Icebound: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition of 1914-16 stands as an example of inspired leadership and displays the utter necessity, in times of crisis, of god's providence.(History--Faith In Action)

Frank Worsley, his muscles tensed and his face etched in grim determination, tossed uncomfortably in his sleep. In his mind surreal images tormented him. Giant blocks of ice jostled and bucked their way down a flooded Burlington Street. The monstrous floes of ice menaced Worsley, who, in the insidious grip of his dream, saw himself at the wheel of a great ship, desperately trying to navigate the dangerous waters that filled the street.

The dream persisted through the night, or so it seemed, and Worsley woke in an unsettled mood. A veteran sailor and officer of the merchant marine, he harbored many of the superstitions common among the men of his trade. Thinking the dream a peculiar portent, he quickly dressed and made his way to the same Burlington Street that, the night before, had been beset by floes of ice.

In the daylight though, the street seemed in no way special. Despite the still-vivid memory of the dream, the decidedly normal aspect of Burlington Street nearly convinced Worsley that he had wasted valuable time that would have been better spent on more useful pursuits. He was, in fact, just about to retrace his steps when his eyes lighted on a sign hung on a doorpost. The sign read, "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition," and it exerted an inexorable pull. Under its spell, Worsley turned into the building with a conviction that, in some strange way, it held a special importance to him. Upon entering, he was greeted by a burly Irishman, whose steady, intent gaze and commanding demeanor immediately impressed. The man was Sir Ernest Shackleton, famed as an explorer and a veteran of previous expeditions to the Antarctic, including one with Captain Robert F. Scott.

Shackleton had an uncanny ability to assess the character and capabilities of men, and he immediately recognized Worsley as a first-rate sailor whose skills would be indispensable to a crew facing an epic journey and unimaginable, Herculean labors. After only a few minutes and a brief description of the project, the explorer knew that Worsley was interested in joining the expedition. "You're engaged," he said to the man who was led to Burlington Street that day by a dream. "Join your ship until I wire for you. I'll let you know all details as soon as possible." Then, with a short "good morning" as a salutation, Shackleton sent Worsley back out to the street. "He wrung my hand in his hard grasp," Worsley recalled, "and that was that. I was committed to my fate. Not a superfluous word had been spoken on either side, but we knew by instinct that we were to be friends from that hour, and, as a matter of fact, we were together until Shackleton died." Neither man could know it at the time, but they were about to embark on a journey that would test the limits of psychological and physical endurance, stand as an example for all time of the power of effective and inspired leadership, and display the utter necessity, in times of crisis, of God's Providence.

Preparing for the Unknown

Ernest Shackleton had begun preparing for the expedition to the Antarctic in 1913. The planning alone was a monstrous task. Two ships would be needed, as well as the stores and supplies needed to equip them. Also needed would be specialized equipment for survival in the Antarctic and for transport across the continent, including dog teams and sledges. The preparations also included hiring a crew of seasoned explorers and sailors and finding scientists anxious to uncover the secrets of the Antarctic continent. Such an undertaking as this would be expensive, and Shackleton did receive a grant of 10,000 [pounds sterling] from the British government. This amount was dwarfed, however, by the generosity of private benefactors who by and large bankrolled the undertaking. One supporter alone, Sir James Caird, donated some 24,000 [pounds sterling].

For ships, Shackleton procured two, the Aurora and the Endurance. The latter, a wooden sailing vessel that also was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, was a new ship, and Shackleton recalled that she "was specially constructed for Polar work under the supervision of a committee of Polar explorers." This specially constructed vessel, designed to face the challenges of Polar seas, would carry Shackleton himself to the Weddell Sea. The Aurora, departing from Australia, would travel through the Ross Sea to the opposite shore of the Antarctic continent, where a team would establish camp. Shackleton's plan was to sledge from his Weddell Sea base to the Ross Sea camp, becoming the first to lead a team of explorers and scientists across the forbidding and still-mysterious terrain of Antarctica.