text:
WILMINGTON, Del.—B Safe Security, a regional security and fire alarm company based here, made five acquisitions in 2012 that represented about $85,000 in RMR and more than doubled the company's customer base. B Safe also has similar growth plans for this year.
© 2019 United Publications Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Are you interested in becoming a wholesale partner or would like to receive more information on custom dancewear pieces? Please fill out the wholesale request form on the right and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You may also call us to request information at 800-992-6629.
Exceptional quality and remarkable style. The sleek design of this tank bra top fits right in during class, practice, or performances. Features a contemporary high neck and an open back with two snap closures at the neck for easy on and off. Top has front lining.
80% Nylon/20% Spandex
Available in sizes: (adult) P,S,M,L,XL
Suggested fitting for this item:
This information is shown as a guide only and not a guarantee.


text:
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–17), also known as the Endurance Expedition, is considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. After the conquest of the South Pole by Roald Amundsen in 1911, this crossing from sea to sea remained, in Shackleton's words, the "one great main object of Antarctic journeyings".[1] The expedition failed to accomplish this objective, but became recognised instead as an epic feat of endurance.
Shackleton had served in the Antarctic on Captain Scott's Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and had led the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907–09. In this new expedition he proposed to sail to the Weddell Sea and to land a shore party near Vahsel Bay, in preparation for a transcontinental march through the South Pole to the Ross Sea. A supporting group, the Ross Sea party, would meanwhile travel to the opposite side of the continent, establish camp in McMurdo Sound, and from there lay a series of supply depots across the Ross Ice Shelf to the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. These depots would be essential for the transcontinental party's survival, as the party would not be able to carry enough provisions for the entire crossing. The expedition required two ships: Endurance under Shackleton for the Weddell Sea party, and Aurora, under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh, for the Ross Sea party.
Endurance became beset in the ice of the Weddell Sea before reaching Vahsel Bay, and despite efforts to free it, drifted northward, held in the pack ice, throughout the Antarctic winter of 1915. Eventually the ship was crushed and sank, stranding its 28-man complement on the ice. After months spent in makeshift camps as the ice continued its northwards drift, the party took to the lifeboats to reach the inhospitable, uninhabited Elephant Island. Shackleton and five others then made an 800-mile (1,287 km) open-boat journey in the James Caird to reach South Georgia. From there, Shackleton was eventually able to mount a rescue of the men waiting on Elephant Island and bring them home without loss of life. On the other side of the continent, the Ross Sea party overcame great hardships to fulfil its mission. Aurora was blown from her moorings during a gale and was unable to return, leaving the shore party marooned without proper supplies or equipment. Nevertheless, the depots were laid, but three lives were lost in the process.
- 1 Preparations
- 2 Personnel
- 3 Expedition
- 4 Return to civilization
- 5 In popular culture
- 6 References
- 7 Further reading
- 8 Films
- 9 External links
Despite the public acclaim that had greeted Shackleton's achievements during the Nimrod Expedition in 1907–09, the explorer was unsettled, becoming—in the words of British skiing pioneer Sir Harry Brittain—"a bit of a floating gent".[2] He wanted to return to the Antarctic, but his future plans now depended on the results of Scott's Terra Nova Expedition, which had left Cardiff in July 1910. The unexpected news of Amundsen's conquest of the South Pole reached Shackleton on 11 March 1912. This meant a change of focus, no matter what Scott's expedition achieved. Shackleton wrote: "The discovery of the South Pole will not be the end of Antarctic exploration".[3] The next work, he said, would be "a transcontinental journey from sea to sea, crossing the pole".[4] However, there were others who were in the field pursuing this objective. On 11 December 1911, a German expedition under Wilhelm Filchner had sailed from South Georgia with the purpose of penetrating deep into the Weddell Sea, establishing a southerly base, and from there attempting to cross the continent to the Ross Sea.[5] In late 1912 Filchner returned to South Georgia, having failed to set up his base headquarters.[5] However, his discovery of possible landing sites in Vahsel Bay, at around 78° latitude, was noted by Shackleton, and incorporated into his expedition plans.[6]
Despite the news of the fate of Captain Scott and his companions on their return journey from the South Pole, Shackleton initiated preparations for his own transcontinental expedition. He solicited financial and practical support from, among others, Tryggve Gran of Scott's expedition, and former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, but received no help from either. Gran was evasive, and Rosebery blunt: "I have never been able to care one farthing about the Poles".[7] Shackleton got support, however, from William Speirs Bruce, leader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–04, who had harboured plans for an Antarctic crossing since 1908, but had abandoned the project for lack of funds. Bruce gladly allowed Shackleton to adopt his plans,[8] although the eventual scheme announced by Shackleton owed little to Bruce. On 29 December 1913, having acquired his first promises of financial backing—a £10,000 grant from the British Government—Shackleton made his plans public, in a letter to newspaper The Times.
Shackleton's plan
After the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen, who by a narrow margin of days only, was in advance of the British Expedition under Scott, there remained but one great main object of Antarctic journeying — the crossing of the South Polar continent from sea to sea.
Shackleton called his new expedition the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, because he felt that "not only the people of these islands, but our kinsmen in all the lands under the Union Jack will be willing to assist towards the carrying out of the ... programme of exploration."[10] To arouse the interest of the general public, Shackleton issued a detailed programme early in 1914. The expedition was to consist of two parties and two ships. The Weddell Sea party would travel in the Endurance and continue to the Vahsel Bay area, where fourteen men would land of whom six, under Shackleton, would form the Transcontinental Party. This group, with 69 dogs, two motor sledges, and equipment "embodying everything that the experience of the leader and his expert advisers can suggest",[11] would undertake the 1,800-mile (2,900 km) journey to the Ross Sea. The remaining eight shore party members would carry out scientific work, three going to Graham Land, three to Enderby Land and two remaining at base camp.[11]
The Ross Sea party, led by Mackintosh, was to travel in to the Ross Sea base in McMurdo Sound, on the opposite side of the continent. After landing they would lay depots on the route of the transcontinental party as far as the Beardmore Glacier, hopefully meeting that party there and assisting it home. They would also "make geological and other observations".[11] In his programme Shackleton expresses the intention that the crossing should take place, if possible, in the first season, 1914–15.[11] Later, he recognised the impracticality of this, but neglected to inform Mackintosh of this change of plan. According to Daily Chronicle correspondent Ernest Perris, Mackintosh's instructions should have been corrected by cable, but this was never sent.[12]
Shackleton estimated that he would need £50,000 (current value £4,286,000) to carry out the simplest version of his plan.[13] He did not believe in appeals to the public: "(they) cause endless book-keeping worries".[7] His chosen method of fund-raising was to solicit contributions from wealthy backers, and he had begun this process early in 1913, with little initial success.[7] The first significant encouragement came in December 1913, when the Government offered him £10,000, provided he could raise an equivalent amount from private sources.[13] The Royal Geographical Society, from which he had expected nothing, gave him £1,000—according to Huntford, Shackleton, in a grand gesture, advised them that he would only need to take up half of this sum.[14] Lord Rosebery, who had previously expressed his lack of interest in polar expeditions, gave £50.[13] In February 1914 The New York Times reported that playwright J. M. Barrie – a close friend of Captain Scott – had confidentially donated $50,000 (about £10,000).[15] With time running out, contributions were eventually secured during the spring and early summer of 1914. Dudley Docker of the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) gave £10,000, wealthy tobacco heiress Janet Stancomb-Wills gave a "generous" sum (the amount was not revealed),[16] and, in June, Scottish industrialist Sir James Caird donated £24,000 (current value £2,060,000). Shackleton informed the Morning Post that "this magnificent gift relieves me of all anxiety".[16]
Shackleton now had the money to proceed. He acquired, for £14,000 (current value £1,200,000),[17] a 300-ton barquentine called Polaris, which had been built for the Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache for an expedition to Spitsbergen. This scheme had collapsed and the ship became available.[18] Shackleton changed her name to Endurance, reflecting his family motto "By endurance we conquer".[13] For a further £3,200 (current value £274,000), he acquired Douglas Mawson's expedition ship Aurora, which was lying in Hobart, Tasmania. This would act as the Ross Sea party's vessel.[11]
The total amount raised by Shackleton is uncertain, since the size of the Stancomb-Wills donation is not known.[19] However, lack of money was an ongoing problem for the expedition. As an economy measure the proportion of funding allocated to the Ross Sea party was halved, a fact which the party's commander Aeneas Mackintosh discovered when he arrived in Australia to take up his duties.[20] Mackintosh was forced to haggle and plead for money and supplies to make his part of the expedition viable.[21] Lack of money would also hamper the operation to rescue the Ross Sea party when this need arose in 1916.[22] Shackleton had, however, realised the revenue-earning potential of the expedition. He sold the exclusive newspaper rights to the Daily Chronicle, and formed the Imperial Trans Antarctic Film Syndicate to take advantage of the film rights.[23] Later, as Shackleton set out for South Georgia in the James Caird, he left instructions for Frank Wild concerning the lecture tour schedule, should Shackleton fail to return.[24]
Legend has it that Shackleton posted an advertisement in a London paper, stating: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success." A search for the original advertisement, however, has thus far been unsuccessful.[25] Shackleton received more than 5,000 applications for places on the expedition, including a letter from "three sporty girls" who suggested that if their feminine garb was inconvenient they would "just love to don masculine attire." [26][27] Eventually the crews for each arm of the expedition were trimmed down to 28 apiece, including William Bakewell, who joined the ship in Buenos Aires, his friend Perce Blackborow who stowed away when his application was turned down,[28] and several last-minute appointments made to the Ross Sea party in Australia.[29] A temporary crewman was Lord Harry Gooch who stepped in to help Shackleton as a dog handler at the last moment, and who left Endurance at South Georgia.[30] The pay was $240 a year for an able seaman, $750 for a scientist, though Shackleton felt passage alone was pay enough.[31]
