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Show oo THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN SCOTT The fate of Captain Scott and com-, com-, rades will appeal to the average per-I per-I son as an uncalled for waste oi life The brae Englishmen gave to the world a story of courage and resolution resolu-tion most admirable, but the cause thej died for was 90 barren of any good to humanity as to force regrets that men so brave and daring should sacrifice themselves in nothing nior than a contest of endurance in the blizzards of the Antarctic And what a dreary, desolate, frigid region that must be, where all the elements are B constant protest against man's Intrusion' Amundsen describes it as stretches of awful i waste of ice where across the frozen surface the wind sweeps furiously. All the expeditions to the north ami south poles have brought us nothing I of worth They are but repetitions of hardships amid he and snow, 8tarva-J tlon and death Yet there must be something fascinating In these wild dashes Into the frozen regions Here is Amundsen announcing, on the day the news of Scott s death Is received that he is to plan a north polar expedition ex-pedition next ear. ' Why should I hesitate?' he asked "These affairs are ver sad. but thes are really uncommon It is not what one may expect, as perhaps some of you may think No I shall 6tart and I believe I shall be successful. What do you care about the north pole, captain'"' was asked "Nothing, said the expioier swiftly. I do not seek the pole 1 ma.v not even reach It I don't care whether I do These stories that I am U) accurately seek (he pole are tin true ' I am going north only on a sclen-jtiflc sclen-jtiflc expedition, chiefly to study ai land ocean currents If 1 am close to the pole and conditions are favorable jl will go there not otherwise ' So far no great facts of service to i the world of science have been won from the Arctic or Antarctic I |
