Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-20
The south Pole.

From the Boston Transcript.
There Is something In the very meagerness OF the
worlds knowledge OF the great region beyond
Kerguelen Land to attract the attention or the
zeal OF spectators. Previous exploration has done
no more than skirt the great icy barrier that en-.
circles the south pole with rampant OF DEATH and
to catch sight here ana there OF towering noun
volcano spouting forth volumes OF smoke. No
south polar expedition has AS yet accomplished
70 the antarctic region in 1887 under Com
mander Wilkes, which resulted In practical
failure, since 1t Is claimed by foreign geoyra-
Wilkes mapped had been already discovered by
Baileny, an English explorer, IN the service or a
firm OF whalers, and tue remainder Of the land
which he discovered" Is asserted by the subSe-
quenL English explorers to have no existence
the utmost ever accomplished In south polar ex.
poration was accompl ;shed by the English ant
arctic expedition In lh:s)-4a Sir JAS Ross. with
two old Tomb vessels, tine Erebus and the Ter
ror, persisted for four years In q series OF
explor ,tions, wintering at the Falkland ISLANDS
Gle. Ross penetrated as far south as 70 deg. IL
min.-the highest southern latitute yet reached.
pole; discovered the active volcano, Mt. ETeDus
IL 400 feet high, AMI the extinct volcano. MI Ter
ror, 10000 ieet nigh; ascertained That the great
Icy barrier was about 1000 feet TUCK, ana fol-
lowed IL for $50 miles without break.
There have been Two or three visits OF minor
very little has been added TO the saowied .e which
Sir James Ross expedition Obtained. We remain
with respect TO the knowledge we have OF the
south poiar region, practically where we were In
1S43 though In the meantime our knowledge OF
the north polar region has been greatly added
TO, albeit at q fearful cost OF life and treasure
Inasmuch as the object Of all polar research Is
not merely to ind the pOle-slnce the po.e as
Lieut. Weyprecht has shown, is OF no more value
Tor scienunc purposes than any other punt fn tue
higher latitudes; but TO extend the knowledge OF
unknown areas with view TO scent INC results
the antarctic region Is as valuable neld Tor ex.
p0rau0n as the Arctic II Is more difi1cult Of an.
procn, for the reason that Is covered with water
70 much greater relative degree, It's Icy barrier
and It's shores, or the f10rds and iniets OF Splz-
bergen and Franz Josef Land, and beng dc.
tended BY outlying masses OF icebergs and drifting
n0ea For the same reson II offers no opportu ntly
for polar decentralization by intern tion.l petma.
nent stati0LS. after the plan proposed BY Lieut.
Meyprecut, and put into force By the American,
English, kusslan, German, Austrian, ban SD,
Dutch and Swedish gVvcrnmepts-a method
which promises more tangible results than any
other system yee adopted or suggested;
but IL Is very difhcuit, and the fact
that antarctic exploration Is 20 very tar
behind arctic exploration may tend all tue
more 70 attract the adventurous II the expedi-
lion proposed By MT. Willard and his associates 10
actually ct ON foot u will BE- watched with very
keen interest. Ther. is row very nt.ls OF the
and, as The curtoeaty OF mankind has by no means
aOated, the world feelk when some new bit OF ter.
rtofy II brought INTO the know ledge OF sclence-
e. Like some watcher Of the skies
when new pianee swrms into his ken"