Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1952-01-21

Seamen's Church, Brooklyn, NJ Y,
last Sunday, Commander Finn
Rome of the U. S. Navy Reserve,
paid tribute to Roald Amundsen,
world-famed Norwegian explorer
who on December IA, 1911, became
The first man to reach the South
Pole. The 10th anniversary OF
that event is being concentrated
in Norway as well as abroad.
Seaman" Roald Amundsen, as
he liked to call himself, was born
July Is, 1872, near Sarpsborg, Nor
way, the youngest son of Jens
Amundsen, who was part-owner of
fleet of % sailing ships. AS a
boy, Roald dreamed of going
straight to the North Pole in a
vessel powered by electricity. His
ideal was Fridtjof Nansen, the
Norwegian polar explorer, who lat
er in life made major contribu-
ton to world peace and the relief
of suffering humanity. Following
Nansen's example, Amundsen sys-
temaiically trained himself in all
skills that would be useful in his
chosen career, and became an ex-
pert skier, navigator and seaman.
Exploring tss.e Antipodes
For the better part of his life
Amundsen pioneered in exploration
of the vast unknowns of the Arc
tic antipodes. He died in a plane
crash in 1928 while searching the
Arctic for a group of missing TIA
liam explorers, headed by Umberto
Mobile, a man with whom Amund-
sen had serious disagreements. In
the years between, however, he
established a long and enviable
record of achievements.
He was the first to traverse
the North West passage in it's en-
tirety, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific (1903-1906). He was the
first to determine the exact loca-
ton of the magnetic North Pole.
He was the first to use motor
powered vessel for exploration. He
was the first to reach the South
Pole (191D. He was the first to
drift the whole length of the North
East passage, FROM north Norway
to Alaska (191s-192O). He was
the first to use the airplane as a
DOL of Arctic exploration 1925.
He led the first dirigible flight
across the North Pole 1925. He
is the only one ever to have made
the North West passage, the South
Pole. the Nor.h East passage and
the North Pole.
A Trek That Made History
The most dramatic chapter in
Amundsens' life was his trek to
the South Pole, which he reached
month before he British Cap
tain R. F. Scott.
Learning about Scott's plan to
use ponies and motorsleds to trans
port provisions across the 'treach-
erous ice barrier, Amundsen warn
ed they would not stand upon the
long trek in subzero temperatures.
His offer to provide teams of hus-
kies instead was turned down by
he British explorer. very unwise-
ly, as shown by later events.
Originally, Amundsen had no
idea of going to the South Pole.
Addressing the Norwegian Geo
graphic Society in 1908, he outlined
plans for a seven-year scientific
expedition through the Arctic. The
following year, however, Admiral
Peary planted the Stars and
Stripes on the. North Pole, and in
view of that accomplishment
Amundsen secretly changed his
plans.
When he left Norway on June Z,
1910, aboard his renowned Fran"
Amundsen was ostensibly bound
for the Arctic. But before depart
ing from Madeira, he told the
crew that they would head for the
Antarctic instead, in the hope of
being the first to reach the South
Pole. The new plan was stimuli
.aneously cabled to Captain Scott,
whose expedition was already I'M
derway, with the same destination
in mind
Painstaling Preparations
"Eran1u reapba6 tho A,.orot;o