Comments on: The Pit of Life and Death http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/ A collection of Damn Interesting things Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:49:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: nonsequitur http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26308 nonsequitur Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:24:59 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26308 Damn! Interesting! Thank You! Damn! Interesting! Thank You!

]]> By: Ard Ri http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26302 Ard Ri Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:54:36 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26302 Damn Cold! Great article, this site has been chugging along slowly...but I'm still a fan! Damn Cold! Great article, this site has been chugging along slowly…but I’m still a fan!

]]> By: sssssssspoon http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26298 sssssssspoon Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:04:53 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26298 Great Article Richard, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So nice to get a new piece at DI. Well done, even if you have to hijack the site in this manner. Well done. Third. Great Article Richard, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So nice to get a new piece at DI. Well done, even if you have to hijack the site in this manner. Well done.

Third.

]]> By: Fishrock http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26235 Fishrock Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:18:46 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26235 Thanks, Richard. I hadn't visited for 3 or 4 months...what an unexpected surprise! I enjoyed this one--had a relative who was on the Greely expedition to the Arctic. Not a glamorous outcome there; they had major problems with resupplying, and consequently starvation. Thanks, Richard.
I hadn’t visited for 3 or 4 months…what an unexpected surprise!

I enjoyed this one–had a relative who was on the Greely expedition to the Arctic. Not a glamorous outcome there; they had major problems with resupplying, and consequently starvation.

]]> By: Ahuva http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26233 Ahuva Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:38:34 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26233 Richard Solensky, thank you so much for posting your article. It was great to reach this site and finally find an article to read. I've never given up on this site. Its quality is too high for me to let go of it easily. Finding your article has shown me that my faith hasn't been in vain. As for the article, I found it, appropriately enough, damn interesting! I had never heard of Mawson and the story of his exploration is significant. Richard Solensky, thank you so much for posting your article. It was great to reach this site and finally find an article to read. I’ve never given up on this site. Its quality is too high for me to let go of it easily. Finding your article has shown me that my faith hasn’t been in vain.
As for the article, I found it, appropriately enough, damn interesting! I had never heard of Mawson and the story of his exploration is significant.

]]> By: Silverhill http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26231 Silverhill Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:13:01 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26231 I remember reading about Mawson's trek in <i>Reader's Digest</i>, a number of years ago (in an article that is apparently not available in their website archives). In addition to the cold and wind, Mertz and Mawson---and then Mawson especially, once alone---had an additional problem with the rations. To supplement their diet, they ate parts of the dead dogs, especially the liver. This was an innocent, but severe, mistake. From the Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A#Toxicity_from_eating_liver" rel="nofollow">article</a>: "The liver of certain animals — including the polar bear, seal, walrus, and husky — is unsafe to eat because it is extraordinarily high in vitamin A. This danger has long been known to the Inuit and has been recognized by Europeans since at least 1597 when Gerrit de Veer wrote in his diary that, while taking refuge in the winter in Nova Zemlya, he and his men became severely ill after eating polar bear liver. In 1913, Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz were both poisoned (and Mertz died) from eating the liver of their sled dogs. Vitamin A itself was not discovered until 1917." also: "Signs of acute toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscular coordination." Skin drying and peeling can happen too. Toward the end of his trek, Mawson fashioned crude crampons from pieces of wood and screws from the sledge, to help him as he staggered across the ice. The soles of his feet were badly peeling, and he lost several toes to frostbite; he barely made it back to base. Mawson died without (I believe) ever knowing what had gone so horribly wrong. I remember reading about Mawson’s trek in Reader’s Digest, a number of years ago (in an article that is apparently not available in their website archives). In addition to the cold and wind, Mertz and Mawson—and then Mawson especially, once alone—had an additional problem with the rations. To supplement their diet, they ate parts of the dead dogs, especially the liver. This was an innocent, but severe, mistake.
From the Wikipedia article:
“The liver of certain animals — including the polar bear, seal, walrus, and husky — is unsafe to eat because it is extraordinarily high in vitamin A. This danger has long been known to the Inuit and has been recognized by Europeans since at least 1597 when Gerrit de Veer wrote in his diary that, while taking refuge in the winter in Nova Zemlya, he and his men became severely ill after eating polar bear liver. In 1913, Antarctic explorers Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz were both poisoned (and Mertz died) from eating the liver of their sled dogs.
Vitamin A itself was not discovered until 1917.”
also: “Signs of acute toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscular coordination.” Skin drying and peeling can happen too.

Toward the end of his trek, Mawson fashioned crude crampons from pieces of wood and screws from the sledge, to help him as he staggered across the ice. The soles of his feet were badly peeling, and he lost several toes to frostbite; he barely made it back to base.
Mawson died without (I believe) ever knowing what had gone so horribly wrong.

