The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-25

sand feet in height. with glaciers filing
the intervening valleys. After many strug-
giles Ross reached the land and planted the
British flag upon ii, a distance of about
thirteen hundred miles from the south pole
or about 905 miles farther from the goal
sought for than Lieutenant Lockwood, of
the Greedy expedition, was from the north
pole when he planted the stars and stripes
on Greenland's shores. But farther inland
Ross is reported TO have seen other and
higher mountains. Some days after this
Ross found by observation that his ship
was in latitude 76 degrees, or about a thou
sand miles from the pole and as It was
felt that no other human beings had ever
been so near the south pole as this there
was great rejoicing on board both ships.
ILLUSIONS OF THE POLAR SEA.
One incident of this day showed another
of the singular doceptions so perplexing to
Arctic travellers: Ross's eyes lighted on an
island where none had been visible two or
three hours before. 1t was noted to be
about hundred feet high and free from
snow. At the same time large iceberg
that had been reported suddenly disap-
peared. One phenomenon helped TO explain
the other; the iceberg had changed its CEN
ter of gravity by the action of the warmer
strata of water underneath and turned
completely over. presenting new surface
covered with earth and stones. Islands
claimed to have been seen in the Arctic
have appeared and disappeared after the
same manner. The two mountains on Vic
toria Land alluded to. were named after
the two ships; one was an active volcano
twelve thousand feet high, and was named
after the Erebus; the other, an extinct vol
oano, and of less altitude, was named the
Terror
The hope that the icy obstacles to fur
Their progress would be surmounted by the
discovery of land was not realized either
through skill, labor or perseverance. On
Ipr sifassh ac f.
er and faced them directly on the south,
and there was no possibility of penetrat-
ing through it or climbing over 1t. Noun
tains over and beyond this ice barrier,
which was about two hundred feet hlgn,
could be seen in the distance, apparently
as far as latitude 79 degrees. me shlps
turned their proWs eastward following the
line of the gigantic ice wall for about a
hundred miles, and then gave up hopes of
mers in his exploration while he housed MS
ships in the intervening winters either at
Tasmania or the Falkland islands. When
ever he got south of 60 degrees or so the
battling with the ice began. In fact, it is
the experience with ships which run
through the Straits of Magellan that they
often meet large icebergs, and this Is IN
latitude 50 degrees only. The greatest lat
itude reached by Ross was IS degrees or
about 100 miles from the pole. The object
of his expedition, as has been stated, was
to reach the south magnetic pole-a differ
ent point from the south terrestrial pole
The great icy barrier prevented the real
Lieutenant Moore, in the Pagoda, made an
expedition to parts of the Antarctic circle
that had not before been visited, and took
magnetic observations that nave rendered
great service to science although he did
not get within 1,400 miles of the terrestrial
pole.
the knowledge of meteorOlogy, terrestrial
magnetism and ocean currents has been
largely increased by the work in the Arc
tic regions, and that it is desirable now to
compare the abundant facts collected with
the corresponding conditions ana phenom-
ena in the south frigid zone. No Antarctic
expedition has had the advantage Of mod
ern instruments and methods for taking
scientific observations, and II Sir James
Ross had been able to land on the Antarctic
continent the coast of which he surveyed
for hundreds of miles he could not have
gone far, for sledge travelling had then no
Important part in polar explorations.
Steam vessels by which have been accom-
plshed the greatest feats of Arctic dis
coVery, have not yet been used in Antarctic
expeditions, and the entire system of work
and living in polar regions is now better
understood by experiment and experience
than IN Wilkes ana Ross tIIile, nenGe =
greater success should come to ANTARCTIC
researches. All that is known of the south
pole at the present is this: Nobody has
got nearer than within 40 miles OF 1t; Icy
barriers exist which quite eclipse those of
the north pole; mountains have been dis
covered of lofty attitudes, some OF winch
are active volcanoes; the land is covered
with snow at all times of the year: no hui
man being has been met with south of 90
degrees; no vegetable growth OF any mo-
ment has been seen beyond So degrees; no
land quadruped is known to exist beyond
&C degrees
The geology alone of this land of mys-
terry and wonder seems to afford a vast
amount of entertaining instruction, for IN
no other part of the world do frost and fire
hold such undivided sway. The volcano
known as Mount Terror belches. forth lava
and ashes over the snow and 1ce In all
Droba bility an investigation of the rock for
nations of the Antarctic continent would
tell a wonderful story of its history in ages
paSt.