Evening star., 1914-07-11
BY HERBERT COREY.


LONDON, July 3.-Tmagine wireless
S 0 S. being sounded from the antarc-
tic pivot of the world-from the south
pole itself:
"Hurry-we are dying
And then suppose this answer flashed
back across leagues of polar snow from
the quarters on Weddell sea from which
the Shackleton expedition will start for
its march across the antarctic continent:
Cheer up Motor sledge No. is on
the way to your rescue"
Not probable, of course. but possible
For Sir Ernest Shackleton will in his
forthcoming expedition depart from
formula and tradition in attacking the
secrets of the utmost south. Always in
the past polar explorers have placed
their main reliance upon legmuscle and
endurance and a capacity to eat dog
when the pemmican Was gone-and when
the dog was gone to get on somehow
without eating anything. If nothing
happens-that if killed Scott and once
before cost Shackleton the pole-two
striking innovations will be introduced
in this sortie through Antarctica:
Shackleton will travel in motor sledges
driven by air propellers.
He will seek to remain constantly in
wireless communication with the expe-
dition's base.
Then add certain novelties in polar
work which will insure positive luxury
to the party-unless that polar If in
tervenes. Shackleton's men will carry
with them:
A hot cupboard for drying soaked
clothing:
a steam cooking plant, on which to
make "hoosh";
Tents that can be put UP in two and
one-half minutes in any sort of wind:
higher in Matchmaking value than any
yet tried. but will do away with one
source of frost bite.
Shackleton Well Prepared.
shackleton's expedition. upon which he
will sail from London upon some bank
holiday in August. is greater in its scope
than any previous polar project. 1t some
what lacks the sporting interest OF the
repeated dashes to the north and south
poles. 1t Is true. Peary pegged down the
flag of the United States as the finale to
a series of daring rushes toward the top
of the world. Amundsen, for the Nor
wegians, travelling fast and light. beat
Capt. SCOTS British expedition for the
southern honors in the tragic cornpeti-
ton that is too well remembered. In
only to get to the pole-and then back
again. Sha ckleton hopes to get to the
south pole-and past it-and march the
full length of the antarctic continent
This is not less than 1.sOo miles
why are You going to try to do it?"
l asked Shackleton i'll the rooms of the
imperial transantarctic expedition, New
Burlington street. He looked at me i'm
patiently. No doubt the question SEEM
ed foolish one to him.
Possibilities of discovery-scientit1c
interest-trace course OF the Victoria
range" he snapped Then the impatience
went out of his eyes. and he smiled in a
thoroughly human. boyish. sporting sort
| of way that made one understand why he
| is such wonderful leader of men. For
a moment he tried to explain to me just
what attraction lies in league upon league
| of ice and continuous bliZZards and dis
| comfort which at any second may merge
with tragedy. The impression he left
upon me was later voiced by one of his
men to whom I put the same question.
| Because 1t Is the one big thing left in
the world for a man like Shackleton to
| do"