The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-23
Last Resting Place
Of British Explorer

New York, Feb. 2" -Grytviken,
chosen by Lady Shackleton as the last
resting place for the body of her late
husband, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Brit
ish explorer who died aboard his tiny
craft Quest" last January S, is an
icebound, isolated habitation of 20
persons who cling to the frozen shores
of South Georgia Island, called the
Gateway to the Antarctic"
Sir Ernest's body was brought from
the Antarctic to Montevideo following
his death and will be accompanied by
Captain Frank Hussey, a member of
Shackleton's expedition, when it starts
again on its journey into the Polar
regions.
Lady Shackleton's decision to halt
removal of the body to England is in
accordance with a lifelong wish of the
explorer that he be laid to rest amid
the scenes where his life work had
been carried on. Only at the outset
of his last voyage, he told friends he
! wanted ~" d; i9a5sh his boots on, like
South Georgia Island has figured
several times in Shackleton's career
He served under Captain R. F. Scott
in 1901 when that intrepid pioneer
! into the icelands of the south made a
dash from that island which resulted
! in discovery of the south magnetic
! pole.
One hundred miles long, with a
rocky, forbidding coast line so indent-
ed that it's width varies from 20
miles to only one-half mile, most Of
I its mountainous interior is covered
with ice and snow throughout the
! year. Huge ice cliffs overhang it's
| fords and bays and great icebergs
! breaking off from massive glaciers
make it a dangerous haven for the
! occasional wandering whaling shirs
which touch its shores.
| The island was discovered N 1875
by Anthony LaRoche. Carta.r Cook,
in ITS, took possession II the name
Of the British Empire. Until more
| than 100 years later, when it was v.s-
tied by German expedition aboard
! the Moeltkc, it remained unrxnlorcd,
| but the presence of ferds Of seals and
sea lions made it the occasional ron
! dezvosu of wha!ers for the first lew
| years of this century, until :he ami.
mails there became nearly cxtinc.
Ducks, pigeons and Arctic fowl still
are numerous on the island.
It was while drifting with the ice
past the settlement of Grytviker,
| bound toward the midnight sun on
voyage Of exploration which was to
have covered 10000 miles, that Shack
Teton suddenly died. His comrades
removed his body from the "Quest" to
Norwegian whaler bound for Monte
videa and continued the expedition
Under the leadership of sub command
er Frank Wild.
They headed in the direction of tn,
"lost" Enderby land, vague coun-
try just south of South Georgia Island
which was reported discovered 90
years ago, but which no one has been
able TO locate since.
Shackleton's body has been placed
in plain wooden coffin, made by the
whalers at Grytviken, and hermetical-
ly sealed with zinc. 1t will be placed
in rock-piled cairn, among the
mounds marking the graves Of other
explorers, adventurers and whalers
who lost their lives at the Gateway
to the Antarctic.
A simple burial ceremony will be
held in the crude church at Grytviken,
with only Captain HHssey, of Shackle-
tons world of admirers, to see that
his wishes and the commands of Lady
Shackleton are carried out.