The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-03-28
NO WORD OF
SHACKLETON
Probably at the Ross Sea
Base-Rescue Ship Is
Badly Damaged
CANNOT RELIEVE
PARTY FOR MONTHS

AS 0ACHC SuCoeAOu Id WuSbuSL Gne
Stores the Men Possess Will Be
Sufficient to Sustain the Life of the
Party for Year.
LONDON, March 2S.-Reports re-
ceived here state that the auxiliary
ship Aurora of the Shackleton Antarc-
tic expedition, which was damaged in
the ice and is now proceeding to New
Zealand for repairs, is not in distress
or in need of assistance. The latest
message indicates that the Aurora is
proceeding under her own steam.
Reuter- 5 Melbourne correspondent
telegraphs that if necessary a relief
ship will be dispatched from New Yea
land to meet the Aurora. a New Yea
land wireless station is in commun.ca-
ton with her.
Sir Douglas Mawson. the Antarctic
explorer, expresses the opinion that
there is no cause for undue alarm.
The Aurora at the time the first mes
sage was sent was in the far South
Pacific. The wireless said the steamer
had been damaged and was proceeding
to New Zealand for repairs. The fate
of Lieut.. Sir Ernest Shackleton and the
party with him which set out to cross
the South Pole, is not known.
Apparently attempts had been made
TO send the wireless for several months,
but it had only just been received at
the New Zealand station which for
warded it to England. The message
was sent by a member Of the staff Of
the Aurora, which was sent from Aus
tralia to Ross sea at the end of 1914 foi
the purpose of bringing back Shackle
ton 5 party when they had crossed thl
South Polar continent. 1t was not
| known that the Aurora had wireless.
on board and the despatch was deliv
cred to an office of the expedition which
| had been closed for some time.
! The news as received in London leave
! the world completely in the dark as t
| the doings or whereabouts of Lieuten
ant Shackleton and his immediate pan
/ ty. If they have carried out their pro
gram they are now presumably at tn
Ross sea base, but without the expect
! ed ship to take them off.
/ Even If Shackleton has been unsuc
1 eessful in the attempt to cross the pol
and has had TO retrace his steps to tn
! Widdel sea base, thence to return {
Buenos Aires the relief expedition wi
have to be reorganized TO effect the res
cue of Lieutenant Aeneas MackintoSl
| r. \. r., in command Of the Auror;
and a number of his companions VIII
were left on shore at Ross sea whe
the Aurora broke from her mooring
The great question is whether the store
which these men possessed will be su
6cient to sustain the lives of the part
for a year
The information contained in the me
sage received at London was at on;
communicated to King George. WI
! presented Lieutenant Shackleton wit
a flag to carry during his march an
5 who has taken great interest in Shac
i Teton S task. The news caused gre
concern among the relatives and frien'
of the explorers. Until the Aurora a
: rives at some port and a full story
her adventures is available, the exte
of the loss sustained by the party ca
not be definitely known.
The full text of the wireless messaj
s received in London contained about
words. It said that the Aurora h
reached her destination late in .Janua
!, 1915, and landed two parties und
Lieutenant Mac kintosh and also &C
siderable quantity Of stores. Meanwh
: the Aurora lay at her mornings off Ca
Evans. Several attempts were made
find a safe harbor, but these all fail
II owing to the extremely bad season.
A blizzard on May 6 drove the Au1
ra from her mornings. The vessel
It came lodged in pack ice, which CARR
is her northward toward Cape Adare. S
> lost her rudder and suffered a seve
strain to her hull in the ice about il