Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-22
THE SOUTH POLE.
/ Worse Place to Get at Than the North
One--SOme of It's Perils.


One--SOme of It's Perils.
The greatest point of difference be
tween the Arctic and Antarctic regions
lies in the fact that the former is dotted
over with numerous islands, peninsula's
and isthmuses. whereas the latter is ex-
posed to the dash of vast deep ocean,
Ross experienced from sweeping cur
rents and winds more than has ever to
be borne by northern explorers. On
one occasion when he was becalmed for
a few hours, the dead set of the ocean
waves drifted the ship toward a range of
huge icebergs, against which the sea
broke with appalling violence. Every
eye was transtixed with the tremendous
spectacle, and destruction appeared
inevitable" The shi FPS were thus driven
on for eight hours until within half a
mile from the gigantic iceberg, when a
gentle air began to stir; the ships yielded
to the influence of the puff of wind,
which gradually freshened into agale,
and before dark, to the heartfelt salts
faction of all on board, the ships
emerged from their peril and got out
into the wide ocean. Ross had good
means of knowing how thoroughly
Wilkes had been deceived
concerning the appearance of land at a
particular spot, for he spent three days
in searching for land which Wilkes had
laid down on chart; but 600 fathoms'
depth of water was found in the very
center of the position assigned to the
land on the chart. Ross arrived at an
opinion that the American commander
had been deceived either by ice islands
or fog banks. We need not go into
much further details concerning this
expedition; but few words may be
quoted to show what kind of weather
had to be borne in the very middle OF
the Antarctic summer, and In no higher
latitude than sixty-six degrees.
For nine days the crew were alternate
ly drifting, hauling, making fast, mend
ing snapped hawsers, and making efforts
to stem opposing currents. On the
tenth day during thick fog, gale
came on from the north. The sea
quickly rose to fearful height, break
ing over the Hottest icebergs we were
unable any longer to hold our ground,
but were driven into the heavy pack
under our lee Soon after midnight our
ships were involved in an ocean of float
ing fragments of ice, hard as floating
blocks of granite, which were dashed
against them by the waves with so much
violence that their masts quivered as if
they would fall at every successesslve
blow, and the destruction of the ships
seemed inevitable from the tremendous
shocks they received. By backing and
filling the sails, we endeavored to avoid
collision with the larger masses, but this
was not always possible. In the early
part of the storm the rudder of the
Erebus was so much damaged as to be
no longer of any use and about the
same time was informed by signal that
the Terror's was completely destroyed
and nearly torn away from the stern
post. Hour after hour passed away
without the least mitigation of these
awful circumstances in which we were
placed Indeed, there seemed to be but
little probability of our ships holding
together much longer, SO frequent and
violent were the shocks they sustained
The loud crashing noise of the strain
ing and working of the timbers and
decks as she was driven against some OF
the heavier pieces, which all the activ-
ity and exertions of our people could
not prevent, was sufficient to fill the
stoutest HEARTBEAT was not supported
by a trust in Him who controls all
events-with dismay"
Whenever the gallant commander got
south of 60 degrees Or so, then the bat
Ting with ice began again and again.
He once touched the 18th parallel OF
latitude, and in all probability no hui
man being has ever made nearer APP
preach to the South Pole-less by three
or four hundred miles than the APP
proach which has been recently made
to the North Pole. What we know OF
the South Pole, then, is simply this, that
nobody has got within seven or eight
hundred miles of it; that icy barriers
are met with quite eclipsing anything
known in the North Frigid Zone; that
mountains have been seen one shoot
ing forth volcanic hames) loftier than
any discovered by northern explorers;
that all the land is covered with snow
at all seasons; that no human being has
been met with beyond Sc degrees OF
latitude; that no vegetable growth, ex-
cept hchens, has been seen beyond 5e
degrees of latitude, and that 40 land
quadruped is known to exist beyond IS
degrees Of latitude.