Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-04-21
WHY CAPT. SCOTT
LOST HIS LIFE
Commander Evans Gives New
Facts For First Time.
OIL SHORTAGE WAS TRAGIC.

Antarctic Explorers Companion Says
Their Leader Would Have Had to
Suffer An7putation Of His Legs Even
Had He Been Able to Reach One Ton
Camp, the Base Of Supplies.
Commander e. r. G. II. Evans Of the
royal navy. second in command Of the
Scott expedition to the antarctic and
the last member Of the supporting par
ty to see Captain Scott alive. has made
public some details Of the expedition
which have not been mentioned in his
lectures or written accounts. These
are given In the New York Post.
Even had Captain Scott succeeded in
reaching One Ton camp. the base Of
supplies it would have been necessary
to amputate both his legs, said Com
mander Evans. The fate of the expe-
dtiOn, according to the commander.
was to some extent due to unaccount-
able shortage of oil supply n"
the explorers call tat the supply de-
pots OH the return march
Petty Officer Evans. one of the five
men on the final dash Of $50 miles,
failure to beat Amundsen to the pole.
Evans died first. according to the COM
mander's theory, because he was the
heaviest man of the lot. He weighed
about 200 pounds, but he got the same
rations as Lieutenant Bowers. who
tipped the scales at 12O pounds.
Disaster Due to Lack Of Oil.
IF the men could have had more hot
food and liquid" said Commander Ev-
ans. they could have kept their limbs
| from being frozen. The shortage Of
paraffin oil was tragic But for that |
believe the men would have kept up
hope of fetching through. But 1t was
simply question Of hot fuel and en-
ergy. without which the human engine
can't eight against cold and fatigue.
AS 1t was, the condition Of Captain
SCOTS legs would have called for am
! through to- One Ton camp. That was
eleven miles from the spot where the
bodies were found eight months later.
| "Of course the atrocious weather
was factor that no man could fight
against. Never was an expedition bet
ter equipped or more thoughtfully
planned. And yet there seems. nnac-
countably. to have been too little al
lowance Of oil for bad weather. let
alone the billiards. Captain SCOTS
band marched through 1t was fine
weather supply at many posts. The
oil which we use in the wicklpss par
ATTN stoves for making tea and 'hoosh'
must have leaked through the shoppers.
In many instances two gallons had
dwindled to a gallon and twO-thirds."
Commander Evans and II. r. Mather
Of the Royal navy volunteer reserve.
one of the ships party on the Terra
Nova. told many intimate details of the
character of E. &. Oates-"SOldier" or
Titus" they used to call him.
| Captain Oates was the man who
walked out of the tent on March II
when he felt that be was keeping the
others back and said as he stepped IN
to the blizzard. Il am just going out
side and may be gone some time"
"T'hat was always Oates theory"
said Mathpr when they were dis
cussing plans ut the Cape Evans base
during the winter Of 1911 Soldier
Oates always commended that the party
should not stick with dying man. 1t
was his belief that when mans
traces got lOOse he ought to take him
self out Of the way
A Wonder That Evans Escaped.
Each Of the three supporting par
ties reported shortage Of OIL said
Mather. "Dr. Atkinson. Commander
! Evans. who only bad two men with