For the expedition's second-in-command, Shackleton chose Frank Wild, who had been with him on both the Discovery and Nimrod expeditions, and had been in the Furthest South party in 1909.[32] Wild had just returned from Mawson's Australian Antarctic Expedition. To captain Endurance Shackleton had wanted John King Davis, who had commanded Aurora during the Australian Antarctic Expedition. Davis refused, thinking the enterprise was "foredoomed",[18] so the appointment went to Frank Worsley, who reportedly had applied to the expedition after learning of it in a dream.[33] Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Tom Crean, who had been awarded the Albert Medal for saving the life of Lieutenant Evans on the Terra Nova Expedition, took leave from the navy to sign on as Endurance's Second Officer; another experienced Antarctic hand, Alfred Cheetham, became Third Officer.[34] Two Nimrod veterans were assigned to the Ross Sea party: Aeneas Mackintosh, who commanded it, and Ernest Joyce. Shackleton had hoped that the Aurora would be staffed by a naval crew, and had asked the Admiralty for officers and men, but was turned down.[35] After pressing his case, Shackleton was given one officer from the Royal Marines, Captain Thomas Orde-Lees, who was Superintendent of Physical Training at the Marines training depot.[36]
The scientific staff of six accompanying Endurance comprised the two surgeons, Alexander Macklin and James McIlroy; geologist James Wordie; biologist Robert Clark; physicist Reginald James; and meteorologist Leonard Hussey, who would eventually edit Shackleton's expedition account South. The visual recording of the expedition was the responsibility of photographer Frank Hurley and artist George Marston.[37] The final composition of the Ross Sea party was hurried. Some who left Britain for Australia to join Aurora resigned before it departed for the Ross Sea, and a full complement of crew was in doubt until the last minute.[38] Only Mackintosh and Joyce had any previous Antarctic experience; Mackintosh had lost an eye as the result of an accident during the Nimrod expedition and had gone home early.[32]
Weddell sea party
Voyage through the ice
Endurance, without Shackleton (who was detained in England by expedition business), left Plymouth on 8 August 1914, heading first for Buenos Aires. Here Shackleton, who had travelled on a faster ship, rejoined the expedition. Hurley also came on board, and William Bakewell and stowaway Perce Blackborow were added to the crew. Several others left, or were discharged.[39] On 26 October the ship sailed for the South Atlantic, arriving in South Georgia on 5 November. After a month-long halt in the Grytviken whaling station, Endurance departed for the Antarctic on 5 December.[39] Two days later Shackleton was disconcerted to encounter pack ice as far north as 57°26′S,[40] forcing the ship to manoeuvre. During the following days there were more tussles with the pack, which on 14 December was thick enough to halt the ship for 24 hours. Three days later the ship was stopped again. Shackleton commented: "I had been prepared for evil conditions in the Weddell Sea, but had hoped that the pack would be loose. What we were encountering was fairly dense pack of a very obstinate character".[41]
Endurance's progress was frustratingly slow, until on 22 December leads opened up and the ship was able to continue steadily southward. This continued for the next two weeks, taking the party deep into the Weddell Sea.[42] Further delays then slowed progress after the turn of the year, before a lengthy run south during 7–10 January 1915 brought them close to the 100-foot (30 m) ice walls which guarded the Antarctic coastal region of Coats Land. This territory had been discovered and named by William Speirs Bruce in 1904, during the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition.[43] On 15 January Endurance came abreast of a great glacier, the edge of which formed a bay which appeared a good landing place. However, Shackleton considered it too far north of Vahsel Bay for a landing, "except under pressure of necessity"—a decision he would later regret.[44] On 17 January the ship reached a latitude of 76°27′S, where land was faintly discernible. Shackleton named it Caird Coast, after his principal backer. Bad weather forced the ship to shelter in the lee of a stranded iceberg.[44]
They were now close to Luitpold Land, discovered by Filchner in 1912, at the southern end of which lay their destination, Vahsel Bay. Next day, the ship was forced westward for 14 miles (23 km), resuming in a generally southerly direction before being stopped altogether.[44] The position was 76°34′S, 31°30′W. After ten days of inactivity the ship's fires were banked, to save fuel.[45] Strenuous efforts were made to release her; on 14 February Shackleton ordered men on to the ice with ice-chisels, prickers, saws and picks, to try and force a passage, but the labour proved futile. Shackleton did not at this stage abandon all hope of breaking free, but was now contemplating the "possibility of having to spend a winter in the inhospitable arms of the pack".[46]
Drift of Endurance
On 21 February 1915 Endurance, still held fast, drifted to her most southerly latitude, 76°58′S. Thereafter she began moving with the pack in a northerly direction.[47] On 24 February Shackleton realised that they would be held in the ice throughout the winter, and ordered ship's routine abandoned. The dogs were taken off board and housed in ice-kennels or "dogloos", and the ship's interior was converted to suitable winter quarters for the various groups of men—officers, scientists, engineers, and seamen. A wireless apparatus was rigged, but their location was too remote to receive or transmit signals.[46]
Shackleton was aware of the recent example of Wilhelm Filchner's ship, the Deutschland, which had become icebound in the same vicinity three years earlier. After Filchner's attempts to establish a land base at Vahsel Bay failed, his ship Deutschland was trapped on 6 March 1912, about 200 miles (320 km) off the coast of Coats Land. Six months later, at latitude 63°37', the ship broke free, then sailed to South Georgia apparently none the worse for its ordeal. Shackleton thought that a similar experience might allow Endurance to make a second attempt to reach Vahsel Bay in the following Antarctic spring.[5]
In February and March the rate of drift was very slow. At the end of March Shackleton calculated that the ship had travelled a mere 95 miles (153 km) since 19 January.[48] However, as winter set in the speed of the drift increased, and the condition of the surrounding ice changed. On 14 April Shackleton recorded the nearby pack "piling and rafting against the masses of ice"—if the ship was caught in this disturbance "she would be crushed like an eggshell".[48] In May, as the sun set for the winter months, the ship was at 75°23′S, 42°14′W, still drifting in a generally northerly direction. It would be at least four months before spring brought the chance of an opening of the ice, and there was no certainty that Endurance would break free in time to attempt a return to the Vahsel Bay area.[49] Shackleton now considered the possibility of finding an alternative landing ground on the western shores of the Weddell Sea, if that coast could be reached. "In the meantime", he wrote, "we must wait".[48]
In the dark winter months of May, June and July, Shackleton was concerned to maintain fitness, training and morale. Although the scope for activity was limited, the dogs were exercised (and on occasion raced competitively), men were encouraged to take moonlight walks, and aboard ship there were attempted theatricals. Special occasions such as Empire Day (24 May) were duly celebrated.[50][51] The first signs of the ice breaking up occurred on 22 July. On 1 August, in a south-westerly gale with heavy snow, the ice floe began to break up all around the ship, the pressure forcing masses of ice beneath the keel and causing a heavy list to port. The position was perilous; Shackleton wrote: "The effects of the pressure around us was awe-inspiring. Mighty blocks of ice [...] rose slowly till they jumped like cherry-stones gripped between thumb and finger [...] if the ship was once gripped firmly her fate would be sealed".[52] This danger passed, and the succeeding weeks were quiet. During this relative lull the ship drifted into the area where, in 1823, Captain Benjamin Morrell of the sealer Wasp reported seeing a coastline which he identified as "New South Greenland". There was no sign of any such land; Shackleton concluded that Morrell had been deceived by the presence of large icebergs.[53]
On 30 September the ship sustained what Shackleton described as "the worst squeeze we had experienced".[54] Worsley described the pressure as being "thrown to and fro like a shuttlecock a dozen times".[54] On 24 October, the starboard side was forced against a large floe, increasing the pressure until the hull began to bend and splinter, so that water from below the ice began to pour into the ship. When the timbers broke they made noises which sailors later described as being similar to the sound of "heavy fireworks and the blasting of guns".[55] The supplies and three lifeboats were transferred to the ice, while the crew attempted to shore up the boat's hull and pump out the incoming sea, but after a few days, on 27 October 1915, and in freezing temperatures below −15 °F (−25 °C), Shackleton was forced to give the order to abandon ship. The position at abandonment was recorded as 69°05′S, 51°30′W.[56] The wreckage remained afloat, and over the following weeks the crew salvaged further supplies and materials, including Hurley's photographs and cameras that had initially been left behind. From around 550 plates Hurley chose the best 150, the maximum that could be carried, and smashed the rest.[57]
Camping on the ice
With the loss of the ship the transcontinental plans were abandoned, and the focus shifted to that of shoes. The men were running low on shoes and they had to make new shoes out of wood from the scavenged pieces of the ship.[58] Shackleton's intention now was to march the crew westward, to one or other of several possible destinations. His first thought was for Paulet Island, where he knew there was a substantial food depot, because he had ordered it 12 years earlier while organising relief for Otto Nordenskiöld's Swedish expedition in 1902–04.[59] Other possibilities were Snow Hill Island, which had been Nordenskiöld's winter quarters,[60][61] or Robertson Island.[62] Shackleton believed that from one of these islands they would be able to reach and cross Graham Land, and get to the whaling outposts in Wilhelmina Bay.[63] He calculated that on the day Endurance was abandoned they were 346 miles from Paulet Island.[59] Worsley calculated the distance to Snow Hill Island to be 312 miles (500 km), with a further 120 miles (190 km) to Wilhelmina Bay.[63] He believed the march was too risky; they should wait until the ice carried them to open water, and then escape in the boats. Shackleton overruled him.[63]
The march started on 30 October, with two of the ship's lifeboats carried on sledges. Before it could begin, Shackleton had the unpleasant task of ordering the weakest animals to be shot, which included Mrs. Chippy, the carpenter Harry McNish's cat, and a pup which had become a pet of the surgeon Macklin.[64] Problems quickly arose, as the condition of the sea ice around them worsened. According to Hurley the surface became "a labyrinth of hummocks and ridges", in which barely a square yard was smooth.[62] In three days the party managed to travel barely two miles (3.2 km), and on 1 November Shackleton abandoned the march; they would make camp and await the break-up of the ice.[65] They gave the name "Ocean Camp" to the flat and solid-looking floe on which their aborted march had ended, and settled down to wait. Parties continued to revisit the Endurance wreck, which was still drifting with the ice a short distance from the camp. More of the abandoned supplies were retrieved until, on 21 November 1915, the ship finally slipped beneath the ice.[66]
The ice was not drifting fast enough to be noticeable, although by late November the speed was up to seven miles a day.[67] By 5 December they had passed 68°S, but the direction was turning slightly east of north.[68] This was taking them to a position from which it would be difficult to reach Snow Hill Island, although Paulet Island, further north, remained a possibility.[68] It was about 250 miles (400 km) away, and Shackleton was anxious to reduce the length of the lifeboat journey that would be necessary to reach it. Therefore, on 21 December he announced a second march, to begin on 23 December.[69]
