Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-06-14
SOUTH POLE.
THE BLEAK REGION WITHIN
THE ANTARTIC CIRCLE.
Intense Cold and Great Iccbcrss-
What Is Known OF This Littlo
Explored Sectional New
Expedition.
IF DIR. Frederick A. Cook. who

proposes to start for tho South
Polo in two small sailing vessels,
6 will take the trouble to read some
accounts of the storms and difficulties
which beset the nayigators in that
great southern ocean, ho may change
his plans, or Mt least modify them suf-
ficiently to substitute n steamer, OF
one which can uso steam when nesces-
snry, says tho Washington Stnr.
Curiously, while this generation has
heard SO much about arctic exDlora-
ton that the north polar country is
quite II familiar one to them, tho ant
arctic regions are still as much an un-
known part of the world as when re-
fcrrcd to by tho writer's OF tho last
century us n TERRA Australia IncoS-
nita." The reports Of terrific storms,
enormous and dangerous icoborgs,
and impenetrablo ico walls. given by
the few who have ventured into the
almost unknown regions of the far
south, are appalling.
An attempt to invade the South Sea
aud tho mysterious island at its CEN
ter IS now to he undertaken from tho
same point of land from which the
very first exploring expedition moved
southwark, and by mnn with the
same namo rs TINT of the one who
iirst demonstrated that the Southern
Ocean extended completely around the
pole. The first expedition to tho
south polar regions was fitted out by
the Governor of Peru iii 1867, who
sent his nephew on n voyage of dis
,overy from Cape Horn. Tho first
man to discover that tho Southern
Ocean was in fact the great body of
water OF the world, extending entirely
around the South Polo and having the
Atlantic, Pacific and fniinn Oceans MS
It's arms, was Captain Cook, whe sailed
rom tho Capo OF Good Hope i'll 1773.
The most successful explorer of this
iiilicult region was Captain Ross, who
'nilcd from tho southcrnmost point of
Australia iu 1916
So it will DO seen that this mysteri-
BUS and dangerous waste of waters
has been invaded from tho three
points of land most nearly approach
.nS it, tho southern tips of Africa, Aus.
iralia md South America. Tho south
'rn point of South America extends
nearest to tho mysterious island,
or continent, which is sup
posed to occupy tho center
If this Southern Ocean. From Cane
Horn, South America, to Graham's
land, which is supposed to DO on the
mainland of the Antarctic continent,
;ho distance is but littlo over 600
miles due south. From tho Cape OF
Good Hope, Southern Africa, due
south to Enderby's Land, supposed to
DC on tho Antarctic continent, tho
distance is about 1900 miles. From
Australia Tor Tnsmania) due south to
Adele Land, also supposed TO be
pnrt of this icc-bound continent, is
about 1909 miles.
The limits Of tho Antarctic CONT
nent, MS this terra iucognita is called,
are supposed to be nearly coiucident
with tho Antarctic circle. at Ora.
hum's Land, Just south of South Amer
lea. it extends about two and one. half
degrees outside of the Antarctic circle.
AT Enderby's Land, south of Southern
Africa, it is nearly on the circle. At
Adele Land, south of Australia, it ex-
tends outside OF the circle short dis
lance. From what is known of its
shores, however, they are extremely
irregular. They are surrounded by
lines of icebcrgs, which nre very
dangerous to vessels, though those
who have invaded them successfully
have found peaceful waters not
burdenod with ice within tho circle
which they draw around this land.
Passing through these waters great
bays OF CULTS have been found whose
shores are lined with perpendicular
wall of ice hundreds of feet high and
hundreds OF miles long, absolutely
preventing access to tho interior,
which appears from tho masthead to
DO II field OF leo without vegetable or
animal lilo save what may visit it by
way of the sen or mir.
AS already indicated, the first Mt
tempt to explore this region was by
Governor de Castro OF Peru, in 1867,
by sending his nephew, Alvaro Mo-
damn, TO search for the Terra Aus
trails lncognita, which was supposed
to surround the South Pole. Another
expedition was sent from Perm in 1896.
The first discovery of the continent,
however, was by Captain Dirk Ger
ritz, who sailed from Rotterdam in IL
merchant vessel i'll 1899, and passing
through the Straits of Magellan was
carried by storms to about tho point
now known rs Graham's Land, which
is the nearest point to any of the other
continents.
This discovery, however, was by nc
cident, and it was not until 1773 that
nm organized expedition set out under
that intrepid English explorer, Cap
tam Cook, passing from tho Cape of
Cool Hope southwark, crossing tho
antarctic circle, and meeting with
fleet OF iccbergs, which --nt him quick
~ In tho direction of New Zealand.
After resting there time, lie again
burned southwark, meeting another
line OF icebergs, which he described as
LOOKING like range of high mount
aims. They so closely guarded the
oh n. L