]]> By: Richard Solensky http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26224 Richard Solensky Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:02:17 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26224 Douglas Mawson Goes for a Walk http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2506/3845273989_d0c943ac9c.jpg Douglas Mawson, 1914 It’s always the explorers heading towards a definite goal that get all the glory.‭ ‬Or those who die heroically or tragically along the way.‭ ‬Having good press is also a big help.‭ ‬Those merely filling in the blank areas on the map or doing follow-up expeditions are often forgotten by history.‭ ‬Even though they are more likely to be the ones doing real science,‭ ‬in addition to laying the groundwork for further exploration,‭ ‬research,‭ ‬and discovery.‭ ‬When it comes to Polar exploration,‭ ‬there are certain names that have achieved the status of legend.‭ ‬John Franklin.‭ ‬Ernest Shackleton.‭ ‬Robert Scott.‭ ‬Robert Peary.‭ ‬Everyone else is relegated to footnote status,‭ ‬no matter how daring their exploits. Australia’s Douglas Mawson is one of those forgotten explorers.‭ ‬When he launched the Australasian Antarctic Expedition‭ (‬AAE‭) ‬in‭ ‬1911,‭ ‬he already had two strikes against him.‭ ‬First,‭ ‬he wasn’t planning to head for the South Pole.‭ ‬Leaving Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen to race there,‭ ‬his intention was simply to spend a year filling in a‭ ‬2,000‭ ‬mile gap on maps of the Antarctic coast,‭ ‬with additional plans to chart the ocean between‭ ‬Australia and Antarctica and set up an observation station on‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island.‭ ‬The other factor in his obscurity was that his expedition was staffed almost entirely by men from‭ ‬Australia and‭ ‬New Zealand while the entire world was focused on‭ ‬Great Britain and the‭ ‬United States. As far as dying heroically or tragically,‭ ‬Mawson and his team had no intention of doing either.‭ ‬His preparations were meticulous‭ – ‬he selected the best-trained men and dogs he could find,‭ ‬obtained all the latest gear,‭ ‬and made sure his team had‭ ‬plenty of supplies for their‭ ‬year on the‭ ‬frozen continent.‭ ‬But Fate has a way of throwing monkey wrenches into even the best-laid plans.‭ ‬Of the thirty-one men in the AAE,‭ ‬two would fall victim to‭ ‬Antarctica’s icy grip,‭ ‬and a third would avoid death only after an epic solitary journey. Mawson wasn’t without experience in the Antarctic.‭ ‬A geologist and lecturer at‭ ‬the‭ ‬University of‭ ‬Adelaide,‭ ‬he was a member of Shackleton’s first expedition in‭ ‬1907,‭ ‬and was part of the team that made the first ascent of Mt Erebus.‭ ‬He was even offered a spot on Scott’s‭ ‬ill-fated‭ ‬Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.‭ ‬He declined‭; ‬he had plans of his own. The AAE was an ambitious undertaking.‭ ‬The men would set out on the‭ ‬S.Y.‭ ‬(Steam yacht‭)‬ Aurora and set up bases on‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island and the Antarctic coast.‭ ‬From there,‭ ‬teams would brave the hazards of the hostile climate and spend a year in unknown terrain exploring and collecting data.‭ ‬This would include weather information‭ ‬to help improve forecasting,‭ ‬studies of ocean currents‭ ‬to allow for safer navigation in the frozen waters,‭ ‬mineral specimens‭ ‬to evaluate any‭ ‬potential‭ ‬wealth locked under the ice,‭ ‬and observations of wildlife‭ ‬for clues to potential food sources.‭ ‬Finally,‭ ‬there were the thrills of being the first to venture into lands never before seen by man,‭ ‬and gaining knowledge for its own sake. On‭ ‬2‭ ‬December‭ ‬1911,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora left‭ ‬Hobart in‭ ‬Tasmania for‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island.‭ ‬Almost immediately,‭ ‬bad luck dogged the expedition.‭ ‬A storm blew up the first night,‭ ‬damaging a fresh water tank aboard the ship.‭ ‬With rationing,‭ ‬they arrived at‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island on‭ ‬11‭ ‬December.‭ ‬A hut was built to serve as a base for the five men who would survey the island,‭ ‬and they set up one of those newfangled‭ “‬radio‭” ‬contraptions so the widely separated parts of the expedition could keep in touch‭ ‬with each other and‭ ‬Australia. Twelve days later,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora left for‭ ‬Antarctica,‭ ‬arriving on‭ ‬7‭ ‬January,‭ ‬1912.‭ ‬The ship found a nice harbor filled with seals and penguins.‭ ‬Mawson named the spot‭ “‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay‭”‬,‭ ‬and chose it as the site for their main base.‭ ‬Bad luck again‭ – ‬he picked one of the windiest spots on the planet.‭ ‬By the end of the short summer,‭ ‬winds were often over‭ ‬100‭ ‬miles‭ ‬per hour,‭ ‬with gusts occasionally reaching‭ ‬200‭ ‬mph.‭ ‬Meanwhile,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora had left to set up a second base some‭ ‬1500‭ ‬miles to the west,‭ ‬leaving Mawson and seventeen men to face the winter on their own. