On October 27, 1915, Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship. After being trapped in pack ice for nine months, the Endurance was being slowly crushed by the Weddell Sea. The men remained in surprisingly strong spirits through the depths of winter.īut when spring arrived, the Endurance showed no signs of breaking loose. And he created a series of social occasions with grog on Saturday nights, music on Sunday nights, and dog-sledding races. He sent others hunting to secure a supply of meat for the winter. In an effort to keep the crew engaged and morale high, Shackleton directed the construction of “dogloos” on the ice to protect the dogs. And Shackleton feared demoralization more than the threat of ice or sub-zero temperatures. But with the ship out of commission, they faced a lull. There was work to be done and they remained in good spirits. On the open sea, each man had their assignment. He gave the order to prepare for winter aboard the Endurance. It was now about survival and the preservation of his crew, which demanded an entirely new set of strategies. Shackleton’s neatly made plans to cross the Antarctic came to an abrupt halt. As the days grew shorter, Shackleton knew there was no immediate way out and no way to communicate with the outside world. But after a month, the ship was still trapped. The crew did their best to free the ship, chipping away at ice with chisels and saws. After six days, on January 24, 1915, the winds began to subside but the Endurance was frozen solid in pack ice as far as the eye could see. But facing polar pack ice they were slowed to a crawl and by December covered less than thirty miles a day.Īs they came within 200 miles of Vahsel Bay, fierce winds struck and they were forced to shelter the Endurance next to a large iceberg. In an open ocean the Endurance covered close to 200 miles a day. As the Endurance continued south towards the Weddell Sea, they learned this first hand. The conditions in the Weddell Sea were the worst in recent memory. Ten days after setting sail from Buenos Aires, the Endurance reached South Georgia and received disheartening news at the whaling station. This would keep the men supplied until they reached their final destination at the McMurdo Sound base. At the same time, a second ship directly across the continent would sail into the Ross Sea, setting down provisions along the intended route for Shackleton and crew. Shackleton’s final itinerary planned to take the Endurance into the Weddell Sea before disembarking near Vahsel Bay with a team of six men and seventy dogs to sledge across the Antarctic. With an expedition of this difficulty, there was no shortage of planning or coordinating involved. Their goal was to complete the first land crossing of the Antarctic. GradeSaver, 15 January 2019 Web.On October 26, 1914, Ernest Shackleton, captain of the Endurance, set sail with a crew of twenty-seven men comprising the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Next Section Character List Previous Section About Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage How To Cite in MLA Format Anonymous "Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage Summary". Will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. You can help us out by revising, improving and updatingĪfter you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. After another three months he manages to return to Elephant Island to rescue the rest of his crew. Shackleton, along with two of the remaining five, crosses the island to reach help. They sail 650 miles until they reach South Georgia Island only to face the dangers of the vast untouched arctic wilderness. At this point Shackleton takes five other crew members with him aboard the much smaller boat, the James Caird, and travels through the Drake Passage. Those who make it into the boats drift among the ice floes for over a year, gradually trying to make their way to land.Įventually they arrive at Elephant Island. Somehow most of the crew manages to launch escape boats before the ship sinks, but some men are forced to leap overboard and are lost to the ice. This occurs somewhere in the Weddell Sea. Tragically, the Endurance crashes into some ice and takes on water. A voyage of this magnitude and consequence has never been attempted before. After lengthy preparation, everyone is excited for the adventure. They're manifested to cross the continent of Antarctica. In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton embarks with his crew aboard the Endurance. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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