Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-10-28
THE SOUTH POLE.
AN ANTARCTIC VOYAGE OF DIS
COVERY AND EXPLORATION.
Stout Dundee Whalers Will See What
They Can Find in the Mysterious
Southern Ocean-HOw They
Are Equipped.

u a small feet of four whaling
4" vessels whose fate Will be fol-
lowed with considerable interest.
Their mission, it is true, is mainly
commercial and prosaic one, but there
are circumstances surrounding it which
invest it with something of the halo Of
romance. The vessels are not bound for
the icy waters of the North Pole, which,
within certain well-defned limits at all
events, are fairly familiar to many hardy
mariners.
Their destination is the Antarctic
seas, a region of the globe to which
there still clings much of the mystery
and fascination which ever belong to the
unknown.
The voyage, indeed, may be said to
he almost entirely one of discovery, and
It is this fact which has attracted so
much attention to the departure OF the
four Dundee whalers, and which will
cause many, both in this country aud
elsewhere, to look with more than US
nal anxiety for their safe return.
For number of years past the stu
austry" associated with the shores of
Greenland, aud which at one time was
of considerable Importance, has been
,teadily on the decline. There was much
capital invested in it, but atterly there
has been a very serious loss. Enter
prise, however, knows no limits, aud ii
It cannot find scope in one part OF the
world it sets off in search of it in an
other.
Men experienced in such matters be-
lieve that the harvest which IS now de
MED them in the far North will be found
in the far South, an1 should this opinion
be confirmed the discovery will be one
of considerable importance.
The strange thing is that serious at
tention has never been directed to this
region before. 1t is true that half a
century ago a London merchant did
make some sort of an attempt to explore,
from a commercial point o. view, the
Antarctic Ocean, and obtained from
the Government of the day grant OF
the Auckland Islands, TO the south OF
New Zealand, as basis of operations;
but his first attempt proved failure
and he never made another. Whatever
may be the ultimate result of the present
expedition, it will certainly not be
abandoned till every efort has been
made that can be made to ensure its
success.
The great silent sea into which the
four Duncee whalers will sail is, as we
have said, comparatively unexplored.
While toward the North Pole the limits
of the unknown have been pushed back
considerably further than eighty de
grees north latitude, the South Pole
region within the Autartic circle Is, with
certain small exceptions, still blank
on the worlds map.
Sir John Ross, half century ago. car
ried out perhaps the most systematic
examination of the expanse that has yet
been made; but the Challenger, during
the famous cruise only just crossed the
Antarctic Circle, 80 that there is still
ample opportunity for the wrestling OF
some of natures secrets from their hid
ing places in the vast ice fields of the
south.
The area selected as the destination OF
the whalers lies between the meridian OF
Greenwich and longitude ninety-six de-
lorees west. 1t is accessible from Eng
land by direct route lying between the
continents of America and Africa OF
some seven thousand miles in length.
The vessels have been equipped AS
steamers, but it is intended that most OF
the passage shall be made under sail
and with an average speed of five knots
an hour the voyage will, it is calculated,
be accomplished in two mouths.
Four months will be spent endeavoring
TO complete csrgoes, and the vessels ex-
pect to reach home again about the
month of May. Each ship will carry
crew of forty men, all the commanders
are experienced nsvlgators and the SUI
oeons on board have been supplied with
instruments which will enable them to
record fully the results OF meteorological
and magnetic observations, to take
soundings, bring up specimens OF the
sea bottom, collect fora aud fauna, and
so on.
The expedition, therefore, has another
and more important interest than the
commercial one, and it is quite possible
that from a scientific point of view the
results may be OF considerable value. 1t
is just possible, 700, that Antarctic eG-
ploratiou, which has been neglected for
some time, may receive fresh impetus
from the discoveries OF the whaers.
Chesford Bridge, over the Avon, IN
England, on the road between Leaning
ton and KeniIw0rth, is being replaced
nv the County Council. The bridge