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/3846062896_cd1b81f3fc.jpg The hut at Commonwealth Bay The team did‭ ‬what they could in the brutal climate before winter set in,‭ ‬setting up a few storage caches for use by the next summer’s sledge teams.‭ ‬They also managed to set up their own radio aerial and get a message off to Macquarie Is.‭ ‬before the winds blew it down.‭ ‬Most of the winter saw them huddled in their hut,‭ ‬holding out against the howling winds.‭ ‬To keep themselves occupied when the weather made work impossible,‭ ‬they played games,‭ ‬held concerts,‭ ‬and devised other ways to entertain themselves.‭ ‬Teamwork was essential to their survival.‭ ‬Living in such cramped quarters fosters cooperation.‭ ‬If they weren’t good friends before,‭ ‬winter’s prison certainly made them so. With the arrival of spring,‭ ‬the intrepid explorers emerged from their burrow and looked about.‭ ‬Everyone and everything had made it through in good condition,‭ ‬so Mawson set about planning the exploration parties.‭ ‬Five sledge teams of men and dogs would head out in different directions,‭ ‬filling in the blanks on the map as best they could before the return of the‭ ‬Aurora on‭ ‬15‭ ‬January‭ ‬1913 Mawson would take the longest one,‭ ‬accompanied by dog handlers Dr.‭ ‬Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Ninnis.‭ ‬Both men were among the few members of the expedition who joined the AAE in‭ ‬London,‭ ‬where the‭ ‬Aurora was being refit for the voyage.‭ ‬Mertz was a champion skier and an expert mountaineer,‭ ‬and although Ninnis,‭ ‬a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers,‭ ‬had no personal experience in the Antarctic,‭ ‬his father was a noted Arctic explorer.‭ ‬On‭ ‬10‭ ‬November they set out on the‭ “‬Far Eastern Trek‭”‬.‭ ‬They made reasonable progress,‭ ‬discarding spent supplies and damaged equipment along the way to lighten their load.‭ ‬The trek passed without incident until‭ ‬14‭ ‬December.‭ ‬Mertz,‭ ‬in the lead,‭ ‬signaled a warning.‭ ‬Mawson,‭ ‬coming up next,‭ ‬saw nothing out of the ordinary save a small change in the ice and snow.‭ ‬When Mertz cried out in horror,‭ ‬he stopped and turned around.‭ ‬Ninnis had vanished‭ ‬-‭ ‬along with a sledge,‭ ‬their six strongest dogs,‭ ‬their tent,‭ ‬and most of their supplies. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3846063114_7935e26e1a.jpg A partially uncovered crevasse. Photo by Jeremy Poole (used with permission) They‭ ‬had‭ ‬fallen victim to one of the Antarctic’s many dangers.‭ ‬As ice sheets move over uneven terrain,‭ ‬they can crack and split,‭ ‬creating a‭ ‬crevasse.‭ ‬These crevasses can extend all the way to the bottom of the ice.‭ ‬If the prevailing winds blow across the open crevasse instead of along its length,‭ ‬they can drop snow along the edges which can build up into a‭ “‬bridge‭” ‬or‭ “‬roof‭”‬.‭ ‬The roof may look solid,‭ ‬but step on it with just a little too much weight,‭ ‬or even in just the wrong way at the wrong time,‭ ‬and it can break and send the traveler falling to his doom. Creeping carefully up to the edge of the newly revealed crevasse,‭ ‬Mawson and Mertz looked in.‭ ‬All they could see were a scattering of supplies and two dogs‭ ‬-‭ ‬one badly injured,‭ ‬the other not moving at all‭ ‬-‭ ‬on a ledge some‭ ‬150‭ ‬feet down.‭ ‬Even‭ ‬after‭ ‬tying all their ropes together,‭ ‬they couldn’t reach that far.‭ ‬They called down for three hours,‭ ‬but there was no sign of Ninnis.‭ ‬They might have been able to climb down the sides of the crevasse,‭ ‬but there was no guarantee that they’d be able to make it back out.‭ ‬Reluctantly,‭ ‬they had to abandon the search and assess the few supplies they had left. The tally was pitiful.‭ ‬They were‭ ‬315‭ ‬miles from their base,‭ ‬with only one sledge,‭ ‬a tent cover,‭ ‬a cooker with a little fuel,‭ ‬and ten days of food‭ ‬-‭ ‬and that was if they didn’t feed the six remaining dogs.‭ ‬Since they had planned to return from their trek by a different route,‭ ‬they did not leave any supply caches along the way.‭ ‬The only good news was that they had recently abandoned a damaged sledge,‭ ‬and it was within reach.‭ ‬They would need every piece of equipment‭ ‬they could get.‭ ‬Heading for that sledge,‭ ‬they began a grim procedure for survival.‭ ‬Whenever they became too weak from hunger,‭ ‬they would kill and eat the weakest dog in order to save their real rations for the bitter end. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3846063070_b51d9a1c3e.jpg A typical Antarctic landscape The two headed back to‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay along what they hoped would be the quickest route across the unknown terrain.‭ ‬On average,‭ ‬they could trudge along at only six miles a day.‭ ‬On a good day,‭ ‬the temperature climbed up to‭ ‬0°F,‭ ‬and the winds dipped below‭ ‬30‭ ‬miles per hour.‭ ‬There weren’t many good days.‭ ‬A tent was fashioned from the tent cover and parts of the extra sledge.‭ ‬The dogs were‭ “‬fed‭” ‬by letting them chew on worn out fur mittens and spare rawhide straps.