The Detroit times., 1914-04-02
FLIGHT TO POLE
IS IMPOSSIBLE,
DECLARES EVANS

FLIGHT III POLE
IS IMPOSSIBLE,
DECLARES EVANS
CONTINUED From Page Ons.J
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his narrow escapes from death. His
laughing mouth seems to belle his
grim struggles with awful cold. terrific
winds and the rayages OF scurvy. He
looks as II he had never undergone
anything more dangerous and exhaust
ing than tea.party; and he 10 far
more modest than our social heroes
who have conquered nothing more Sc.
rious than q good bridge player.
The commander stopped on in De-
troit few hours. on his way to Sagi-
nav. He will return Friday evening
to lecture In the Broadway theater
on Capt. SCOTS expedition to the
south pole. The lecture will be illus
trated by what Commander Evans de-
clares to be the finest polar pictures
he has ever seen. some OF them mo-
tion pictures, some of them slides
made from photographs taken by an
expert.
1--WE travelled 450 miles over the
ice barrier to the King Edward VII
plateau, 5000 to 10000 feet above
sea level" said Commander Evans.
I'VE had motor sledges, Siberian
ponies and dogs. The dogs were the
best. The sledges. which had been
found practicable for travel In Nor
way, were almost useless. We had to
stop too often to Ak them. and to stop
means to get chilled. whenever the
carburetor froze. we had to warm It
with a blow-lamp. So we abandoned
the sledges.
similar dificultfes would overtake
anyone who attempted polar expl0ra-
ton In an aeroplane. He wOnld have
trouble with his petrol: the severe
cold would be more lian an air-pilot
could stand Ut IL often 20 degrees be-
low zero); and the winds are terrific,
sometimes as high a. 80 miles an hour.
ITO reach the plateau, we Travelled
$50 miles up badly crevassed gla-
cier. The crevasses are caused by
rocky disturbances which interrupt
the gradual fow Of the glacier. Some
OF the crevasses were az large as
what IL your principal street? Yes.
Woodward-ave.--I was going to say
that they we're as broad as Resent-st.
land we could never learn how deep
they were. because their projections
prevented sounding. We had TO pro-
coed along the edges until we came
to ice bridges which we could cross.
"One OF our men almost lost his
life by falling through one Of these
Ice bridges. 1t was LASTLY, and 1t hap
pened on his birthday. We had q
hard time getting him up. He dangled
at the end Of his harness. spinning
about. until we got an Alpine rope
to him and gradually pulled him to
safety. When he was on his feet
once more, Cream said to him: Many
happy returns Of the day. LASH"
Commander Evans declared that
frost-bite, snow-blindness and scurvy
are the three greatest enemies of the
polar explorer. Lack Of alkaline foods,
which are too bulky to carly when
provisions must be calculated to the
second decimal part Of an ounce. are
the chief cause of scurvy. he said.
He described his own illness, when,
after days Of intense suffering, he
found that he was paralysed from the
waist down. and could not move. This
was after Evans, who had command
of the last party to leave Capt. Scott
accomplished the return journey to
the base camp.
II kept on until we were In sight
Of Mt. Erebus, from which the two
men with me could find their way to
the camp. and then collapsed" said
the commander. "They hauled me 40
miles further. Then Tom Cream went
on to the base camp. and LASTLY
stayed with me until help arrived.
King George gave them the Albert
medal for their bravery"
After reaching the base camp, Com
mander Evans returned to England,
invalided. He recovered, and eight
months later went back to New Zea-
land to pick up Capt. Scott and the
polar party, and Lieut.. Campbell and
the coast exploration party. who we're
supposed to have returned by that
time to the base camp at Cape Evans.
What Commander Evans found at the
base camp. has already been told.
Commander Evans told how Capt.
Scott and his party Of four--he had
taken one Of Evans party, ut the 146-
mile stop ("Rather q tall order" says
the oommander, left with only two
companions On the return trip)--lo-
Gated the pole and proceeded on their
return journey until they were within
1b6 miles Of Cape Evans, whore they
were ovorteken b. the blissard that
ended their lives. One, man aied Of
Ian injury that produced conclusion
~ the bnin; Cart Qatss. injured. and
unwi11ine - - dag % The party.
wealogo1 ont q ~ tent, 1nteatjoos
Any, "a NE feeen - loath, and
oeot eeptt 60 ~ eempnnIene SOC
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