Conditions, however, had not improved since the earlier attempt. Temperatures had risen and it was uncomfortably warm, with men sinking to their knees in soft snow as they struggled to haul the boats through the pressure ridges. On 27 December ship's carpenter Harry McNish rebelled and refused to work.[69] He argued that Ship's Articles had lapsed since Endurance's sinking, and that he was no longer under orders. Shackleton's firm remonstrance finally brought the carpenter to heel, but the incident was never forgotten.[69] Despite McNish's later contribution to the salvation of the party, he was one of four men denied the Polar Medal, on Shackleton's recommendation.[70] Two days later, with only seven and a half miles' (12 km) progress achieved in seven back-breaking days, Shackleton called a halt, observing: "It would take us over three hundred days to reach the land".[71] The crew put up their tents and settled into what Shackleton called "Patience Camp", which would be their home for more than three months.[71]
Supplies were now running low. Hurley and Macklin were sent back to Ocean Camp to recover food that had been left there to lighten the sledging teams' burden. On 2 February 1916 Shackleton sent a larger party back, to recover the third lifeboat.[72] Food shortages became acute as the weeks passed, and seal meat, which had added variety to their diet, now became a staple as Shackleton attempted to conserve the remaining packaged rations. In January, all but two teams of the dogs (whose overall numbers had been depleted by mishaps and illness in the preceding months) were shot on Shackleton's orders, because the dogs' requirements for seal meat were excessive.[72] The final two teams were shot on 2 April, by which time their meat was a welcome addition to the rations.[73] Meanwhile, the rate of drift became erratic; after being held at around 67° for several weeks, at the end of January there was a series of rapid north-eastward movements which, by 17 March, brought Patience Camp to the latitude of Paulet Island, but 60 miles (97 km) to its east. "It might have been six hundred for all the chance we had of reaching it across the broken sea-ice", Shackleton recorded.[74]
The party now had land more or less continuously in sight. The peak of Mount Haddington on James Ross Island remained in view as the party drifted slowly by.[75] They were now too far north for Snow Hill or Paulet Island to be accessible; Shackleton wrote that all hopes were fixed on two remaining small islands at the northern extremity of Graham Land. These were Clarence Island and Elephant Island, around 100 miles (160 km) due north of their position on 25 March.[74] He then had further thoughts and decided that Deception Island might be a better target destination. This lay far to the west, towards the end of a chain which formed the South Shetland Islands, but Shackleton thought it might be attainable by island-hopping. Its advantage was that it was sometimes visited by whalers and might contain provisions.[76] All of these destinations would require a perilous journey in the lifeboats, once the floe upon which they were drifting finally broke up. Earlier, the lifeboats had been named after the expedition's three chief financial sponsors: James Caird, Dudley Docker and Stancomb Wills.[77] The two last-named are still on the desolate sandy spit of Elephant Island, where under their shelter twenty-two of the crewmen eked out a bare existence for four and a half months.[78]
Lifeboat journey to Elephant Island
The end of Patience Camp was signalled on the evening of 8 April, when the floe suddenly split. The camp now found itself on a small triangular raft of ice; a break-up of this would mean disaster, so Shackleton readied the lifeboats for the party's enforced departure.[79] He had now decided they would try, if possible, to reach the distant Deception Island because a small wooden church had been reportedly erected for the benefit of whalers. This could provide a source of timber that might enable them to construct a seaworthy boat.[79] At 1 pm on 9 April the Dudley Docker was launched, and an hour later all three boats were away. Shackleton himself commanded the James Caird, Worsley the Dudley Docker, and navigating officer Hubert Hudson was nominally in charge of the Stancomb Wills, though because of his precarious mental state the effective commander was Tom Crean.[80]
The boats were surrounded by ice, dependent upon leads of water opening up, and progress was perilous and erratic. Frequently the boats were tied to floes, or dragged up on to them, while the men camped and waited for conditions to improve.[81] Shackleton was wavering again between several potential destinations, and on 12 April rejected the various island options and decided on Hope Bay, at the very tip of Graham Land. However, conditions in the boats, in temperatures sometimes as low as −20 °F (−30 °C), with little food and regular soakings in icy seawater, were wearing the men down, physically and mentally. Shackleton therefore decided that Elephant Island, the nearest of the possible refuges, was now the only practical option.[82]
On 14 April the boats lay off the south-east coast of Elephant Island, but could not land here, since the shore consisted of perpendicular cliffs and glaciers. Next day the James Caird rounded the eastern point of the island, to reach the northern lee shore, and discovered a narrow shingle beach. Soon afterwards, the three boats, which had been separated during the previous night, were reunited at this landing place. However, it was apparent from high tide markings that this beach would not serve as a long-term camp.[83] The next day Wild and a crew set off in the Stancomb Wills to explore the coast for a safer site. They returned with news of a long spit of land, seven miles (11 km) to the west. With minimum delay the men returned to the boats and transferred to this new location, which they later christened Point Wild.[84]
Voyage of the James Caird
Elephant Island was remote, uninhabited, and rarely visited by whalers or any other ships. If the party was to return to civilization it would be necessary to summon help. The only realistic way this could be done was to adapt one of the lifeboats for an 800-mile (1,300 km) voyage across the Southern Ocean, to South Georgia. Shackleton had abandoned thoughts of taking the party on the less dangerous journey to Deception Island,[85] because of the poor physical condition of many of his party. Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands was closer than South Georgia, but could not be reached, as this would require sailing against the strong prevailing winds.[86]
Shackleton selected the boat party: himself, Worsley as navigator, Crean, McNish, John Vincent and Timothy McCarthy. On instructions from Shackleton, McNish immediately set about adapting the James Caird, improvising tools and materials.[87][88] Frank Wild was to be left in charge of the Elephant Island party, with instructions to make for Deception Island the following spring, should Shackleton not return.[85] Shackleton took supplies for only four weeks, knowing that if land had not been reached within that time the boat would be lost.[89]
The 22.5-foot (6.85 m) James Caird was launched on 24 April 1916. The success of the voyage depended on the pin-point accuracy of Worsley's navigation, using observations that would have to be made in the most unfavourable of conditions.[90] The prevailing wind was helpfully north-west, but the heavy sea conditions quickly soaked everything in icy water. Soon ice settled thickly on the boat, making her ride sluggishly. On 5 May a north-westerly gale almost caused the boat's destruction as it faced what Shackleton described as the largest waves he had seen in twenty-six years at sea.[91] On 8 May South Georgia was sighted, after a 14-day battle with the elements that had driven the boat party to their physical limits. Two days later, after a prolonged struggle with heavy seas and hurricane-force winds to the south of the island, the party struggled ashore at King Haakon Bay.[92]
South Georgia crossing
The arrival of the James Caird at King Haakon Bay was followed by a period of rest and recuperation, while Shackleton pondered the next move. The populated whaling stations of South Georgia lay on the northern coast. To reach them would mean either another boat journey around the island, or a land crossing through its unexplored interior. The condition of the James Caird, and the physical state of the party, particularly Vincent and McNish, meant that the crossing was the only realistic option.[93][94]
After five days the party took the boat a short distance eastwards, to the head of a deep bay which would be the starting point for the crossing. Shackleton, Worsley and Crean would undertake the land journey, the others remaining at what they christened "Peggotty Camp", to be picked up later after help had been obtained from the whaling stations. A storm on 18 May delayed their start, but by two o'clock the following morning the weather was clear and calm, and an hour later the crossing party set out.[94]
Without a map, the route they chose was largely conjectural. By dawn they had ascended to 3,000 feet (910 m) and could see the northern coast. They were above Possession Bay, which meant they would need to move eastward to reach their intended destination of Stromness. This meant the first of several backtrackings that would extend the journey and frustrate the men. At the close of that first day, needing to descend to the valley below them before nightfall, they risked everything by sliding down a mountainside on a makeshift rope sledge.[95] There was no question of rest—they travelled on by moonlight, moving upwards towards a gap in the next mountainous ridge. Early next morning, 20 May, seeing Husvik Harbour below them, they knew that they were on the right path. At seven o'clock in the morning they heard the steam whistle sound from Stromness, "the first sound created by an outside human agency that had come to our ears since we left Stromness Bay in December 1914".[96] After a difficult descent, which involved passage down through a freezing waterfall, they at last reached safety.[97]
Shackleton wrote afterwards: "I have no doubt that Providence guided us...I know that during that long and racking march of thirty-six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers it seemed to me often that we were four, not three".[98] This image of a fourth traveller—echoed in the accounts of Worsley and Crean—was taken up by T. S. Eliot in his poem The Waste Land.[99]
Shackleton's first task, on arriving at the Stromness station, was to arrange for his three companions at Peggoty Camp to be picked up. A whaler was sent round the coast, with Worsley aboard to show the way, and by the evening of 21 May all six of the James Caird party were safe.[100]
It took four attempts before Shackleton was able to return to Elephant Island to rescue the party stranded there. He first left South Georgia a mere three days after he had arrived in Stromness, after securing the use of a large whaler, The Southern Sky, which was laid up in Husvik Harbour. Shackleton assembled a volunteer crew, which had it ready to sail by the morning of 22 May. As the vessel approached Elephant Island they saw that an impenetrable barrier of pack ice had formed, some 70 miles (110 km) from the island. The Southern Sky was not built for ice breaking, and retreated to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.[101]
On reaching Port Stanley, Shackleton informed London by cable of his whereabouts, and requested that a suitable vessel be sent south for the rescue operation. He was informed by the Admiralty that nothing was available before October, which in his view was too late. Then, with the help of the British Minister in Montevideo, Shackleton obtained from the Uruguayan government the loan of a tough trawler, Instituto de Pesca No. 1, which started south on 10 June. Again the pack thwarted them. In search of another ship, Shackleton, Worsley and Crean travelled to Punta Arenas, in Chile, where they met Allan MacDonald, the British owner of the schooner Emma. McDonald equipped this vessel for a further rescue attempt, which left on 12 July, but with the same negative result—the pack defeated them yet again.[102] Shackleton later named a glacier after McDonald on the Brunt Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea. After problems arose in identifying this glacier, a nearby ice rise was renamed the McDonald Ice Rumples.[103]
