coal-tent

Updated: May 8, 2025

In the middle of the passage, on the right-hand side, a door led into the pendulum observatory. Continuing along the passage, one came first to some steps leading down, and then the passage ended in a steep flight of steps which led up through a hole in the snow surface. On going up this one suddenly found oneself in the middle of the coal-tent.

Roald Amundsen - The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 1

When all the snow was cleared out, the big hole was covered over again, and now we could go from the kitchen direct to the coal-store without going out. First we followed the passage round the house you remember where all the tinned provisions stood in such perfect order then, on reaching the south-east angle of the house, this new passage opened out and led across to the coal-tent.

Roald Amundsen - The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 1

But Hassel did not stop here; he had the building fever on him in earnest. His great project of connecting the coal and wood store with the house below the surface nearly took my breath away; it seemed to me an almost superhuman labour, but they did it. The distance from the coal-tent to the house was about ten yards.

Roald Amundsen - The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 1

While the hole remained open he wished to avail himself of the opportunity of arranging an observatory for his pendulum apparatus, and he made a very good one. He did it by digging at right angles to the passage, and had his little observatory between the coal-tent and the house.

Roald Amundsen - The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 1