Crushing of the 'Endurance'
The Endurance departed from South Georgia for the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, on 5 December 1914, despite warnings of dangerous pack ice en route. During January and February of 1915, the ship became trapped in the ice. The men were confined to the ship's winter quarters, termed 'the Ritz', and were put on constant watch to check for changes in conditions. The pressure on the ship from the surrounding ice was extreme - wrenching, twisting and contorting the ship as the ice floes moved and shifted around it.
By October 1915, the ship was leaking badly and the men worked the pumps in shifts around the clock. The roar of pressure from the ice outside was almost constant.
The pressure reached its height on 27 October 1915. The ship was pushed up and a floe moved across it destroying the rudder and the stern post. The decks began to break upwards, and as the keel was ripped out, the water poured in. Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship.
"Awful calamity that has overtaken our ship that has been our home for over 12 months...We are homeless & adrift on the sea ice" (Frank Hurley diary, 27 October 1915, MLMSS 389/2)
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'Diary No1', Jan 1915 - 13 Jan 1916, by Frank Hurley. Manuscript. MLMSS 389/2, item 3
Transcript, Frank Hurley diary, 18-29 October 1915
MLMSS 389/2, Item 3
18 Mon October 1915
Day of great Excitement at 4.45 PM Floes came together nipping the Ship & forcing her out of the ice. The ice presses under the port bilge heeling the ship over onto her starboard side with a list of 30 ° So quickly did this take place 5 to 7 seconds, that everything moveable on deck, Timbers Kennels & dogs were thrown onto the lee side & for the moment it seemed the Ship would be thrown on her beam ends. Secured several fine photographs of our gallant ship.
At 8 PM floes open again & to our relief the Endurance arights herself.
19 Tue
Two seals & 8 Emperor pengs [penguins] secured. Had fine view of killer swimming in the pool alongside the Ship this evening. His graceful & sinuous evolutions could be clearly studied in the clear water, causing great excitement & uproar amongst the dogs. All available empty cases & timber thrown into bunkers for the boilers. Boilers pumped up with the Downton taking 2 hr 50 min - Fires lighted under boilers
Low Barometer 28.96
20 Wed
69. 17 S Long 51. 5 W
4 seals secured
Sea watches set in the event of necessity & also to be in readiness to work ship at any moment
steam raised Taking 1 ton of Coal, remainder being made up of wood, blubber etc. It has been thought necessary to have the engines ready for any emergency.
To maintain steam only consumes 1¼ to 1½ cwt coal daily.
Engines given a turn. All O.K. after being frozen up for 8 months.
21 Thurs
Malignant rumbling through the night. We are however pretty well habituated to this kind of thing & it now disturbs us little.
22 Fri
69° 11´ 30? LAT long 51 7 W
Heavy deposit of rime crystals all over ship & rigging A welcome capture of two crab-eaters which replenish our depleted larder. Blubber packed in boxes for the furnaces to supplement coal
Two killers push their vicious heads through the thin ice
23 Sat
Now have 22 hrs daylight
Cloudy with mist & snow
69.11 S 51. 6 W
24 Sun
Ships stern post twisted & seriously damaged by heavy pressure. Hidden ends of planking started All pumps working & steam raised for engine room bilge pump All take watch & watch on pump & leak just kept under. Carpenter works all night building coffer dam abaft engines. Calk same with strips of blanket & pour cement in
25 Mon
Leak kept under All hands assist on main pump & Downton.
The building of the coffer dam nearing completion Pressure moderating but large ridges menacing us on the starboard quarter & stern.
26 Tues
Lat 69.8 Long 51. 28 W Bright clear weather Temp 0 to -15
Extremely heavy pressure set in again opening planking 4 & 5 inches on starboard side while the ship twisted like a bow. At 7 PM the order was given to lower boats & they with all necessary gear provisions & sledges were passed onto the floe out of immediate danger at midnight the floes ceased working so that the leak took up somewhat. We work all night taking watch & watch on the pumps. All hope is not give up yet for saving the ship. Six Emperor penguins watch the crushing of the ship 69.5 S 51.32 W
27 Wed
The position became very grave this afternoon heavy pressure continuing. The ship rising on the crest of a great ridge was so squeezed that her beams cracked & great ice blocks were forced under her [indecipherable] allowing the water to rush in.
Emergency stores also the dogs were lowered on the floe. The whole time there was an incessant cracking & groaning of timbers as the ice began crushing the stout timber walls in. I went down into the Ritz & found the water rapidly rising & fearing being jammed by cracking beams returned speedily to the deck. The night was hideous in the extreme, cold & lit by the half grey midnight light we were hemmed in by crushing pressure on all sides.
[indecipherable] times we had to shift the boats & stores owing to the floe cracking beneath us. While the booming & cracking of splintering timber told only too vividly the awful calamity that was overtaking the ship that had been our home for over 12 months & our only means of communication with the world We are homeless & adrift on the sea ice. Yet cheerful & hopeful as it is possible to be under the circumstances.
It is our intention to sledge to Snowhill some 300 miles distant – a great undertaking with such a large (29) & inexperienced party.
The pressure continued throughout the day. I had the Camie [?] trained on the ship the whole time. The foremast & jibboom [?] were snapped off by the starboard bulwark being forced under the pressure & she has the appearance of sinking at any moment. It seems impossible that the awful force of nature could so completely destroy such [indecipherable] that hardly now resembles a ship.
[in margin] Temp -15 at midnight. Got up early cold & miserable with toes [indecipherable] & makes hoosh
29 Fri
Day spent in sorting out & dumping all unnecessary equipment. In the dump are observable – gold links – watches – latest cut dress suits & relics of civilised gear all entirely useless here.
Went aboard the wreck this morning to rescue miscellaneous oddments.
The ship is in a frightful condition crunched to fragments. She was entirely full of water & is merely held up by the ice pressure which has splintered the bulwarks almost severing the top deck. The port & starboard cabins are crushed together & all that remains of the sturdy Endurance is a squashed concertina like chaos of splintered timbers.