By now it was mid-August, more than three months since Shackleton had left Elephant Island. Shackleton begged the Chilean Government to lend him Yelcho, a small steam tug that had assisted Emma during the previous attempt. The Government agreed, and on 25 August Yelcho, captained by Luis Pardo, set out for Elephant Island. This time, as Shackleton records, providence favoured them. The seas were open, and the ship was able to approach close to the island, in thick fog. At 11:40 am on 30 August the fog lifted, the camp was spotted and, within an hour, all the Elephant Island party were safely aboard, bound for Punta Arenas.[104]
On Elephant Island
After Shackleton left with the James Caird, Frank Wild took command of the Elephant Island party, some of whom were in a low state, physically or mentally: Lewis Rickinson had suffered a suspected heart attack; Blackborow was unable to walk, due to frostbitten feet; Hudson was mentally depressed.[105] The priority for the party was a permanent shelter against the rapidly approaching southern winter. On the suggestion of Marston and Lionel Greenstreet, a hut (nicknamed the "Snuggery") was improvised by upturning the two boats and placing them on low stone walls, to provide around five feet of headroom. By means of canvas and other materials the structure was made into a crude but effective shelter.[106]
Wild initially estimated that they would have to wait one month for rescue, and refused to allow long-term stockpiling of seal and penguin meat because this, in his view, was defeatist.[107] This policy led to sharp disagreements with Thomas Orde-Lees. Orde-Lees was not a popular man, and his presence apparently did little to improve the morale of his companions, unless it was by way of being the butt of their jokes.[108]
As the weeks extended well beyond his initial optimistic forecast, Wild established and maintained routines and activities to relieve the tedium. A permanent lookout was kept for the arrival of the rescue ship, cooking and housekeeping rotas were established, and there were hunting trips for seal and penguin.[109] Concerts were held on Saturdays, and anniversaries celebrated, but there were growing feelings of despondency as time passed with no sign of the ship. The toes on Blackborow's left foot became gangrenous from frostbite, and on 15 June had to be amputated by the surgeons Macklin and James McIlroy in the candle-lit hut. Using the very last of the chloroform that had survived in the medical supplies, the whole procedure took 55 minutes, and was a complete success.[110]
By 23 August, it seemed that Wild's no-stockpiling policy had failed. The surrounding sea was dense with pack ice that would halt any rescue ship, food supplies were running out and no penguins were coming ashore. Orde-Lees wrote: "We shall have to eat the one who dies first [...] there's many a true word said in jest".[111] Wild's thoughts were now turning seriously to the possibility of a boat trip to Deception Island—he planned to set out on 5 October, in the hoping of meeting a whaling ship—[112] when, on 30 August 1916, the ordeal ended suddenly with the appearance of Shackleton and Yelcho.[113]
Ross Sea Party
Aurora left Hobart on 24 December 1914, having been delayed in Australia by financial and organizational problems. The arrival in McMurdo Sound on 15 January 1915 was later in the season than planned, but the party's commander Aeneas Mackintosh made immediate plans for a depot-laying journey on the Ross Ice Shelf, believing that Shackleton might attempt a crossing from the Weddell Sea during that first season.[114] Neither the men nor the dogs were acclimatised, and the party was, as a whole, very inexperienced in ice conditions. This first, hurried journey on the ice resulted in the loss of ten of the party's 18 dogs, a single incomplete depot, and a frostbitten and generally demoralised shore party.[115]
On 7 May Aurora, anchored at the party's Cape Evans headquarters, was wrenched from her moorings during a gale and prevented from returning by the drift of the ice which carried her far out to sea. She remained captive in the ice until 12 February 1916, having travelled a distance of around 1,600 miles (2,600 km) before escaping and limping to New Zealand.[116] She carried with her the greater part of the shore party's fuel, food rations, clothing and equipment, although the sledging rations for the depots had been landed ashore. To continue with its mission the stranded shore party had to re-supply and re-equip itself from the leftovers from earlier expeditions, notably Captain Scott's Terra Nova Expedition which had been based at Cape Evans a few years earlier. Due to the party's improvisations the second season's depot-laying began on schedule, in September 1915.[117]
In the following months the required depots were laid, at one-degree intervals across the Ross Ice Shelf to the foot of the Beardmore Glacier.[118] On the return journey from the glacier the party was attacked by scurvy; Arnold Spencer-Smith, the expedition's chaplain and photographer, collapsed and died on the ice. The remainder of the party reached the temporary shelter of Hut Point and recovered there.[119] On 8 May 1916 Mackintosh and Victor Hayward decided to walk across the unstable sea ice to Cape Evans, were caught in a blizzard, and were not seen again.[120] The seven survivors had to wait in tough conditions for eight further months, until on 10 January 1917 the repaired and refitted Aurora arrived to transport them back to civilization.[121] Shackleton accompanied the Aurora as a supernumerary officer, having been denied command by the governments of New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain, who had jointly organised the Ross Sea party's relief.[122]
Return to civilization
The rescued party, having had its last contact with civilization in 1914, was unaware of the course of the World War. News of Shackleton's safe arrival in the Falklands briefly eclipsed war news in the British newspapers on 2 June 1916.[123] The expedition returned home in piecemeal fashion, at a critical stage in the war, without the normal honours and civic receptions. When Shackleton himself finally arrived in England on 29 May 1917, after a short American lecture tour, his return was barely noticed.[124]
Most of the members of the expedition returned to take up immediate active military or naval service. Before the war ended two—Tim McCarthy of the open boat journey and the veteran Antarctic sailor Alfred Cheetham—had been killed in action, and Ernest Wild of the Ross Sea party had died of typhoid while serving in the Mediterranean. Several others were severely wounded, and many received decorations for gallantry.[125] Following a propaganda mission in Buenos Aires, Shackleton was employed during the last weeks of the war on special service in Murmansk, with the Army rank of Major.[126] This occupied him until March 1919. He thereafter organised one final Antarctic expedition, the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition on Quest, which left London on 17 September 1921. Shackleton died of a heart attack on 5 January 1922, while Quest was anchored at South Georgia.
Wild, Worsley, Macklin, McIlroy, Hussey, Alexander Kerr, Thomas McLeod and cook Charles Green, from Endurance, all sailed with Quest. After Shackleton's death the original programme, which had included an exploration of Enderby Land,[127] was abandoned. Wild led a brief cruise which brought them into sight of Elephant Island. They anchored off Cape Wild, and were able to see the old landmarks, but sea conditions made it impossible for them to land.[128]
It would be more than 40 years before the first crossing of Antarctica was achieved, by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955–58. This expedition set out from Vahsel Bay, following a route which avoided the Beardmore Glacier altogether, and bypassed much of the Ross Ice Shelf, reaching McMurdo Sound via a descent of the Skelton Glacier. The entire journey took 98 days.[129]
In popular culture
Documentaries and films about the expedition include Chasing Shackleton, a three part UK documentary released in 2013 about a modern expedition that recreates the lifeboat rescue using a similar lifeboat and materials.[130] The biographical film Endurance: The Story of Ernest Shackleton was in production as of 2015[update], the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Endurance.[131]
- ↑ Shackleton, Preface to South, p. xi
- ↑ Huntford, p. 348
- ↑ Huntford, p. 50
- ↑ Huntford, p. 350
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Murphy pp. 87–102
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 2
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Huntford, pp. 355–58
- ↑ Huntford, p. 367
- ↑ "Ernest Shackleton, Endurance: Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition 1914–17". Cool Antarctica.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Fisher, p. 298
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Shackleton, pp. xii–xv
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 214–15
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Fisher, pp. 306–07
- ↑ Huntford, p. 369
- ↑ The New York Times, "$50,000 Barrie Gift Equips Shackleton", Feb. 9, 1914
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Huntford, pp. 375–77
- ↑ Fisher, p. 306, Shackleton, p. xv. Huntford, p. 370, suggests that the cost was £11,600.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Huntford, p. 370
- ↑ In 1920 the Daily Mail estimated that the expedition had cost £80,000 – Fisher, p. 306
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 34–35
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 41–48
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 222–27
- ↑ Alexander, p. 10
- ↑ Alexander, pp. 140–41
- ↑ "The Endurance Advertisement". The Antarctic Circle.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Fisher, p. 308
- ↑ "Virtual Shackleton". Scott Polar Research Institute. Retrieved 30 August 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 383–84
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 50–53
- ↑ Fisher, p. 315
- ↑ Heacox, Kim (1999). The Antarctic Challenge. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. p. 53. ISBN 978-0792275367.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Tyler-Lewis, pp. 21–22
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 364–65
- ↑ Fisher, p. 310
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 370–71
- ↑ Huntford, p. 372
- ↑ Fisher, pp. 311–14
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 48–53
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Alexander pp. 15–18
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 5
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 11
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 12–16
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 23–24
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Shackleton, pp. 26–28
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 31
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 Shackleton, pp. 34–40
- ↑ Huntford, p. 418
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 Shackleton, pp. 43–47
- ↑ Huntford, p. 421
- ↑ Alexander, pp. 52–54
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 50–53
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 58
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 60–61
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 Shackleton, pp. 65–66
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 72–73
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 74–77
- ↑ Huntford, p. 461
- ↑ Huntford, p. 455
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 Shackleton, p. 75
- ↑ Fisher, p. 358
- ↑ "Otto Nordenskjold 1869–1928". Southpole.com. Retrieved 2 September 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 Alexander, p. 95
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 Huntford, pp. 456–57
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 81–82
- ↑ Alexander, p. 98
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 98
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 94
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 Huntford, pp. 468–69
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 Huntford, pp. 473–76
- ↑ Huntford, p. 656
- ↑ 71.0 71.1 Shackleton, p. 106
- ↑ 72.0 72.1 Shackleton, pp. 107–09
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 112
- ↑ 74.0 74.1 Shackleton, p. 116
- ↑ Fisher, p. 366
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 119
- ↑ Huntford, p. 469
