The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-15
TELLS WILD TRIP
FROM ANTARCTIC
ShaCkICtOn Man Has Lille
RCpG For Those Left Behind.
75O MILES IN OPEN BOAT

Hsrdshlps Of Polar Regions Described
by Member Of Crew Who Has Now
Reached London-Drifted Into South
Georgia Just as Food and Supplies
Were Exhausted.
Harry McNish, a member of the
Shackleton antarctic expedition. has
arrived In London. bringing details Of
the terrible experiences undergone dur
ing the escape from Elephant island.
McNish told how Sir Ernest shackle-
ton led the little party In an open boat
750 miles through mountainous seas,
driven by great gales and filed with
floating ice. They were forced to let
dson most Of their supplies and even
lost their sea anchor. During the weeks
OF struggle they ran out of water and
FOOD, but finally reached South Georgia
island.
McNish has little hope Of the rescue
of the men left behind on Elephant
island.
Perhaps the worst fact we have to
reckon with regarding the men left on
Elephant island" McNish said, lis that
they may think tie small boat in
which we reached South Georgia is
land has foundered with all hands and
that consequently the world is still ig-
norant Of their fate.
1T was, | suppose, one chance in a
hundred that the boat ever would get
through. and time after time It was
only by a miracle that we ESCAPED
drowning. 1t was only by an act of
Providence that we were able to make
Elephant island at all Even then the
wind blew everlastingly. and we had
to crawl on our hands and knees to
make headway against 1t.
Had to Find Help.
"The chief decided that a push must
be made TO the nearest land where helm
could be found. and was set to work
to fit our largest boat for the adventur-
GUS voyage. 1t was a difficult Job. but
with the help of George Marston. the
artist, and Mccarthy. a seaman. who
made a great hand at sewing frozen
canvas. the most difficult proposition
in the way of sewing that there Is. we
managed to make good.
I'VE decked the boat with sledee
runners, box lids and canvas and made
1t as seaworthy as possible. bur even
then it seemed a crazy craft in which
to sail T50 miles through ice and gales
"The journey was almost worse than
our expectations. Though we set out
with fair VIM. that was the last de-
cent weather We had, and for a fort
night thereiwas a constant succession
OF storms and gales. do not think we
saw the sun half a dozen times and It
was very difficult to get an observa-
ton.
Ice was constantly forming on the
boat and was the worst handicap we
had to face
"One man. was employed all the time
In cutting the ice away with an ak.
but we were never free from ice. and
we had to jettison quite a lot of stuff,
even the oars. TO keep the boat ahoat.
"a week after we started. while hove
to In gale. we lost our sea anchor.
the rope being cut by the Ice
This seemed to be almost the last
straw. but Sir Ernest Shackleton rose
to the occasion. AMI never saw him
In better form than he was that day
I've are going to get there all
right he said when things seemed
perfectly hopeless. And. sure enough,
we did.
I'VE first sighted the west coast OF
South Georgia. 1t was during a great
snowstorm, and. as we knew nothing
about the tide or the island. we had to
hold off until daylight the next day.
The wind was blowing a hurricane.
and we had great difficulty in keeping
the boat atioat on dead lee shore and
1t was hopeless to try to land.
When we got to South Georgia ON
the wrong side of the island. as it hap
pened--we were just about mt the end
of our water. We were all frosthitten.
too. but the main thing we troubled
about was something to fill our stom.
achs. and that we found soon after
landing"