Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
By Alfred Langsing; Forward by Dr. James Dobson
Sire Erniest Shackleton was an epic explorer of the early 1900’s. His goal was to cross the Antarctic continent from west to east as leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, where he wanted to land six men and seventy sled dogs on Vahsel Bay in the Weddell Sea; one of the most dangerous oceans in the world. Ice, storms and bitter cold were common day occurrences.
After buying a 144-foot steamer with three masts which he named The Endurance, Shackleton put the following ad in the newspaper:
MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS.
SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON
He received over 5,000 replies and choose only 29 men for his crew. On October 26,1914 they set sail for Buenos Aires. After buying supplies at the tiny island of South Georgia they entered the ice of the Weddell Sea on December 7th with 26 men and 70 dogs.
On January 18, 1914, due to a strong Northern gale, the ice became so packed that the Endurance was trapped. The men settled in for a long Antarctic winter with its 70 day nights and below zero temperatures; eating seals and penguins, keeping warn in the room mid-ship they dubbed “The Ritz”.
Unable to break through the 18-foot think ice the ship drifted clock-wise with the flow for seven months. Finally ice began lifting the shop onto its side and it began taking on water through its crushed hull; on October 27, 1915 Shackleton gave the order abandon ship. The average temperature was 16 degrees below Celsius.
Setting up “Ocean Camp” the 28 men watch helplessly as the ship sank on November 21, 1915. They were now stranded on one of the most savage regions of the world with no hope of rescue. The goal pf the journey now changed from an expedition to survival with Shackleton’s goal was to get all 27 of his men home safely.
They turned the three 20-foot lifeboats they had rescued from the ship into sleds but since most of the dogs had died the men fashioned harnesses and hauled the boats themselves. Their goal was to travel north to the edge of the ice flow, then row to the small, rocky Elephant Island. After months of travel, bitter cold, and hunger the ice pack began to break apart as they headed north; they launched the boats into the open water on April 9, 1916 and finally reached Elephant Island But the island had no inhabitants (besides penguins0 and no way to call for help. It was 1916; no satellite phones or helicopters. Their only choice was to send a part for help while the rest of the men huddled under the overturned boats.
On April 24, 1916 Shackleton and 5 men refitted a lifeboat with the mast and set sail for South Georgia Island, hoping to reach the whaling station on the east side of the Island. Not long after Shacklton and his men left, the men left behind had to endure a 2 week blizzard. For food they boiled seal bones with sea water and seaweed. The official photographer, James Hurley, said “The entire part of 22 sleeps in this small space snugly though sardinously”.
After 17 days in an open lifeboat, 50 foot waves, and gale force winds, the rescue crew of six reached the west side of South Georgia. They now had to walk 17 miles across unmapped mountains and glaciers to reach the Stromness Whaling Station; a feat no one had ever done before. Two of the men were too ill to make the trip so Shackleton left three men with the lifeboat and headed east. Miraculously, he reached the whaling station alive after days of no shelter and little food.
It took three attempts but Shackleton returned to Elephant Island four and a half months after leaving. Though starved, frostbitten, through 22 months of the worst condition, through hopeless situations, all 28 men survived, relying on God and each other, and returned home.