- ↑ Shackleton, Sir Ernest Henry (2004). South: The Story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 Expedition. Public Domain Books. ISBN 1470190044.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Shackleton, p. 121
- ↑ Huntford, p. 506
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 508–12
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 509–13
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 142–50
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 151. Point Wild was also called "Cape Wild"
- ↑ 85.0 85.1 Fisher, p. 371
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 156–57
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 158–59
- ↑ Alexander, pp. 134–35
- ↑ Alexander, pp. 136–37
- ↑ Huntford, p. 563
- ↑ Fisher, pp. 378–82
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 175–80
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 185
- ↑ 94.0 94.1 Fisher, p. 383
- ↑ Fisher, p. 384
- ↑ Shackleton, quoted in Fisher, p. 385
- ↑ Fisher, p. 386
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 209
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 696–97
- ↑ Shackleton, p. 208–09
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 210–13
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 214–18
- ↑ "McDonald Ice Rumples". Australian Antarctic Data Centre. Retrieved 4 September 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 218–19
- ↑ Huntford, p. 533
- ↑ Mills, pp. 239–40
- ↑ Mills, p. 241
- ↑ Mills, pp. 242–50
- ↑ Mills, pp. 250–52
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 532–33
- ↑ Huntford, p. 541
- ↑ Alexander, p. 182
- ↑ Mills, p. 261
- ↑ Fisher, pp. 397–400
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 69–105
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 307–33
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 128–44
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 145–75
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 176–92
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 195–97
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, pp. 234–43
- ↑ Tyler-Lewis, p. 231
- ↑ Huntford, pp. 605–06
- ↑ Huntford, p. 647
- ↑ Shackleton, pp. 339–41
- ↑ Fisher, p. 432
- ↑ Mills, p. 289
- ↑ Mills, pp. 304–05
- ↑ Fuchs & Hillary, p. 293
- ↑ "Chasing Shackleton". PBS. Retrieved 9 July 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Carabott, Sarah (21 August 2015). "Shackleton expedition survivor is buried in Cottonera". Times of Malta. Retrieved 23 April 2016.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Alexander, Caroline (1998). The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition. London: Bloomsbury Publications. ISBN 0-7475-4123-X.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Fisher, Marjorie and James (1957). Shackleton. London: James Barrie Books.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Fuchs, Vivian and Hillary, Edmund (1958). The Crossing of Antarctica. London: Cassell & Co.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Huntford, Roland (1985). Shackleton. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-25007-0.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- "McDonald Ice Rumples". Australian Antarctic Data Centre. Retrieved 4 September 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Mills, Lief (1999). Frank Wild. Whitby, Yorkshire: Caedmon of Whitby. ISBN 0-905355-48-2.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Murphy, David Thomas (2002). German Exploration of the Polar World: a History, 1870–1940. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-3205-5.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- "Otto Nordenskjold 1869–1928". Southpole.com. Retrieved 2 September 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Shackleton, Ernest (1983). South. London: Century Publishing. ISBN 0-7126-0111-2.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Further reading
- Lansing, Alfred: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 2001 ISBN 0-297-82919-X
- McKernan, Victoria: Shackleton's Stowaway Laurel Leaf, London 2006 ISBN 0-440-41984-0
- Tamiko, Rex (ed.): South with Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914–17 (photographs of Frank Hurley) BCL Press, New York 2001 ISBN 1-932302-04-2
- Worsley, Frank A.: Shackleton's Boat Journey W.W. Norton & Company, London 1998 ISBN 0-7126-6574-9
- Worsley, Frank. Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure. 1999: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-31994-6.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Michael Smith: An Unsung Hero Tom Crean - an Antarctic Survivor Chapters 15 to 24 The Collins Press Cork 2009 ISBN 9781905172863
- South. (1919). Frank Hurley's original documentary film of the Endurance voyage
- The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition. 2000 film directed by George Butler; a retelling of the story.
- Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure Reconstruction, filmed in 1999 and 2000
- Great Adventurers: Ernest Shackleton – To The End Of The Earth Documentary film from 1999
- Shackleton (TV film) Two-part television film from 2001 starring Kenneth Branagh as Ernest Shackleton
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
- South: the story of Shackleton's 1914–1917 expedition at Project Gutenberg by Sir Ernest Shackleton
- South! The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- Google Earth KML file of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
- Biography of each of the crew members of the crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
- Crew member biographies, including sizeable entries on some of the least well-known, at Coolantarctica.com.
- The Endurance Obituaries, The story of the men of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship S.Y. Endurance, at Enduranceobituaries.co.uk.
- Kodak feature on expedition photographer Frank Hurley and the voyage of the Endurance
- James Caird Society remembers the man that rescued the Endurance crew
- Ernest Shackleton on wax cylinder.
- Imperial Trans-Antarctic Centenary Expedition 2014.
- Use dmy dates from June 2015
- Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015
- Articles with Project Gutenberg links
- 1914 in the United Kingdom
- 1914 in science
- 1915 in science
- 1916 in science
- 1917 in science
- 1914 in Antarctica
- 1915 in Antarctica
- 1916 in Antarctica
- 1917 in Antarctica
- Antarctic expeditions
- United Kingdom and the Antarctic
- History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
- Graham Land
- Ernest Shackleton
- Expeditions from the United Kingdom


text:
My focus here is on what we experience on our family history journey.
J is for:
Jubilation at making contact with distant cousins, as I have done through my blog. I shall also be Jumping for Joy when I find that elusive birth certificate of my grandmother.
I have enjoyed many Journeys in pursuit of my family history. I admit none of the them were to exciting destinations or abroad, but in Lowland Scotland and the north of England. But no matter where, there is still something special in travelling in the footsteps of my ancestors to find out where they lived, worshipped, went to school, went to work etc
I am a great Juggler in my history activities and have too many projects on the go - trying to finish the major narrative of my own Danson family history, and that of my husband' s Donaldson family; taking a renewed interest (prompted by my brother) into my father's Weston family - something that has taken rather a backseat to date; plus record stories from my other family sidelines where there have been several developments lately. I am also trying to keep pace with particpation in various blogging series such as
- A-Z Family History Challenge at http://www.gouldgenealogy.com/2012/05/take-the-family-history-through-the-alphabet-challenge/.
- Beyond the Internet at Family History Across the Seas,
- Sharing Memories at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/p/sharing-memories.html
- Life's a Journey at http://saveeverystep.wordpress.com/lifes-a-journey-series/
"Don't Jump to Conclusions" is a key lesson I have learnt from family history research. Finding someone with the right name in the right place and around the right date does not necessarily mean it is my ancestor, but it is a call for more corroboration.
Like every pursuit, familY history has its own Jargon, and we do have to be aware of not bamboozling beginners with constant talk of IGI, MIs and OPRs etc. I get irritated by presenters on TV and radio news who assume we know what all initials and acronyms stand for - particularly prevalent at the moment with all the financial news.
I had to include here Jingles. I came across this one in a local history publication when researching the background of my great grandmother's Rawcliffe family from Hambleton, near Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. It is an area of small villages, epitomised in:
Pilling for paters (potatoes)
Presall for pluck
Hamelton for bonnie lasses
Stalmine for muck
I like to think my great grandmother Maria Rawcliffe (below) was a "bonnie lass"
- and I am glad she did not hail from Stalmine!


text:
Published on
Biophotonics Summer School 2011
The Biophotonics Summer School brings together from a wide variety of disciplines to teach students about the biophotonics field. In 2011, some of the topics covered included principles of biophotonics, technology and methods of investigation. The latest research developments are also covered, including: biomolecular sensing, nanoprobes, nonlinear microscopy, nanoscopy, and nanoplasmonics. The summer school brought together students from across the world and from a multitude of backgrounds.
Dr. Wawrzyniec Lawrence Dobrucki is currently a senior research scientist at Beckman Institute and holds adjunct assistant professor position in the U of I Department of Bioengineering. He directs the Molecular Imaging Laboratory in Biomedical Imaging Center (BIC).
His expertise is in molecular multimodality imaging, and his fields of professional interests include development of novel targeted microSPECT/PET-CT imaging strategies to assess myocardial and peripheral angiogenesis in animal models of disease including diabetes, standardization of small animal imaging protocols, and validation of novel SPECT/PET radiotracers and CT contrast agents.
Dr. Dobrucki received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ohio University, Athens, OH in 2003, and M.Sc. degree in Bioengineering from Technical University of Wroclaw, Poland and Technical University of Hamburg, Germany. Prior to joining Beckman Institute in 2010, Dr. Dobrucki was a junior faculty member at Yale University School of Medicine where he managed small animal imaging facility in the Department of Cardiology in the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine.
(Source: http://beckman.illinois.edu/directory/person/dobrucki)
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


text:
Key Takeaways:
Methods used by thieves to steal personal and business information including social engineering, pretexting and hacking
Types of identity theft schemes including financial, insurance, medical and business
Tips for preventing identity theft for individuals and businesses
Actions to take if you have become a victim of identity theft
Tips for educating employees to protect your organization from identity theft
Preview Course
ACFE Ordering and Return Policy
Table of Contents:
Lesson 1: Introduction to Identity Theft
Lesson 2: Types of Identity Theft Schemes
Lesson 3: How Identity Thieves Steal Information
Lesson 4: Identity Theft Prevention for Individuals
Lesson 5: Identity Theft Prevention for Businesses
CPE Information:
You Will Learn How To:
Identify the groups most likely to be perpetrators of identity theft, as well as the groups most likely to be targeted
Compare common types of identity theft schemes
Recognize the methods identity thieves use to steal information from individuals and businesses
Determine the most effective methods of preventing identity theft for individuals
Ascertain the most effective methods of preventing identity theft for businesses
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Last updated: March 2017
ACFE online self-study courses feature:
24/7 access to courses through your Internet browser
Save time and quickly earn CPE credits with instant access, grading and printable certificate
The flexibility to start or stop a course and pick-up right where you left off
No additional shipping fees
Learn more about accessing your online self-study course.