‭ ‬When the last dog died,‭ ‬the two fashioned crude harnesses to pull the sledges themselves.‭ ‬Mertz weakened quickly from malnutrition.‭ ‬On‭ ‬31‭ ‬December,‭ ‬some two and a half weeks after the loss of Ninnis,‭ ‬he suggested they start eating their rations to improve their condition.‭ ‬It didn’t help Mertz.‭ ‬The next day he complained of stomach cramps,‭ ‬and his health failed rapidly.‭ ‬In a few days,‭ ‬Mawson was hauling him on the sledge,‭ ‬and had to help him in and out of his sleeping bag. On‭ ‬7‭ ‬January,‭ ‬Mertz fell into a delirium and soon breathed his last.‭ ‬Mawson took stock as he had to abandon his friend’s body.‭ “‬For hours I lay in the bag,‭ ‬rolling over in my mind all that lay behind and the chance of the future.‭ ‬I seemed to stand alone on the wide shores of the world…My physical condition was such that I felt I might collapse at any moment…Several of my toes commenced to blacken and fester near the tips and the nails worked loose.‭ ‬There appeared to be little hope…It was easy to sleep on in the bag,‭ ‬and the weather was cruel outside‭”‬.‭ ‬He was‭ ‬one hundred miles from‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay. Discarding everything that wasn’t essential to survival,‭ ‬save his hard-won collection of geological specimens and observations,‭ ‬he trudged on.‭ ‬A single sledge,‭ ‬which he dragged behind him,‭ ‬carried his meager supplies and records.‭ ‬He couldn’t abandon his notes‭ ‬-‭ ‬they were the whole point of the expedition. On‭ ‬17‭ ‬January,‭ ‬Mawson’s makeshift harness saved his life.‭ ‬The snow opened up beneath him,‭ ‬and he fell in.‭ ‬Luckily,‭ ‬the sledge caught in the heavy snow,‭ ‬and he was able to struggle out‭ – ‬only to slip back into the crevasse.‭ “‬My strength was ebbing fast‭;” ‬he would later write.‭ “…‬in a few moments it would be too late.‭” ‬He summoned a‭ ‬last‭ ‬reserve of strength and clambered out again to continue his trek. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3845273949_c2577064c2_d.jpg Map by the author Blizzards attacked him and starvation weakened him.‭ ‬It soon took him two hours just to set up a makeshift camp at the end of the day. On the‭ ‬29th,‭ ‬after three weeks alone on the ice,‭ ‬and with his supplies virtually gone,‭ ‬he came upon a fresh snow cairn.‭ ‬Search parties from the base had been out looking for them,‭ ‬and had left some‭ ‬provisions.‭ ‬A note also carried the happy information that a cave they set up as a supply cache wasn’t too far away,‭ ‬and the‭ ‬Aurora was waiting in the harbor.‭ ‬Oh,‭ ‬and that Amundsen had reached the South Pole.‭ ‬In his weakened condition,‭ ‬it took him three days to make it to the cave.‭ ‬Then the weather turned for the worse,‭ ‬trapping him there for a week.‭ ‬But for the first time in a month and a half,‭ ‬Mawson had decent food and shelter. Finally arriving back at the base,‭ ‬Mawson was greeted by one last kick in the shins from Fate.‭ ‬He could see a speck on the horizon‭ – ‬the‭ ‬Aurora‭ – ‬but she was heading out.‭ ‬Six men had volunteered to stay behind in the hopes that Mawson,‭ ‬Mertz,‭ ‬and Ninnis would return.‭ ‬They sent out a quick radio message,‭ ‬but the ice was too thick for the ship to approach,‭ ‬and too thin for the men to make it out to her.‭ ‬Mawson would have to spend another year at‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay.‭ ‬Fortunately,‭ ‬there were plenty of supplies and the hut was in fine shape.‭ ‬They were even able to make a few more treks to fill in more blanks on the map the next summer. The‭ ‬Aurora returned in December of‭ ‬1913‭ ‬to collect the men.‭ ‬They arrived back in‭ ‬Australia on‭ ‬26‭ ‬February,‭ ‬1914.‭ ‬Mawson‭ ‬went back to the‭ ‬University of‭ ‬Adelaide,‭ ‬and he would soon be knighted for his explorations.‭ ‬He continued to work and promote the further exploration of the Antarctic,‭ ‬and on his death in‭ ‬1958‭ ‬he was given a full Australian state funeral. Even though Scott and Amundsen conducted their own observations during their epic Race for the Pole,‭ ‬they cannot match the legacy of the AAE.‭ ‬Historians of polar exploration widely regard it as one of the greatest triumphs in the field.‭ ‬Team members logged over‭ ‬4,000‭ ‬miles in lands never before visited by man,‭ ‬and it took some thirty years to publish all the notes and data they collected.‭ ‬A cross and stone cairn mark the sacrifices of Ninnis and Mertz‭;‬ their bodies were never recovered.‭ ‬Mawson is properly regarded as a hero in‭ ‬Australia‭ – ‬but is virtually unknown in the rest of the world. <i>The Home of the Blizzard</i> by Douglas Mawson at Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Home-Blizzard-Story-Antarctic-Survival/dp/0312211252 In the Footsteps of Douglas Mawson http://www.mawson.sa.gov.au/netscape.htm Cool Antarctica's page on the AAE: http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Douglas%20Mawson.htm <b>Douglas Mawson</b> at The Australian Dictionary of Biography: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100444b.htm Douglas Mawson Goes for a Walk

