Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-02-28

"HE world is mourning Captain
Robert F. Scott, British ex-
plorer. He reached the South
Pole. More than year ago
Captain Scott and his party came to
the coveted region, January IS, 1912.
At the pole Captain Scott and his men
found the tent and records left by
Captain Roald Amundsen when that
explorer started back from the object
of his expedition. That date was De-
cember II, 1911, about a month before
Captain Scott reached the goal. News
Of the tragedy of the Antarctic, the
first of its kind, was brought to civil
ization by Captain Scott's ship, the
Terra Nova, which had gone to Cape
Evans to meet the expedition and
bring its members back, providing they
had completed their task or were ready
to return. From the shore party left
at the Cape Evans base it was learned
that Captain Scott and the four men
with him had reached the pole, but
had perished on their way back. Cap
tain Scott, DR.. Edward A. Wilson and
Lieutenant II. r. Bowers had made
their way back to within 155 miles of
Cape Evans, when they were caught
by blizzard and overcome. This was
about March 30 of last year. They
were then within few miles of food
depot, where sustenance and shelter
would have been theirs. Previously
Petty Officer Edgar Evans and Cap
tain L. f. G. Oates of the Inniskillen
dragons, who had been in charge of
the expedition 3 ponies and dogs, had
succumbed. Evans was the first to
die. His death was the result of con-
cussion Of the brain, sustained by a
fall February l2. Oates died from ex-
posure March II. Six other men, al.
though they had been through peril
GUS experience, were found to be SAFE
These men had been sent to make geo
logical investigations to the east of
Cape Evans. The records Of Captain
Scott were recovered by q relief expe
dition.
Under the head of Captain Scott
was written record of the trip, kept
up until the very moment Of death.
In his diary was found what the in
trepid explorer called "Message to
the Public.' This message is quoted
here, word for word:
"The risks are not due to faulty or.
ganization, but to misfortune in all
which had to be undertaken. One, the
loss of the pony transport in March,
1911, obliged me to start later than I
had intended and obliged the limits of
the stuff transported to be narrowed.
"The weather throughout the out
ward journey and especially the long
gale in the 80 degrees south, stopped
us. The soft snow in the lower
reaches of the glacier again reduced
the pace. We fought these events with
will and conquered, but it ate into
our provisions reserve.
"Every detail Of our food supplies,
clothing and depots made on the in.
terror ice and on that long stretch of
700 miles to the pole and back worked
out to perfection. The advance party
would have returned to the glacier in
fine form and with surplus Of food
but for the astonishing failure Of the
man whom We had least expected to
fail.
"Seaman Edgar Evans was thought
the strongest man of the party and the
Beardmore glacier is not difficult in
fine weather. But on our return we
did not get a single completely fine
day. This, with a sick companion
enormously increased our anxieties.
"I have said elsewhere that we got
into frightfully rough ice and Edgar
Evans received conclusion Of the
brain. He died natural death, but
3 left us shaken party, with the sea
son unduly advanced. But all the facts
above enumerated were as nothing tc
the surprise which awaited us on the
barrier. / maintain that our arrange
ments for returning were quite ade
quate and that no one in the world