Learn more about online self-study courses and their features.
Internet access: High-speed connection recommended
Free Adobe Flash Player
Speakers required for video sound
Online Self-Study Troubleshooting Guide:
Problem: When I attempt to access my courses from "My Online Learning," the course never launches, or I receive an error message saying my pop-up blocker needs to be turned off.
Solution: Your web browser must be configured to allow pop-ups in order to access ACFE Self-Study courses. Your browser may prompt you to allow pop-ups, or you may have to allow them manually. You may either allow them for all sites, or allow them just for the
current site.
For information on how to manage your pop-up blocker settings in a specific browser, click the link below that corresponds to the browser you are using:
Internet Explorer
Google Chrome
Also note that many toolbars, such as the Google Toolbar and Yahoo! include pop-up blockers as well. If you have one or more toolbars installed on your browser with built-in pop-up blockers, you must configure them to allow pop-ups.
Problem: When I click on a course from "My Online Learning," I am presented with a login page, but my ACFE.com username and password won't allow me to log in.
Solution: You do not have to log in a second time to access your online self-study. You most likely reached the login page because you clicked the link labeled "Click Here" as shown below:
Do not click that link; instead, allow your browser to automatically open the eLearning window on its own, which should happen after a few seconds. This will log you in automatically so that you can access your online courses.
Problem: I receive the following error when I try to load a different lesson with a course:
Solution: This occurs in Internet Explorer when trying to load a different lesson without closing the current lesson. This error can be avoided two different ways:
Always close the current lesson before going to another one. Always click the Close Window button (usually the red "X" in the upper right corner) of the current lesson before clicking on another lesson.
Use a different browser. This error seems to only occur in Internet Explorer, so using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome should resolve the issue (see below for links to download either of these browsers).
Other Troubleshooting Tips: If you encounter other errors, such as courses freezing or crashing, we recommend taking the following action:
Try a different browser. ACFE online self-study courses are designed to run on all modern web browsers, but if you encounter a problem that is not solved using one of the suggestions above, you can try using a different web browser to see if it eliminates the problem. We have most frequently seen where using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome has resolved an issue that was seen in Internet Explorer.
Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded
Google Chrome can be downloaded
Make sure you are running the latest version of Flash. Go to
Adobe.com to see what version of Flash you are running, and then compare that to the table on that page to see what the latest version is for your operating system/browser combination. If you are not running the newest version, you should upgrade and see if that resolves the problem.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website:
Please note: To be eligible for CPE credit, you must complete the final exam within one year of purchase date. You may only claim CPE credit for a course once.


text:
558 members18 Likes
Alex Sahu has not received any gifts yet
Hi Alex! Any chance you're free for tennis in Manhattan tomorrow between 10am-4pm for tennis? Also next weekend is ok. E-mail me at ericlc (gmail address) and we can coordinate. Thanks!
Hey, Are you in NY? Would you like to hit this weekend?
Hey Alex -- not sure if you're still in NYC these days, but I saw your posting on another thread and wanted to see if you'd like to play sometime. My schedule is pretty flexible at the moment and I'm an NTRP 4.5. Played club tennis at Stanford and continue to play fairly regularly; recently moved back to New York. Anyway let me know if you're interested! Thanks.
Alex, you are in a great place for tennis. We have a huge Manhattan group here. Join it and start a new discussion in there. It is going to be tougher for you since you are a semi-pro. Look up Jason Lampione, he is a 5.5 in Manhattan that would love to hit with you I bet.
Here's some good tips: http://tennisopolis.com/news/how-to-meet-tennis-partners
Hey fellow redditor,
Glad to have you here! Let me know if you need any help finding your way around!
archibot on reddit
Hi, I'm Mark, the founder of Tennisopolis, the world's largest and most active tennis network. Please share Tennisopolis with your friends by supporting our Facebook page. Click here for a Guide to Meet Tennis Partners.
Have a look at our introduction page which will help you navigate the massive network which now has over 37,000 members and 500 local tennis groups.
Friend me,
Mark, The Mayor of Tennisopolis
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Delaware Handicap News & Notes
Focused on the Delaware Handicap
Wilmington, Del., July 15, 2013 — With a divisional lead at stake and a $750,000 purse and Grade I opportunity on the line, the mile-and-a-quarter Delaware Handicap is being targeted by the top connections in North America. But before any of the 14 nominees punch a ticket on travel plans to be in Stanton, Delaware, for the filly and mare summer classic this Saturday, they are waiting to see the weight assignments, which are scheduled to be released later today.
She's All In, a 6-year-old daughter of Include, has 14 wins, seven seconds and three thirds from 34 starts, with earnings of $841,502. In her most recent, the Oklahoma-bred conditioned by Donnie Von Hemel finished third in the Grade II Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs on June 15. Previously, she was unplaced in the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 12. Last year, she won the Grade III Sixty Sails Handicap by 8 3/4 lengths at Hawthorne, which became an important factor in targeting the Delaware Handicap this year.
"We are making plans to come.," said trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel from his barn at Churchill Downs yesterday. "We have always wanted to try her at the mile and a quarter, and the last couple of years we have certainly given the race serious consideration, but for various reasons, like who is in the race, the timing and the travel, we just have not made it. But this year, we are probably going to go ahead and give it a try. This is her last year of racing, and you do not get an opportunity to run at a mile and a quarter for this kind of money and you certainly do not get the opportunity to run in a mile and a quarter Grade I very often with a mare. We have been very happy with her since the Fleur de Lis. That race was at a mile and an eighth, and the best race in her life was at a mile and an eighth in the Sixty Sails at Hawthorne, which can be a deep and tiring racetrack. I hear from people that Delaware can be that ways some times as well, so that would be in our favor. We have not nailed down any travel plans because I am waiting for the weights, but we will probably be there mid-week, and we will probably try to gallop over the track a time or two. She is a very professional race horse, so we would not need to be in Delaware for a long time to prepare for the race."
The combination of peaking at the right time and a pedigree perfect for the classic distance on the dirt has the connections of Centring looking at the Delaware Handicap as an opportunity for her to take her game to the next level. In her last, the 5-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy out of a Touch Gold broodmare finished third in Grade I Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park on May 27. In her only other two outings this year, the Kentucky-bred trained by Thomas Albertrani ran second and fourth in pair of allowance races at Gulfstream Park.
"We are leaning toward coming for the Delaware Handicap," said Albertrani from his barn at Belmont Park yesterday. "We did not really know where she was leading us this year, but after her last race, it really had us thinking about the Delaware Handicap, especially since she ran so well. We also know she wants to go much longer, so the mile and a quarter should really suit her to a tee. She really stepped her game up in her most recent start, the Phipps, so that is why we are willing to take another chance with her and step her up a little more in meeting Grade I top company again. Combine that with running a little bit longer and we think this should be a good opportunity. We breezed her a couple of days ago, so she will be galloping right up to the race. We plan on shipping down the morning of the race, so she will just stay at Belmont until that time."
Last year, she broke her maiden and notched an allowance victory from five starts. She did not race as a 3-year-old, and as a 2-year-old she raced twice.
"As a 2-year-old, she had a minor issue behind, so we just gave her some time," Albertani said. "She came back into training and the problem recurred, so we gave her some more time. We always thought highly of her, and we always felt she was going to be a useful filly, so we decided to give her plenty of time so we could give her an opportunity to come into herself as an older horse, and it really paid off well."
The top two from the Delaware Handicap last year are expected to meet again. The connections of Royal Delta, the 2012 champion filly or mare and defending Del 'Cap champion, and Tiz Miz Sue, the recent winner of the Grade I Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park and second in the Del 'Cap last year, also have the race under consideration. Others considering the Delaware Handicap are And Why Not, recently second in the prep for the Del 'Cap, the Grade III Obeah Stakes; Onepointhreekarats, the winner of the Winter Melody Stakes and second in the John Rooney Memorial both at Delaware Park; Funny Proposition, the recent winner of the Grade II Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs; Lady Samuri, a recent $10,000 claim who has won four straight, including a $75,000 stake; and Summer Applause, the recent winner of the Grade III duPont Distaff at Pimlico on May 18. The post position draw for the Delaware Handicap is slated for Wednesday.
This year, is the first time the Delaware Handicap has carried a Grade I status since 1989. Since the race was inaugurated in 1937, 25 champions have placed in the race, including Fleet Indian, Relaxing, Our Mims, Susan's Girl, Cicada and Parlo. Last year, Royal Delta won the Del 'Cap before being named the 2012 filly or mare champion, and in 2011 Havre de Grace ran second, beaten a nose, to Blind Luck in the Del 'Cap before being named Horse of the Year.
Read more articles in the Delaware Park category.


text:
dam, barrier, commonly across a watercourse, to hold back water, often forming a reservoir or lake; dams are also sometimes used to control or contain rockslides, mudflows, and the like in regions where these are common. Dams are made of timber, rock, earth, masonry, or concrete or of combinations of these materials. Timber is seldom used in dams because timbers are impermanent and their height is limited. Rock-fill dams consist of an embankment of loose rock with either a core impervious to water (e.g., clay) or a watertight face on the upstream side. Earth dams may be either simple embankments of earth or embankments reinforced with a core of cement or with an upstream surface made watertight. Masonry and concrete dams are either gravity dams or arch dams (either single-arch or multiple-arch). Gravity dams are dependent upon their own weight for resistance to the pressure of the water. Single-arch dams are curved upstream and are usually constructed in narrow canyons or gorges where the rocky side walls are strong enough to withstand the tremendous lateral thrust of the dam that is caused by the pressure of the water. Dams of the multiple-arch type consist of a number of single arches supported by buttresses. Dams may also be constructed with roller-compacted concrete, in which thin layers of concrete are compacted as if they were earth layers; this produces a far stronger dam, without the need for full forms.