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2506/3845273989_d0c943ac9c.jpg
Douglas Mawson, 1914

It’s always the explorers heading towards a definite goal that get all the glory.‭ ‬Or those who die heroically or tragically along the way.‭ ‬Having good press is also a big help.‭ ‬Those merely filling in the blank areas on the map or doing follow-up expeditions are often forgotten by history.‭ ‬Even though they are more likely to be the ones doing real science,‭ ‬in addition to laying the groundwork for further exploration,‭ ‬research,‭ ‬and discovery.‭ ‬When it comes to Polar exploration,‭ ‬there are certain names that have achieved the status of legend.‭ ‬John Franklin.‭ ‬Ernest Shackleton.‭ ‬Robert Scott.‭ ‬Robert Peary.‭ ‬Everyone else is relegated to footnote status,‭ ‬no matter how daring their exploits.

Australia’s Douglas Mawson is one of those forgotten explorers.‭ ‬When he launched the Australasian Antarctic Expedition‭ (‬AAE‭) ‬in‭ ‬1911,‭ ‬he already had two strikes against him.‭ ‬First,‭ ‬he wasn’t planning to head for the South Pole.‭ ‬Leaving Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen to race there,‭ ‬his intention was simply to spend a year filling in a‭ ‬2,000‭ ‬mile gap on maps of the Antarctic coast,‭ ‬with additional plans to chart the ocean between‭ ‬Australia and Antarctica and set up an observation station on‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island.‭ ‬The other factor in his obscurity was that his expedition was staffed almost entirely by men from‭ ‬Australia and‭ ‬New Zealand while the entire world was focused on‭ ‬Great Britain and the‭ ‬United States.

As far as dying heroically or tragically,‭ ‬Mawson and his team had no intention of doing either.‭ ‬His preparations were meticulous‭ – ‬he selected the best-trained men and dogs he could find,‭ ‬obtained all the latest gear,‭ ‬and made sure his team had‭ ‬plenty of supplies for their‭ ‬year on the‭ ‬frozen continent.‭ ‬But Fate has a way of throwing monkey wrenches into even the best-laid plans.‭ ‬Of the thirty-one men in the AAE,‭ ‬two would fall victim to‭ ‬Antarctica’s icy grip,‭ ‬and a third would avoid death only after an epic solitary journey.

Mawson wasn’t without experience in the Antarctic.‭ ‬A geologist and lecturer at‭ ‬the‭ ‬University of‭ ‬Adelaide,‭ ‬he was a member of Shackleton’s first expedition in‭ ‬1907,‭ ‬and was part of the team that made the first ascent of Mt Erebus.‭ ‬He was even offered a spot on Scott’s‭ ‬ill-fated‭ ‬Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole.‭ ‬He declined‭; ‬he had plans of his own.

