Evening star., 1914-07-11
Fifth Sledge a Secret.

Sir Ernest Shackleton had told me Of
four OF the five motor sledges upon which
the success of his expedition very largely
depends. But nothing was confided of
the fifth sledge which is allowed for in
his plan.
There will be a fifth sledge" said he,
out We have not yet decided just what
it will be-
There is a rumor about the headouar-
ters of the imperial transantarctic ex-
pedition that this fifth sledge is to be
lntruSted with the wireless installation
Nothing of that has been publicly made
known hitherto. But it is certain that
Shackleton has been in conference with
the wireless authorities of the royal navy
Tor some time past. and that a wireless
nifty pounds has been devised. This much
may be prophesied with confidence:
he motor Sledces will he equioped
with wireless So will the base on We'd
dell sea. from which Shackleton will
march: the base on Ross sea from which
supporting party will march In hope of
meeting him POO miles from the pole. and
| this supporting party itself If all goes
Well. then Shackleton's supporters in
camp and on the march will be in CON
slant touch with him by wireless from
| the moment of departure on the sledpe
| Journey
There is no defined plan as vet of try
| ing to communicate with the outer world
tween s50n.N0 and S4O.6n and not all
the money needed has Yet been sub
scribed. a wireless installation on the
Two ships of the expedition would be an
added expense that Shackleton hesitates
to incur Once before he finished a south
polar expedition S2Oo. 600 in debt In two
years by writing and lecturing he paid off
$4,000 of this sum-
Begins March in November.
Shackleton will have two ships One is
the Endurance. new ship built express
ly for polar work at a cost of S7O.ooo.
The other is the old but stanch Aurora,
formerly owned by DR.. Mawson. the ex-
plorer. The Endurance will sail from
England in August for Buenos Aires, and
in October will set sail for the Shackleton
base on Weddell sea. The secrets of the
south poar continent have never before
been attacked from Weddell sea- For
various reasons explorers have preferred
| to go in from Ross sea Given good luck
Shackleton hopes to reach his base of
operations in October. and be on the
march by November.
The Aurora is now refitting in Tas-
| mania, and will be Joined in October by
the scientific party that will make its
base on the Ross sea. The scientific
members of the expedition have not yet
been selected Shackleton attaching more
Importance to the personnel of his ice
parties. Eliminating the seamen. the two
polar parties will number sixty men. Of
! these. twenty will be engaged in actual
ice work. The remainder will be scien-
lists and spares" While the four land
parties are sledging. these will endeavor
to chart the shores of the antarctic conti-
nent.
Imagine line drawn straight across
Antarctica through the south pole from
Weddell sea to Ross sea. Shackleton will
lead a party of six along this line from
sea to sea-always allowing for that
arctic if
From Ross sea party of six will come
to meet him. establishing depots of food
! and fuel at points previously determined
by the leader. Their location will be
fixed by triansulation From the We'd
dell sea base-Shackleton's point of de-
parture-two sledge parties of three men
each will work to the east and west.
gathering what information is possible.
Two other men will keep house at the