Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-25
SHEATH OF ice
ALL THAT SAVED
SHACKLETON MEN
Explorer Tells of Final Success
That Attended Efforts to s.,
Rescue Party

Sir Ernest Shackleton has cabled
| the New York World from Chill or
account OF the success OF the fourth
effort TO rescue the party that had
| been left on elephant Island He tells
a story of hardships overcome by in
dominitable courage, and says I'm part
"Our fourth attempt to rescue oul
| comrades left on Elephant Island has
succeeded and all have arrived here
safe and well. .... F.. =. -
THE ChiIian government very gen
erously placed at my disposal the
steamer Yeleho. commanded by Corn.
niandant Pardo. The steamer, man.
ned and equipped at the expense OF
the CHILEAN government, left Punta
Arenas on August 4. ....-.. .
"On this occasion ! set a course
which would enable us to approach
Elephant Island from the northwest,
my reason being that / hoped the ice
had worked toward the northeast.
This hope was realized, and on Au-
gust 80, after steering in the fog
through numerous stranded bergs,
reached Wild's camp at / D. m.
Ito the CHILEAN government, to Com.
mandante Pardo and to Lieut.. Aguirre
] owe my deepest thanks for the
means OF rescue
with Wild lies the credit of hav,
ing kept his party together in
strength end safety under the most
trying and difficult conditions.
Following is Wild's report:
Ion April %, the day after the de-
parture of the boat, the island was
heset by dense pack ice. The party
was confined to a narrow spit of land
ESQ yards long and 40 yards wide, sur.
rounded by inaccessible cliffs and ice
laden seas. ..
We were forced to abandon our
ice hole, made untenable by snow
We made a dwelling of our two boats,
supported by rocks, and set up as far
as practicable from the sea. The
weather continued appallingly diff
cult to work In and the vitality of the
whole party was lowered owing to ex-
Iosure.
Blackborn, Hudson, Greetstreet
and Rickenson become Ill and sew.
eral others were ost-bitten.
In May a heavy blizzard swept
much valuable gear into the sea, and
we were in grave anxiety, owing to
the danger Of being swept away by
the heavy seas raised by the bliZ-
card, blowing with a velocity of 20
miles an hour Fortunately, owing to
the low Temperature. an ice foot
formed on the seashore and this pro-
lection was the means of saving US
from total destruction.
On several occasions the adjacent
glacier "calved," throwing up heavy
waves, and on one occasion blocks
of fee were hurled to within Is feet
of our dwelling. Observing how the
island was beset, realized the diff.
ficulty our leader must experience in
effecting our early relief, and as a
measure of precaution ! drastically
economical our food, allowing only
one meal daily until we had strength.
ened our reserve of blubber.
"Our valuable stock of special "a,
tions was used for two meals weekly,
thus supplying vital change in our
diet, and life was well maintained. ~
natures providence having arrived at
the island late in the season, we were
kept in anxiety as to our meat supply,
which was constantly depleted. 1t
was periodically replenished by small
penguins, but the seals were unable
to land owing to the ice foot.
I" from June onward the weather
was better as regards wind, out We
were under q constant pail of fog and
snow. In the middle of winter Black
born's toes had to be amputated.
Whenever the sea opened our hopes
Of relief were renewed. The three
previous attempts at relief had syn
chronized with times when the island
was beset with ice.
At the beginning of August we,
were able to collect seaweed and linn.
pets, which formed valuable change
in our diet, but the deep water, heavy
seas and ice prevented us from fish.
ing.
ron August % the gale drove the
pack from the island, and on August
so, through the lifting fog, we caught
sight of the Yelcho steering through
the maze OF stranded bergs. An hour
later we were homeward bound.
Il wish tor place on record the good
morale of the entire party, and espe.
cjally the energy and ability of How,
Hussey, Hurley, Macklin, McIroy, Kerr
and Rickenson.