The AAE was an ambitious undertaking.‭ ‬The men would set out on the‭ ‬S.Y.‭ ‬(Steam yacht‭)‬ Aurora and set up bases on‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island and the Antarctic coast.‭ ‬From there,‭ ‬teams would brave the hazards of the hostile climate and spend a year in unknown terrain exploring and collecting data.‭ ‬This would include weather information‭ ‬to help improve forecasting,‭ ‬studies of ocean currents‭ ‬to allow for safer navigation in the frozen waters,‭ ‬mineral specimens‭ ‬to evaluate any‭ ‬potential‭ ‬wealth locked under the ice,‭ ‬and observations of wildlife‭ ‬for clues to potential food sources.‭ ‬Finally,‭ ‬there were the thrills of being the first to venture into lands never before seen by man,‭ ‬and gaining knowledge for its own sake.

On‭ ‬2‭ ‬December‭ ‬1911,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora left‭ ‬Hobart in‭ ‬Tasmania for‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island.‭ ‬Almost immediately,‭ ‬bad luck dogged the expedition.‭ ‬A storm blew up the first night,‭ ‬damaging a fresh water tank aboard the ship.‭ ‬With rationing,‭ ‬they arrived at‭ ‬Macquarie‭ ‬Island on‭ ‬11‭ ‬December.‭ ‬A hut was built to serve as a base for the five men who would survey the island,‭ ‬and they set up one of those newfangled‭ “‬radio‭” ‬contraptions so the widely separated parts of the expedition could keep in touch‭ ‬with each other and‭ ‬Australia.

Twelve days later,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora left for‭ ‬Antarctica,‭ ‬arriving on‭ ‬7‭ ‬January,‭ ‬1912.‭ ‬The ship found a nice harbor filled with seals and penguins.‭ ‬Mawson named the spot‭ “‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay‭”‬,‭ ‬and chose it as the site for their main base.‭ ‬Bad luck again‭ – ‬he picked one of the windiest spots on the planet.‭ ‬By the end of the short summer,‭ ‬winds were often over‭ ‬100‭ ‬miles‭ ‬per hour,‭ ‬with gusts occasionally reaching‭ ‬200‭ ‬mph.‭ ‬Meanwhile,‭ ‬the‭ ‬Aurora had left to set up a second base some‭ ‬1500‭ ‬miles to the west,‭ ‬leaving Mawson and seventeen men to face the winter on their own.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/3846062896_cd1b81f3fc.jpg
The hut at Commonwealth Bay

The team did‭ ‬what they could in the brutal climate before winter set in,‭ ‬setting up a few storage caches for use by the next summer’s sledge teams.‭ ‬They also managed to set up their own radio aerial and get a message off to Macquarie Is.‭ ‬before the winds blew it down.‭ ‬Most of the winter saw them huddled in their hut,‭ ‬holding out against the howling winds.‭ ‬To keep themselves occupied when the weather made work impossible,‭ ‬they played games,‭ ‬held concerts,‭ ‬and devised other ways to entertain themselves.‭ ‬Teamwork was essential to their survival.‭ ‬Living in such cramped quarters fosters cooperation.‭ ‬If they weren’t good friends before,‭ ‬winter’s prison certainly made them so.

With the arrival of spring,‭ ‬the intrepid explorers emerged from their burrow and looked about.‭ ‬Everyone and everything had made it through in good condition,‭ ‬so Mawson set about planning the exploration parties.‭ ‬Five sledge teams of men and dogs would head out in different directions,‭ ‬filling in the blanks on the map as best they could before the return of the‭ ‬Aurora on‭ ‬15‭ ‬January‭ ‬1913

Mawson would take the longest one,‭ ‬accompanied by dog handlers Dr.‭ ‬Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Ninnis.‭ ‬Both men were among the few members of the expedition who joined the AAE in‭ ‬London,‭ ‬where the‭ ‬Aurora was being refit for the voyage.‭ ‬Mertz was a champion skier and an expert mountaineer,‭ ‬and although Ninnis,‭ ‬a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers,‭ ‬had no personal experience in the Antarctic,‭ ‬his father was a noted Arctic explorer.‭ ‬On‭ ‬10‭ ‬November they set out on the‭ “‬Far Eastern Trek‭”‬.‭ ‬They made reasonable progress,‭ ‬discarding spent supplies and damaged equipment along the way to lighten their load.‭ ‬The trek passed without incident until‭ ‬14‭ ‬December.‭ ‬Mertz,‭ ‬in the lead,‭ ‬signaled a warning.‭ ‬Mawson,‭ ‬coming up next,‭ ‬saw nothing out of the ordinary save a small change in the ice and snow.‭ ‬When Mertz cried out in horror,‭ ‬he stopped and turned around.‭ ‬Ninnis had vanished‭ ‬-‭ ‬along with a sledge,‭ ‬their six strongest dogs,‭ ‬their tent,‭ ‬and most of their supplies.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3846063114_7935e26e1a.jpg
A partially uncovered crevasse. Photo by Jeremy Poole (used with permission)

