River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-05-10
THE SOUTH POLE.
A Comparatively Unknown and Un-
explored Region.
Some Reasons for the Ignorance That Ex
isis Concerning IA Contemplated
ENpesIition-WhRt "A Few ExpIora-
lions Have Discovered.

m tA lftNI ION - preparing lA LII
gland for inc exploration Of the re-
2ions about the South Pole These
are comparatively unknown. For the
ignorance that exists in regard TO
them there are numerous reasons
They are FAR from modern civilization
and of the commercial routes Of the
ocean. The southern portions Of the
two continents arc as far from the
Antarctic circle as some Of The
most-ihickIy settled and highly-civil-
led parts If Europa. For instance.
The South Shetland islands. whose dis
c0very was considered Is remarkable.
and which are spoken Of as in the
southern polar region. arc about as
far south Of the equator rs England IS
north Of It. Mos; Of the islands which
have been discovered and which on
the maps seem 10 form a sort Of icy
necklace about j, are farther from it
than many northern regions which
support considerable populations are
from the North Pole.
whoa Columbus discovered Amer
lea he had the desire or intention 10
circumnayigate the globe. Tie did not
succecl in doing this because the
Western continent barred his way.
Subsequent navigators endeavorcd TO
pass the barrier both q the north and
south. They easily succeeded by the
Strait Of Magellan aud Cape Horn,
but failed in finding n passage by the
northwest, by way Of Baflin's bay, to-
ward which the efforts of navigat0rs
were directed for many years. This
attracted attention to the region about
the North Pole, which afterward ex-
cited curiosity. and caused the send
IN Fl expeditions Of discovery.
Mariner came into Northern waters
IN search of whales and walrus ivory.
and the demand for furs led 10 the
formation If the Hudson Bay Com
Tauv which. in the prosecution Of its
legitimate business. added consider
ably o. the sum Of scientific knOwl-
Cdre Later came the expeditions Of
SIR john Franklin and others. sent out
from Eagi.-h or American ports with
q feeling 0f rivalry, or fOT purposes
purely C7scicntilic Both continents
project their northern cxtremitiCs con-
s.dcr9bly within the Arctic circle. and
IN this way furnish an important and
III advancing uOrthward. Tribes liv-
inc ~ 10 ard within the Arctic circle
can furnish some sort Of assistance
and give information. and there are
harblls where SHIPS that have made
one summers stage toward the pole
can lie up in the winter and in the
spring pursue their course with so
much Of the distance gained.
In tine southern circumpolar regions
The conditions are entirely different.
Commerce going east or west finds its
way past the Cape Of Good Hope aud
Cape Horn. the souihcrnmost points
respectively of the two continents.
without going near them and without
trouble from iccberg~- There are
not known 10 BE- any human be-
ings IN any Of the groups Of
islands or presumed continents within
the Antarctic circle. or any where near
II. though some Of them are COW
cred with pcnguins. albatross,
seals. sea-liUus. and during the
breeding season white bears abound.
The climatic conditions are different
from those about the North Pole.
owing. probably. 10 the distance of
The great masses Of land. These give
direction 20 the ocean currents. by
means 81 " hich the waters warmed in
the tropics are sent toward the poles.
raising the temperature Of the water
there and making certain Uuntries
productive and habitabIe = would
otherwise De little better than barren
wastes. The cold NJ the South Pole
can not bc more intense than at the
Nor-h Pole. but il IS less modified by
the aclruc-s If the continents and the
admiXture If waters from the oceans
in the temperate or semi-trOpical re-
-ious. thc warm currents which tend
southwark along the shores of the con-
tiucu.s hcin. cooled or losing their
force before they reach the Antarctic
circle
The voyages toward the South Pole,
r. compared with those toward the
North. have been few, and the details
they have given have been meagcr
Thcie geographical value has been
comnaralivcIy unimportaat, and
thcig contributions TO science
almost valuclcSs The idea that there
was 4 continent lying TO the south
ward 81 the vast expenses If water
called The Atlantic. Pacific and Indian
oceans prevailed q very early epoch
IN Spanish American history. This
used th1 sending Of expeditions
n Peru % find 81; the first in 1861,
uok second in l6)5. The last discov-
cred an island now identified as one Of
the New II brides. not tar from Aus
traE.. the yraup which forms one Of
tho bones ST contention between
Trance AMI England They have no
relation whatever 10 the South Pole.
In. the expedition being sent in that
direction they had in those day to
pass Cor such.
Tie south shetland Islands were
discovered ~ I5l> by Dutch vessel
from Rotterdam. which passing round
Cape Horn. cot separated from the
feet with which 81 was associated. and
WAS driven q the southwark by stress
of weather kerSuclen island. which
is long distance from the Pole. was
discovered about the same time. and
reckoucJ in the southern cir
cumpolar region Captain Cook
started wei 10 the southwark
in one OF his voyages but COM
inc in contact with numerous icebergs.
ana fearing that lie would find it diff
cult 10 escape. he shaped his course
toward New Zealand. 4 Russian nav
igator in 1920 discovered two small
Islands not TAR from the Antarctic
circle, which lie named after Peter the
Great aac Alexander / l. 1855 :
French commander. DImont fUryille.
discovered several small Islands IN
nearly the same latitude. which he
named after Louis Philippe and Prince
dc Jo.nville. lie made Tasmania the
starting point of his voyage
The captains Of some whalers in the
employ Of the Enderby Company Of
london made numerous Discoveries