The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-08-12

Hardships 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
$50 miles through mountainous seas.
driven by great gales and filed with
floating Ice. They were forced to jet
tlson 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 the small boat i'm
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 ii was
only by a miracle that we escaped
drowning. IL 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 OF our hands and knees TO
make Roadway against 1t.
Had to Find Help.
The chief decided that a push must
be made 20 the nearest land where help
could be found. and | was set TO work
to fit our largest boat for the adventur-
Gus voyage. 1t was a difficult job. het
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.
W. decked the boat with sledge
runners, box lids and canvas and made
Ii as seaworthy as possible. bur even
then IL seemed IA crazy craft I'm which
10 sail 100 miles through Ice and gales
The journey was almost worse than
our expectations. Though we set out
with a fair wind, that was the last de
cent weather we had. and for a fort
night there was a constant succession
OF storms and gales. | do not think we
saw the sun half n dozen times. and 1t
was very difficult 10 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 10 jettison quite a lot of stuff.
even the oars. 10 keep the boat aioat.
"A week after we started. while hove
TO In a gale. we lost our sea anchor.
the rope being cut by the ice.
This seemed 10 be almost the last
-" Jul PH LiltSl G"udChltlOn TOSb
to the occasion. and | 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.
w first sighted the west coast of
South Georgia. 1t was during a great
VI gnnxnGfnr.A n~l -
about the tide or the island. we had 20
hold of until daylight the ncxt day
The wind VAS BLOWN. a hurricane.