes OF h Ice
clorged channels clear through from
the Greenland coast to the straits OF
Behring. 1t was the story of that trip
a story dramatic but exceedingly SIM
nile. that Captain Amundson told when
he visited Grand Forks on the former
occasion.
This time the explorer comes fresh
from later victories. On a day In De-
cember a little yer a year ago
Amundson and a few hardy compan-
ions planted the flag Of their country
at the very southern apex of the
world, the south pole. 1t was mid
summer, and the u swung round
in a circle a few degrees above the
horizon. They stood in the center of
a vast continent Of snow and ice
where no man had ever stood before.
Seven hundred miles Of weary march,
ing lay between them and the harbor
where they had been left by their
ship. They had made long marches
in binding blizzards. They had es-
tablished depot after depot and there
stored provisions to be available for
them on their return. They had
climbed mountains towering sky-ward,
had crossed great on treach-
erous snow bridges, and had literally
carried their lives in their hands. At
last success had crowned their eff
forts, and the thing which other men
for generations had sought was theirs.
A little to the westward Of their
line of march, and about $50 miles
distant from the pole when Amundson
reached it, came Scott and his COM
panions. They, too, had struggled
calamity, and were nearing success.
They had started a little later. but
had made good progress, and soon
were to reach the coveted spot where
Amundson had preceded them. The
world knows the sad story Of what
happened. In a little tent securely
anchored Amundson had left some
records of his trip, and with them a
letter addressed to the king Of Nor
way. Only a short time after the
Amundson party had left Scott reach
ed the pole. to suffer the bitter disap-
pointment Of finding that another
had reached it first. He found the tent,
the flag. the records. and the letter.
The latter he brought back with him
and started on his return to the coast,
which he never reached. The story OF
exploration in the frigid zones con-
tains little hat is more sad or more
dramatic than this.
Captain Amundson will have a great
deal that is interesting to say tonight.
His lecture will be illustrated with
good pictures, and it will be both in
structive and entertaining. He speaks
easily. simply and directly. lie is a
man Of action. and he docs not at
tempt flights Of oratory. lie tells
what happened, and tells it in such a
way as to grip the attention Of his
hearers, and the people Of his terri
tory r fortunate in having an oppor.
tunity to meet him.