Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-22
q lR ERNEST SHACKLETON. at
the head of the most elaborate

G lR ERNEST sHAcKLEToN. at
the head of the most elaborate
~ equipped polar expedition
ever organized, sailed from Bueno2
Aires on October &c to carry out his
long and CAREFUL" planned conquest
Of the south polar continent
The South Pole, where Captain
Amundsen planted The Ia: of Nor
way on December II. 1912, and
where. one month later, Captain
Robert Falcon Scott unfurlel the
British colors. is not the main oh
jectivc Of the Shackleton expedition.
The pole is about midway of the
route Sir Ernest has planned to take
straight across the Antarctic CONT
met. The FIRST half Of The land
journey will be over totally uneX-
plored territory.
After reaching tho pole. however,
the journey northward Will follow
the death trail Of Captain Scott AMI
his Inflated party to the mound or
snow marked by a wooden cross, un
der which lies the body of the En-.
fish pole finder.
Captain Scott and his iwu surviv-
Ing compan Unconstitutional Bowers
and DR.. WilSun--frOze and starved in
death in their tent 10 which 4 pro
tracted blizzard confined them. Their
later progress had been at Il snail's
pace owing 10 hardships which had
weakened them and cost the lives Of
Petty Officer Evans and Lieutenant
Oates. Even in fair wenthcr they
were hardly able 10 drag along their
heavy slcdgc Then came the blizzard
and that was The end.
BY the use of aeroplane slelgc>.
supplementing those drawn by dogs.
and other contriranccs w&ich ,l4n-
tain Scott lacked. ihe ShTcisitthn cN-
petition feels insured against such u
Dredicament as that which proved
fatal 10 the Scott party The air
propeller driven by 4 powerful motor
on Il sled.e is an outcome OF Lieu
tenant Shncl:lcton's experience VIII
motor.drlven wheeled vehicles durin:
his antarctic explorations Of 1907.
On reasonably smooth tee on firmly
crustcd snow these vehicles were
fairly satisfactory but they We're
useless over surfaces OF Soft snow. as
Is the case with automobiles on roads
covered several Inches deep with
loose sand They We're IN innoya
ton entirely ont Of keeping with 'no
main conditions governing travc! in
polar regions.
The sledcc. WITH It's broad runners,
however. has continued tn 10 tl.e
ideal wa OF conveying heavE loads
or light nnes-ovcr eXpansos nj H."
and snow. When it. is drawn by 10"
teams that means In additional cargo
of food for the dogs. q NpIY scrinu"
matter. considering tho heavy buraon
OF tents. Instruments, cSira c,Otiiin".
sleeping BAGS add food supplies ia:
the human mcmbcis of tic expedition
which the slodgcS a-Sn must b2ai.
Toward the cnl of the return Jour
ney. AS The slcdgc loads ighicn. some
of the dogs may, and usually do be
come food for the men, Other OF the
dogs are lost or die. and this means
that the sledges must br drawn iy
the men. the very necessity that wore
out Captain Scott and Ills companions
SO that they were unable 10 survive
he blizzard which detained them
when food supplies were exhausted
Lieutenant Sliackie;on. by equip
ping several Of his sledses with
motors and air propcllcrs, expects 10
considera bly minimize the ordinary
risks %: polar exploration. Tie
weight Of this equipment. including
tucj for tic motors. docs not figure
out ~ Il serious disadvantage. How
The aeroplanc sIcdge works out in