The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-11

touches aO. but the revival OF belief
In an immense ice-clad continent at the
South Pole was due 20 another Ame-i-
can, who was the first TO see its extend
ed coast line. masked by giant ice cliffs
and guarded by stupendous icebergs tina:
never fail to amaze and awe those who
gaze upon them. Il fact. it may be SAID
| that the glory of reha facilitating the mys-
FERROUS continent OF the South Pole is
| due absolutely to American explorers,
since the English. under Cook, in IVA.
exploded the old belief in a Mage,anic
| continent. which had engrossed the at
| tention Of explorers for two centuries.
and Ross. in the '40s. gave II as his belief
thar the lands seen by the American ex-
| piorers did not unite 20 form a polar
| continent"
Thep rogress OF science, however. has
proved the American right and the Eng
lisn wrong. Though very little has been
added 10 our knowledge Of an.orc;ic lands
since the American sealer Palmer dis
covered what is now called Graham Is
land, in 1872. or since the more famous
Captain Wilkes in 1S39-i0 sighted land
from 50 degrees 10 $50 degrees east ,ong-
itude just within the antarctic circle. we
know from other austral conditions tina;
there must be huge circumpolar land
mass. The argument is based on the
size and character OF thei cebergs that
frequent at certain periods the Southern
ocean. Curiously enogh, the attack on
the north polar regions has given us the
means Of predicting the state OF affairs
at the south pole What we know now is
this: 1cebergs are nc: the result OF the
heaping up OF ice foes in the polar seas
On thee on.rary. they are not oceanic in
origin. but are produced by glaciers that
protrude from the great inland icecaps
OF the polar land masses, and they are
large or small, in proportion 10 the size
Of the glaciers that discharge them. And
moreover. the size OF the glaciers de-
pend on the extent OF the continental
icecap and the confgrration OF the coas.
line where they debouch into the sea.
What these giant bergs call for is an
enormous ice covered continent, which,
n certain regions, slopes gradually 10
the sea. The central ice mass must be
Of great depth. AS this great mass
moves over the edge Of the continent II
breaks off its borders, which become the
huge bergs. a terror to the navigators
since the time OF Cook TO the present.
Thus science establishes the antarctic
continent, and 10 modern explorers is
left the task OF declaring Its area and
the character OF the frozen interior.
From the time of Wilkes and Ross lit
tie was done 10 read the secret until the
agile Norwegian. Borchgrevink, n jan
uary, 1895. leaped ashore on Victoria
Land, the first man TO set his foot upon
the antarctic continent. Since then the |
lectures OF Borchgrevink, his controvey-
sizes with the master Of the Antarctic,
in which vessel he sailed from Mel |
bourne. his desperate efforts 70 get up |
q south polar expedition, have aroused |
new interest IN antarctic explorations |
the world over. The British have been |
particularly Solicitous. Australia has |
been urged TO spend money to explore |
Victoria Land as sort of Jubilee offer /
ing, and the Rayol Geographical So
ciety has promised to contribute any
sum UP to $4,000 70 the colonial SUBJ
10 carry on the work. So far.
however. the Belgians are the first in
the field. and upon them depends at
present the solution Of the south polar
mysteries.