Dams have been constructed from early times to provide a ready supply of water for irrigation and other purposes. One of the earliest large dams for this purpose was a marble structure built c.1660 in Rajputana (Rajasthan), India. A dam used only to impound water is often called a barrage; the largest such barrage is the Syncrude Tailings Dam in Canada, which impounds 540 million cubic meters of water.
Most modern dams are constructed for multiple purposes, e.g., to provide for irrigation, to aid flood control and hence improve the navigability of waterways, and especially to furnish power for hydroelectric plants. Notable dams built to provide hydroelectric power include the Aswan Dam in Egypt, the Kariba Dam in Zambezi, the Daniel Johnson Dam in Canada, the Guri Dam in Venezuela; the Itaipú Dam between Brazil and Paraguay, and the Three Gorges Dam in China, which is the largest hydropower dam in the world. The Grand Coulee Dam, located near Spokane, Wash., is the largest hydropower dam in the United States. The 20th cent. witnessed many great dam projects in the United States (see Central Valley project; Missouri River basin project; Tennessee Valley Authority). The Oroville Dam, located in California, the tallest in the United States, is 770 ft (235 m) high; the Rogun Dam, in Russia, the tallest in the world, is 1,100 ft (335 m) high. A large dam in Panama forms Gatún Lake, the key to the Panama Canal system.
See A. H. Cullen, Rivers in Harness: The Story of Dams (1962); N. Smith, A History of Dams (1972); D. Jackson, Great American Bridges and Dams (1988); A. H. J. Dorsey, ed., Large Dams: Learning from the Past, Looking at the Future (1997).


text:
Turntables are back. Actually, they never really went away, but during the dark decade of 1990 when compact discs threatened to make vinyl records extinct, it sure seemed so. Although we're living in the age of digital downloads, vinyl lovers have a bounty of spoils to satisfy their analog Jones. There is a constant flow of LPs being reissued by labels such as Rhino, and new turntables and accessories make 2010 a superb time to get into or rediscover vinyl.
At one time, the Japanese held a significant share of the turntable – and hi-fi – market, with brands such as Technics and Denon enjoying widespread popularity across the U.S. Now, China has moved into high-end audio, and some of the greatest bargains are coming from The People's Republic. And the build quality can be very good.
I've had great success with all-things Chinese coming from Grant Fidelity. This Calgary, Alberta, audio concern is the North American distributor of brands including Opera-Consonance, a Chinese turntable manufacturer that's been going for more than 15 years. O-C recently released the LP 6.1 turntable and T988 tonearm, designed for high analog performance on a budget. Packaged together, the 'table and arm list for $1,325; but, they are offered directly through Grant's Web site for just $1,125.
When I spoke with Grant Fidelity's founder, Ian Grant, he also mentioned a new isolation platform that used the opposing forces of earth magnets to create a pocket of air between the component and the stand itself. It was in fact a levitating platform, capable of supporting up to 50 pounds. "Interested?" he asked. Absolutely.
Design and Setup
The LP 6.1 employs an elegant and minimalist plinth: A longer, central rectangular bar is affixed to a shorter side "leg" and an additional block that houses the low-noise DC motor. The short leg houses the platter bearing, while the far end of the long leg is pre-drilled for the tonearm. The plinth is made of solid aluminum and finished with an attractive powder coating. Three feet, standing on hard plastic bumpers, are arranged in a triangle pattern to anchor the works.
The uni-pivot T988 is a 9-inch arm composed of carbon fiber, a popular choice for arm tubes as the material is lightweight, very strong and helps reduce vibrations. Uni-pivot tonearms can be intimidating at first. Such arms pivot freely on a bearing at just one contact point. There's nothing to keep the arm from moving – in space – from side to side or up and down. From an audio standpoint, uni-pivot arms are favorable because that single contact point minimizes bearing friction and tracking force variations as a cartridge and stylus navigate a record's walls and valleys. The result is greater dynamics and more natural and musical playback. The T988 is also versatile: the oil-damped pivot makes it possible to use moving coil and moving magnet cartridges of varying weights. Grant included a Dynavector DV-20X ($750) moving coil cartridge for the review.
The first step is filling the bearing with oil to a prescribed level and then fitting the 1-inch thick acrylic platter into the bearing seat. A pair of white cotton gloves are included for clean-room like setup. Installing the belt is a bit tricky, as it's really just light-test monofilament fishing line. It took my not-so-nimble fingers several attempts before I successfully threaded the belt from the motor pulley around the platter. The motor pulley houses two ruts: one for 33 rpm playback and the other for 45 rpm. Set the belt in the desired rut. The 'table comes with two belts, in case you snap or lose one.
Once the belt is in place, it's time to fit the cartridge and make adjustments to the tonearm. The T988 is a marvel in simplicity, but it does require some work to set right. The tonearm cable connection fits directly into the top of the base, secured by an Allen screw. An RCA connector attaches to the audio wire connectors, which then go directly to the RCA cables connecting the phono stage. The tonearm base holds a bearing well, where the "male" and "female" bearings meet. To keep this pivot smooth, a few drops of silicon oil are applied from a plastic syringe. Users can ultimately add more oil to the surrounding tonearm oil cup, if greater damping is desired. The remaining steps require trial-fitting the counterweight, mounting the cartridge, setting tracking force, aligning the cartridge, securing the anti-skate weight to one of three positions according to the mass of the cartridge and adjusting vertical tracking angle. A strobe disc is included to perform a final speed check. Then, it's time to play records! (The LP 6.1 comes with a foam record mat. I'm still on the fence about such products. I played dozens of records with and without the mat and didn't come to a hard conclusion.)
I love hearing new turntables. Those first moments, as the cartridge and stylus meet the LP groove and music emerges, are part of a reviewer's joy. That anticipation held me as I set Mobile Fidelity's reissue of The Allman Brothers Band's Idlewild South onto the LP 6.1's platter. The Southern rock classic "Revival" is one of the most joyous in the canon, featuring the velvety guitar tones of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts and a gospel-like chorus. What struck me most was the dynamic force of the music – a sense of energy that I can only describe as "slam." Don't mistake that for lack of nuance; rather, the Opera system brought out the force and presence of the music. Side 1 close with the instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed," a guitar lament that builds into a full-on jam. Instead of a jumbled mess, the Opera sketched each instrument's place in the mix, giving weight to Berry Oakley's bass, along with Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson's driving drums and and percussion.
Analog aficionados will contend that a properly set-up turntable trounces CD sound, but turntables have a more utilitarian function. What about the thousands of LPs that have either never been issued on compact disc or have gone out of print and are available only at collector prices? That puts a lot of potential music on the shelf. Take Poco's 1976 album Rose Of Cimarron. It remains out of print, domestically, on compact disc even though the recording is one of the finest in the country-rock genre.
So, I'll stick with my vinyl, thank you. The 6.1 brought out the music's bloom and organic-like development, particularly on the astonishing title track. Rusty Young's tour de force performance across pedal steel, dobro and electric guitars paint a scene of wide-open spaces, yet the music is delivered with crisp detail and finery.
Guitarist Alex de Grassi was one of the kingpins upon whom the Windham Hill record label made its name. His 1979 release, Slow Circle, showcases a virtuosity expressed not so much in technique – though de Grassi's picking skills are formidable – but in the melding of classical, jazz and folk stylings into compositions that truly color the air with sound. De Grassi's mastery of alternate tunings opens the door to a fantastical world of sonic shapes and moods. His music carries the nuances of clouds and the light of summer sun. Details, such as the intonation of strings bending, fingertips striking strings and legato passages came to life through the LP 6.1, whether on the spry wings of "Causeway" or the haunting arpeggios of "Sleeping Lady."
I was curious how the outfit would play using a lesser cartridge. The Dynavector was swapped for Audio Technica's AT 95E, a budget-priced moving magnet unit that can be found new for around $50. Although the moving magnet couldn't match the dynamic slam of the Dynavector, taken as a whole the LP 6.1 and T988 arm paired with the AT 95E still delivered a lot of the dynamic "pow" that won me over with the Dynavector. Listening to British jazz-rock quartet Isotope's 1975 release,Illusion, was proof among many LPs that the Opera-Consonance outfit was designed not just to work with but work well matched to different phono cartridges. The swift drums and cymbals, angular guitar lines, washes of electric piano and bass bubbled with lithe energy, and Illusion became my go-to record when playing the Opera-Consonance system for friends.
Listening in Isolation
Now, back to the levitating platform. Nobility Furnishings is a Chinese manufacturer of audio "furniture," including the WMP-1A Magnetic Levitation Platform Audio Table. Audiophiles are always looking for ways to rid components of undesired resonances and vibrations, and the WMP-1A does this by floating the table on air. The platform is built solid of American walnut and all the wood joints are hand-joined and glued, keeping the structure free of nails and screws. Eight earth magnets are used in opposition, with four set in recesses at the corners of the table's underside. Below each of these is an opposing magnet, affixed to a walnut leg terminated with a brass spike. The spike then fits into the groove of a brass "button" just below.
I had no prior experience with earth magnets, and I soon learned a painful lesson in respect. During transit, one of the magnets had come loose from the machined screw that holds it in place on the table's underside. When I was setting up the platform, the magnet became detached from table and quickly found its mate, locking on with vice-like ferocity. I tried prying them apart with my bare hands, and just as I was achieving success the magnet's rejoined, pinching my left ring fingertip in the process and nearly crushing the entire nail. I finally put the two between a beach towel and slowly slid them apart without further injury. Once accomplished, I was able to set up the platform and enjoy the benefits of levitating isolation.
Even without the platform, the LP 6.1 operates with stone-like silence – the only thing to hear is the music. Resting on air, the 'table brews up a pot of even blacker backgrounds, that vacuum-esque nirvana of audiophiles. At $550, the WMP-1A isn't cheap, but it's well built, attractive and delivers on its promise. And it's just plain cool.
Final Thoughts
The LP 6.1 and T988 system will appeal to hard-core vinyl spinners and those seeking an upgrade path without spending megabucks. I recommend it especially if your musical tastes tend toward blues, rock or jazz. High-end sound and design come together here for budget-minded audiophiles. Yes, my friends, turntables are back.


