The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-29
SOUTH MAGNETIC POLE
AFTER A HALF CENTURY ANOTHER
ATTEMPT MADE TO FIND 1T.
English Raise "a Flag Antarctic
Continent After Captain Wilkes,
the Americans, Discovered 1t.
New York Press.

Peary and Nansen in Arctic explorations
and the balloon expedition of Andree have
stimulated interest in polar research, and
attention has been called TO the long-neg
lected Antarctic continent and the rich,
tempting field for exploration and discovery
which lies about the south pole. While
Peary and Andree are working their way
TO the farthest north. c. Z. Borchgrevink
will be seeking a path to the southern ex-
tremity of the earth.
The last exploring expedition, and the one
from which nearly all we now know of the
Antarctic regions was received, was that of
Sir James C. Ross in 1871. He discovered
several islands and sailed for five hundred
miles along the coast of what he believed
an Antarctic continent. He planted the
British flag there amid the eternal ice and
snow and named the country Victoria
Land" 1t was the only part Of her Maj
esty's domains which was not represented
at the recent jubilee blowout" Since
Antarctic exploration has been dropped,
only an occasional steam whaler, cruising
fer to the south in search of its prey, has
brought back stories of having seen the
almost forgotten continent, with it's ice
barriers and it's range of great volcanic
mountains.
Borchgrevink, who is collecting the ma
terial for his Antarctic expedition in Aus
tralia, visited the coast of Victoria Land in
1894 in the steam whaler Antarctic, and
came back filled with the desire of pene-
trating the mysteries of the south polar
regions.
When he laid before the International
Geographical Congress In London on his re-
turn the results of his observations along
the Antarctic coast he spoke of the rich
guano deposits at Cape Adair and some
promoters" at once formed an Antarctic
company" The company proposed to
Borchgrevink that he should join in the en-
terprise He was to have $25 600 as a re-
ward for the knowledge he had of the
guano fields and for services in getting a
government concession for working them.
He was to have a share in the stock of the
company and his expedition for exploration
was to be transported free of cost to the
Antarctic continent in the company's
steamers. The explorer at once accepted
the proposition and determined to devote
his $25, 900 to the equipment of his expedi-
ton. But when the concession finally was
granted Borchgrevink's name was left out
ana his co-operator in the city was
named as the diScOVerer of his discoveries.
THE EXPLORERS STORY.
The rest of the history of the attempt to
send out an expedition last year is thus
my heart in the enterprise, 1 pocketed my
pride. collected $4,000 for my scientific ex-
petition and awaited with eagerness the
forming of the Antarctic company The
company's prospectus for private use came
out with a proposed capital of $4,000
ready for underwriting 1t is unnecessary
to say that it was never floated-Was it
ever intended to be?''
H. ]. Reid, the premier of New South
Wales, who refused to be knighted on the
occasion of the recent jubilee, took a deep
interest in Brochgrevink S plans for explor-
ing the Antarctic regions, and invited him
to Australia, where he is now fitting out
his expedition.
Before Sir James Ross annexed Victoria
Land to the British empire Captain Wilkes
had carried the United States flag along
the shores of this Antarctic continent, and
part of it is still known as Wilkes Land.
Wilkes started in August 1888, from Hamp-
ton Roads with neet of six men-of-war
for an exploring expedition to the unknown
lands of the Antarctic regions. He took
along a company of scientific specialists
and after making some deep-sea soundings
arrived In January of the next year at
orange harbor in Terra del Fuego. In Feb
ruary wilkes set sail for the south pole.
He discovered several islands, but ice pre-
vented him from making his way to the
shores of the Antarctic continent that sea-
son. The next winter however he con-
tinued his explorations and sailed for MANY
miles along the ice barrier which fringes
the land around the south pole This was
the same Wilkes who subsequently. as cap
tain of the San Jacinto, stopped the Brit
ish mail steamer Trent and took from her
the rebel ENJOYS Mason and Slidell.
According to the knowledge we have now
or the Antarctic regions we are bound to
believe that the south pole is surrounded
by a continent, and that that continent is
traVersed by range of volcanic noun
a f0 nf fhnf fla x,r,r;x.,
or the southern hemisphere are compare
lively colder than the corresponding ones
In the northern hemisphere The North
cape, where tourists go every summer in
droves to see the midnight sun, is situated
Just about as far north as the eastern point
of South Victoria Land is south In the
SEVENTEEN parallel north there are trees
thirty feet high, while at Cape Adair in
seventy-one degrees twenty-three minutes
south, Borchgrevink found only lichens.
GREAT CHANGE IN CLIMATE.
That there have been great climatic
changes in the lands surrounding the south
pole Is evidenced by the fact that Captain
Larsen Of the steam whaler Jason, brought
back from Graham Land, south of Cape
Horn, specimens of petrifed wood, and that
at Cape Seymour fossil wood has been
found imbedded in tertiary rocks three
hundred feet above the sea level But what
ever groves of pine or palm may have -four
ished in Antarctic in the days when the
'Slyptodon reposed in it's sedgy pools and the
plesiosaurus gamboled by the brookside. no
one expects to find any vegetable life there
now, except lichens BorchgrevinK believes
that the Antarctic continent is twice the
size Of Australia, and that hitherto un-
known forms of animal life will be found
there. There is an ice-free bay on the coast
of Victoria Land. which the explorer.
thinks is due to a warm Antarctic current
One great object of Antarctic exploration
is to find the south magnetic pole Until
that is discovered our knowledge of ter
restrial magnetism and of navigation will
be imperfect. One reason that attention is
now being attracted to Antarctic eXplora-
lions is that the nations of the southern
hemisphere are beginning to feel the need
OF more intimate knowledge of the laws
or nature which operate in those coun-
tries, and the key TO that knowledge lies
IN Antarctica. In Australia good bad
times depend upon the weather and the
accuracy with which climatic conditions
can be predicted. Now this cannot be done
until meteorological observations have been
made in the Antarctic continent. That is
one of the reasons why Aus tralia is taking
the lead IN helping Mr.. Borchgrevink tit out
his expedition. Edison once said that only
when we learn to know electricity and mag
netism in their homes in the Arctic and
Antarctic regions can hope to realize
the full use of these powers.
The icebergs of the Antarctic seas are re-
quadrangular shape. Wilkes reported en-
countering bergs mile long and 1870 feet
high.
Borchgrevnk expects to reach Victoria
Land in the Antarctic spring; that is early
in December. He will collect not ONLY
mercial possibilities of the Southern seas
and islands His eXDeditiOn will Oh .,t,t q,