They‭ ‬had‭ ‬fallen victim to one of the Antarctic’s many dangers.‭ ‬As ice sheets move over uneven terrain,‭ ‬they can crack and split,‭ ‬creating a‭ ‬crevasse.‭ ‬These crevasses can extend all the way to the bottom of the ice.‭ ‬If the prevailing winds blow across the open crevasse instead of along its length,‭ ‬they can drop snow along the edges which can build up into a‭ “‬bridge‭” ‬or‭ “‬roof‭”‬.‭ ‬The roof may look solid,‭ ‬but step on it with just a little too much weight,‭ ‬or even in just the wrong way at the wrong time,‭ ‬and it can break and send the traveler falling to his doom.

Creeping carefully up to the edge of the newly revealed crevasse,‭ ‬Mawson and Mertz looked in.‭ ‬All they could see were a scattering of supplies and two dogs‭ ‬-‭ ‬one badly injured,‭ ‬the other not moving at all‭ ‬-‭ ‬on a ledge some‭ ‬150‭ ‬feet down.‭ ‬Even‭ ‬after‭ ‬tying all their ropes together,‭ ‬they couldn’t reach that far.‭ ‬They called down for three hours,‭ ‬but there was no sign of Ninnis.‭ ‬They might have been able to climb down the sides of the crevasse,‭ ‬but there was no guarantee that they’d be able to make it back out.‭ ‬Reluctantly,‭ ‬they had to abandon the search and assess the few supplies they had left.

The tally was pitiful.‭ ‬They were‭ ‬315‭ ‬miles from their base,‭ ‬with only one sledge,‭ ‬a tent cover,‭ ‬a cooker with a little fuel,‭ ‬and ten days of food‭ ‬-‭ ‬and that was if they didn’t feed the six remaining dogs.‭ ‬Since they had planned to return from their trek by a different route,‭ ‬they did not leave any supply caches along the way.‭ ‬The only good news was that they had recently abandoned a damaged sledge,‭ ‬and it was within reach.‭ ‬They would need every piece of equipment‭ ‬they could get.‭ ‬Heading for that sledge,‭ ‬they began a grim procedure for survival.‭ ‬Whenever they became too weak from hunger,‭ ‬they would kill and eat the weakest dog in order to save their real rations for the bitter end.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3846063070_b51d9a1c3e.jpg
A typical Antarctic landscape

The two headed back to‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay along what they hoped would be the quickest route across the unknown terrain.‭ ‬On average,‭ ‬they could trudge along at only six miles a day.‭ ‬On a good day,‭ ‬the temperature climbed up to‭ ‬0°F,‭ ‬and the winds dipped below‭ ‬30‭ ‬miles per hour.‭ ‬There weren’t many good days.‭ ‬A tent was fashioned from the tent cover and parts of the extra sledge.‭ ‬The dogs were‭ “‬fed‭” ‬by letting them chew on worn out fur mittens and spare rawhide straps.‭ ‬When the last dog died,‭ ‬the two fashioned crude harnesses to pull the sledges themselves.‭ ‬Mertz weakened quickly from malnutrition.‭ ‬On‭ ‬31‭ ‬December,‭ ‬some two and a half weeks after the loss of Ninnis,‭ ‬he suggested they start eating their rations to improve their condition.‭ ‬It didn’t help Mertz.‭ ‬The next day he complained of stomach cramps,‭ ‬and his health failed rapidly.‭ ‬In a few days,‭ ‬Mawson was hauling him on the sledge,‭ ‬and had to help him in and out of his sleeping bag.

On‭ ‬7‭ ‬January,‭ ‬Mertz fell into a delirium and soon breathed his last.‭ ‬Mawson took stock as he had to abandon his friend’s body.‭ “‬For hours I lay in the bag,‭ ‬rolling over in my mind all that lay behind and the chance of the future.‭ ‬I seemed to stand alone on the wide shores of the world…My physical condition was such that I felt I might collapse at any moment…Several of my toes commenced to blacken and fester near the tips and the nails worked loose.‭ ‬There appeared to be little hope…It was easy to sleep on in the bag,‭ ‬and the weather was cruel outside‭”‬.‭ ‬He was‭ ‬one hundred miles from‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay.