text:
By Jason Weigandt and Steve Matthes
Ryan Villopoto, Monster Energy Kawasaki, 2nd in 450SX
I'm bummed that I made that big mistake over there, couldn't jump the triple. But we were off all day, really far. To come out in the qualifier and be where we were and also in the main event with the track really deteriorating, I'm happy. I couldn't really ask for any more because we were way off in practice.
What happened when you made the mistake?
There was just a little rut before the triple and my rear tire just missed it. It wasn't a real rut, it was just a minor little edge that we were catching and my rear tire missed it.
You knew that he was catching you?
I actually thought it was [Ryan] Dungey that was there. I didn't know Kenny [Roczen] was there. KTM's a little quiet.
You mentioned being off in practice. What were you working on today?
Nothing, we were obviously trying things, kind of shuffling settings and stuff but ultimately we went back to what we were running—just a minor change, pretty close to what we showed up with today. Today I just felt pretty good everywhere, just struggled in the whoops really bad. Couldn't figure out what it was. We tried not to stray too far from what we had and just come back out in the heat.
That one set of whoops looked like they were really spaced out.
They were super close to the turn. They were really big. And then the turn before the long set was really super soft and rutty and the whoops were kind of dry and separate so it was kind of a bad combination.
Everybody used to look at this place as being really sticky.
Last couple years it's been kind of slippery. It hasn't been typical Atlanta.
Compared to practice, where you were struggling, not even top five in lap times, do you feel you just rode better in the night show or did things just come together? You didn't really change the bike much, you said.
Just minor [bike changes]. Obviously in practice the track was really hammered and I just struggled with it like that. It was really hammered in the main event also, but basically just rode better. In practice I felt like I was pushing and trying and doing everything that I could but nothing was coming up on the board.
How bad was the track at the end of the main? It looked tough.
There were certain areas that were really gnarly. Coming into the short set of whoops there was a huge hole coming in. There were a lot of big rocks and stuff out there. Some spots are really spongy after the triple and then the turn after the short set of whoops was like powder. A lot of different terrain.
So does Kenny get kicked out now?
If anybody wins, I'd like to see Kenny win.
Maybe next week? People are waiting for you two to fight!
[Laughs] I can't fight the German. – Jason Weigandt
Adam Cianciarulo, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, 2nd in 250SX main
That start from the LCQ gate pick, nice job on that.
First of all, the heat race, I felt really good the first lap, just was in the flow. Then I screwed up in the whoops, foot came off, right in the bales. It was RC's [Ricky Carmichael's] Houston heat race '01 to the T. Watch it, same thing. Then I bent my front brake rotor, went down again in the whoops. So it looked like I had no idea what I was doing! I pooped my pants on the line in the LCQ; I was that scared that I wasn't going to make it in. I was like, "Please don't come from winning the race to not making the main!" That would have not been good.
I can't believe I got the holeshot in the LCQ. The main event, I literally picked the worst gate I could possibly pick. I picked the one closest to the inside, but I should have gone farther out because my gate was so jacked up in the front of it. I did a sight lap start and it was so bad. I was like, "I'm screwed; it's over." And then something happened and I just got it right. I screwed up the first rhythm section. Marty got by me and then I'm like, okay, I've got to stay right by him. He pulled away from me a little bit and then I actually started catching him. I freaked out in the beginning because I didn't think I was going to be up there and then I was up there. I was making mistakes. Almost looped it up the dragon's back. So I was starting to catch him, I feel, and then the yellow lights popped out. I'm like, okay, yellow flags you can jump on, in my mind. Yellow lights, shut her down. I rolled the section twice and I lost eight seconds from the two times I rolled them. You can jump on yellow but you just can't jump on red flashing lights. I'm a complete moron! I'm not going to say that I could have won but I definitely could have given him a run. That was an unfortunate error on my part, but in the end I'm happy to salvage. I felt really good. My fitness felt amazing too. I literally could have done 15 more, no problem. So really pumped with that. But I'm happy for Marty, too. – Steve Matthes
Broc Tickle, Soaring Eagle Casino RCH Suzuki, 7th in 450SX
First let's talk about the ride. It was good. You were fast.
I felt awesome today. First lap on the track I kind of got comfortable and jumped everything right away. The non-timed practice I was third on the board. I just had a good attitude all day. I had a really good week last week and I think that's what it was. The team and I went out a couple days and got some stuff done. I felt like I did the best two days of practice I've done all year and in a long time. So it was really good to start out well here and I qualified third in practice. I felt like in the heat race I could have been right there with James if I would have been there. I felt like I was really strong in the whoops. I felt almost effortless. I felt like everything was coming to me. I know that's the way it's supposed to feel every time, but I felt really good out there.
Is that something repeatable? After some good days this week and how this night went, are you like, "Wait, I know this feeling, I can do again this next weekend?"
For sure. I feel like I'm just starting to build the momentum now. I'm not worried about anybody else anymore. I'm kind of worried about myself and I think that's what helping me. The team's done a great job with everything, getting us out when we need to try stuff and working on our starts. I think it showed today. My starts were pretty good all night. All three starts were decent, better than what they have been. We're all working good as a team. After practice and everything we were making adjustments in the right direction because we know where we want the comfort and we know this and we know that. I feel like we're in a good spot to keep building.
Talk about the whoops. You were killing them. By the end of the main event it seemed like there was nothing left, but when they were big you were crushing them.
I was just committed. I'd rather just rail the berm and whatever happened, happened, but every single time it was good. I only got squirrelly a couple times, but I was trusting my bike.
Was that part of it, is it setup?
For sure. As soon as I hit them a couple times I just felt some confidence in myself. Once I felt that I just said I didn't care anymore and I just kept doing it, and it was easy. I honestly wasn't even on the gas that much. I just carried that much speed into them. I felt like it helped me get up on top. I was pumped with tonight. It wasn't the best result. I got seventh again like I did last week. I feel like I deserve to be better than that. No doubt next weekend we'll have a better weekend and have another good week this week so we can get away from that cheese pizza [nickname]….
[Laughs] There was definitely some pepperoni on that pizza tonight. You had some spice! So, hey, anything else happen of note tonight? You were in fourth in your heat race and then, um, something happened.
I made a pass on [Mike] Alessi. Actually I started the heat race out really well. I was in third and ran into Wil [Hahn] a little bit and stalled my bike. Got back up, I was probably back in eighth or ninth and just made my way through the pack. I think the whoops were saving me. I just passed him in the first set of whoops, squared him up, ran down the straightway and before you know it I'm exciting corner and somebody's T-boning me exiting the corner and I go flying and whatnot. So it is what it is. We're going to erase it out of our book and I'm going to next weekend.
Has he [Alessi] said anything to you?
I won't accept anything from him. That's just stupidity, if you ask me. I've had some intense battles with certain riders on the track and nothing has even come close to that. So I'll just top it off with that. He put a cherry on top of that. – Jason Weigandt
Justin Bogle, GEICO Honda, 3rd in 250SX
You talked to me last week and you were like, "Hey, I can get up on the box." Wharton was faster than you in practice. You were a little bit off the start, but you persevered and got a third.
I'm not much of a practice guy. At the end of the day I'm a racer. I feel like that showed in my heat race. I think I had fastest lap in that. Pulled a second on that, best heat race so far this year. I'm not doing myself any favors with the starts I'm getting, but a lot of testing last week and I'm sure I'll be doing some more this week and get that figured out. Just had to fight through and capitalize on some mistakes and make some stuff happen and got up on the box. I'm not overly happy. I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied. It's all good. We're making progress. Under the circumstances, the way everything's been the last few months for me I'm happy to be following the plan that me and my trainer Ryan have laid out for myself, so it's good. – Steve Matthes
Andrew Short, BTOSports.com KTM, 10th in 450SX
First of all, gnarly track. It took a lot out of you.
It was one of the better tracks I think in terms of being pretty technical and the dirt and all that. Unfortunately I think it was difficult to pass, so I don't know how great that was for the fans and even the riders. The start was really important. I like how the track crisscrossed a lot, but overall it came down to the start.
Your race, 10th place, kind of a lonely 10th?
Yeah, I didn't have a very good start. I started pretty far back and for me to finish 10th was decent but that's where I've been finishing a lot lately. I need to work on some intensity, especially at the latter part of the race. I think my sprint speed in practice, heat race, even my semi I ran a 52, which was a good lap time tonight, but in the main event I wasn't even close to that. I need to put it together for when it counts. – Steve Matthes
Jimmy Decotis, Riverside Harley Davidson, 7th in 250SX
You seemed a little faster than last week.
A little bit. I made a big change this week. I just kind of took it a little bit more serious this week on my riding and training. It's crazy because I had a good base going for training but last week I felt like I got tired and then this week I made a couple changes and I feel like I changed. The whole main event, I was fighting. Last weekend I would get passed and I get flustered and just give up on it. This weekend I really fought harder than I normally would. I had [Cole] Thompson pass me back twice and I got him back, and same with [Kyle] Cunningham and [Matt] Lemoine and all those guys. I felt like I charged a lot harder this week, so I was proud of myself. But my starts sucked and I need to do a lot more with those. Once I get those dialed I think I can definitely… I'm still a little bit off Davalos and those guys but I think me and Vince [Friese] are the next tier guys right there with them. So I just need to get a little bit more speed, little bit more strength, and it'll all come I think by the end of the season. – Jason Weigandt
Cole Thompson, Rockstar Energy KTM, 8th in 250SX
At one point in the main event, first lap, second lap, you were way back. What happened?
Bad start. Me and [Blake] Baggett came together off the start. He was back with me. He was able to get to the front and I just wasn't able to. I didn't make enough passes early on and once people spread out it makes it a little hard. But all in all my bike was great, my team was great, just needed to be more aggressive and got to go back this week and work harder.
Something I wanted to ask you about, your first practice, first timed one went very good, on the board, riding well. Second one not so much. What happened in the third practice to knock you back in overall qualifying?
We did some changes. I thought the track was going to get a little bit more slick in the second practice, similar to what it did tonight. We went back to what we started with the day. I was comfortable with my bike. My bike was good all night, I just needed to get a better start. I need to find that aggression that everyone has but me. We're going to definitely work on that this week and get it done. – Steve Matthes