Discarding everything that wasn’t essential to survival,‭ ‬save his hard-won collection of geological specimens and observations,‭ ‬he trudged on.‭ ‬A single sledge,‭ ‬which he dragged behind him,‭ ‬carried his meager supplies and records.‭ ‬He couldn’t abandon his notes‭ ‬-‭ ‬they were the whole point of the expedition.

On‭ ‬17‭ ‬January,‭ ‬Mawson’s makeshift harness saved his life.‭ ‬The snow opened up beneath him,‭ ‬and he fell in.‭ ‬Luckily,‭ ‬the sledge caught in the heavy snow,‭ ‬and he was able to struggle out‭ – ‬only to slip back into the crevasse.‭ “‬My strength was ebbing fast‭;” ‬he would later write.‭ “…‬in a few moments it would be too late.‭” ‬He summoned a‭ ‬last‭ ‬reserve of strength and clambered out again to continue his trek.

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Map by the author

Blizzards attacked him and starvation weakened him.‭ ‬It soon took him two hours just to set up a makeshift camp at the end of the day.

On the‭ ‬29th,‭ ‬after three weeks alone on the ice,‭ ‬and with his supplies virtually gone,‭ ‬he came upon a fresh snow cairn.‭ ‬Search parties from the base had been out looking for them,‭ ‬and had left some‭ ‬provisions.‭ ‬A note also carried the happy information that a cave they set up as a supply cache wasn’t too far away,‭ ‬and the‭ ‬Aurora was waiting in the harbor.‭ ‬Oh,‭ ‬and that Amundsen had reached the South Pole.‭ ‬In his weakened condition,‭ ‬it took him three days to make it to the cave.‭ ‬Then the weather turned for the worse,‭ ‬trapping him there for a week.‭ ‬But for the first time in a month and a half,‭ ‬Mawson had decent food and shelter.

Finally arriving back at the base,‭ ‬Mawson was greeted by one last kick in the shins from Fate.‭ ‬He could see a speck on the horizon‭ – ‬the‭ ‬Aurora‭ – ‬but she was heading out.‭ ‬Six men had volunteered to stay behind in the hopes that Mawson,‭ ‬Mertz,‭ ‬and Ninnis would return.‭ ‬They sent out a quick radio message,‭ ‬but the ice was too thick for the ship to approach,‭ ‬and too thin for the men to make it out to her.‭ ‬Mawson would have to spend another year at‭ ‬Commonwealth‭ ‬Bay.‭ ‬Fortunately,‭ ‬there were plenty of supplies and the hut was in fine shape.‭ ‬They were even able to make a few more treks to fill in more blanks on the map the next summer.

The‭ ‬Aurora returned in December of‭ ‬1913‭ ‬to collect the men.‭ ‬They arrived back in‭ ‬Australia on‭ ‬26‭ ‬February,‭ ‬1914.‭ ‬Mawson‭ ‬went back to the‭ ‬University of‭ ‬Adelaide,‭ ‬and he would soon be knighted for his explorations.‭ ‬He continued to work and promote the further exploration of the Antarctic,‭ ‬and on his death in‭ ‬1958‭ ‬he was given a full Australian state funeral.

Even though Scott and Amundsen conducted their own observations during their epic Race for the Pole,‭ ‬they cannot match the legacy of the AAE.‭ ‬Historians of polar exploration widely regard it as one of the greatest triumphs in the field.‭ ‬Team members logged over‭ ‬4,000‭ ‬miles in lands never before visited by man,‭ ‬and it took some thirty years to publish all the notes and data they collected.‭ ‬A cross and stone cairn mark the sacrifices of Ninnis and Mertz‭;‬ their bodies were never recovered.‭ ‬Mawson is properly regarded as a hero in‭ ‬Australia‭ – ‬but is virtually unknown in the rest of the world.

The Home of the Blizzard by Douglas Mawson at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Blizzard-Story-Antarctic-Survival/dp/0312211252

In the Footsteps of Douglas Mawson
http://www.mawson.sa.gov.au/netscape.htm

Cool Antarctica’s page on the AAE:
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/Douglas%20Mawson.htm

Douglas Mawson at The Australian Dictionary of Biography:
http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100444b.htm

]]> By: Richard Solensky http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26223 Richard Solensky Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:49:10 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26223 Looks like I can't add photos directly to a comment, so you'll just have to click on the links. Looks like I can’t add photos directly to a comment, so you’ll just have to click on the links.

]]> By: Richard Solensky http://www.damninteresting.com/the-pit-of-life-and-death/#comment-26222 Richard Solensky Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:47:48 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=961#comment-26222 test 7 test test 7

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