New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04
SEEKING THE SOUTH POLE
CAPTAIN BORCHGREvINK'S DESTINA-
TON IS VICTORIA LAND.

HIS BASE OF OPERATIONS THE SAME AS THAT
OF THE BELGIAN EXPEDITION.
Much popular and scientific interest ex~
cited last month by the announcement that ar
expedition was about 10 leave England TO ex-
plore the Antarctic Continent. The Tribune hes
already referred TO it at length The command
er Captain Borchgrevink. has been hopeful that
he might get of before the end Of August. and It
ls probable that he is now we'll started on his
way The Southern Cross. In which the party
embarked Is n steam whaler, capable OF making
twelve or thirteen knots II necessary. but it is
not likely that she will he pushed to her full
speed. The vessel will direct her course at fret
to Hobart, Tasmania at the southeastern ex-
tremity Of Australia. where fresh supply OF
coal will he taken on board Thence in Novem-
Der a push is 10 be made for Cape Adair. Vic
toria Land. in a direction to the east OF south
erly and distant about twenty-five hundred
statute miles
Running east and west, almost parallel with
the coast Of Australia for several hundred miles.
and down in latitude sc or 81. one finds the
map portion Of the Antarctic Continent bear
ing the name Of Wilkes Land" About 10 de-
grees east from Greenwich, and almost due south
of New-Zeaand. the shore turns corner and
dips away to the southwark To this region
Sir James Ross gave the name Victoria Land
He followed IT down TO latitude - IS. where
he found two volcanoes. Erebus and Terror. Eo
also decided. from the behavior Of his needle
that the south magnetic Pole IL in this vicnity
in latitude - and longitude 154.
Cape Adair is In latitude Il 80. below the CO..
ner where the coast changes from an easterls
to a southerly trend. Cape Adair Is well know
10 many whaers who have sought their prey /.
southern seas Captain Borchgrevink has Wis
tied II in that capacity. This point moreover
was the ostensible destination Of the Belgia'
expedition which sailed year ago. 1t went b
way Of Rio Janeiro and Cape Horn and was T.
reach its base OF operations in December G
January. which in that hemisphere is the mid
summer season.
Captain Borchgrevnk intends 10 put his scIer-
tfc experts and their camp equipage ashore as
the ice Will permit. and then send
take the Southern Cross back TO Australia for
the ensuing winter. The explorers have planned
to make a variety Of magnetic and other oh
servations without proceeding far from camp
but certain members OF the party wish push
southwark sledges. for which purpose they
have taken seventy or eighty dogs with them.
Cape Adair is fully 1900 miles from the geo.
graphical Pole.
There a number Of reasons for thinking
that one large, nearly circular continent covers
the region around the South Pole and extends
10 past the SEVENTEEN parallel OF latitude.
At the few places where explorers have exam
ined its edge there is high. rocky front.
pierced with glaciers and covered with an ice
sheet. 1t is hoped that when these later investi-
gators once get up on the surface OF this sheet
they will find II comparatively smooth like
that great plateau Of Greenland which Nansen
nd hay der
stances investigation can be carried on ad-
vantageously.
The North Pole. it will be remembered seems
TO he surrounded by water to a distance OF ten
or fifteen degrees Some parts of Greenland.
especially the points reached by Lockwood six
teen wears ago and by Peary than a dec
AIDE later are only six or seven degrees from
the Pole Grinnelf Land Just west OF this re-
zion and portions OF the Franz Josef and Sptz-
bergen archipeagoes. also reach north OF the
sightieth parallel OF latitude But nearly all Of
the remaining coast Of America, as we'll as that
OF siberia lies between the seventeen and sew
enty-ffth parallels Peary was baked when he
came 10 the edge OF the continent and reached
the open polar sea II the companions OF Borch-
grcvink do not encounter a seacoast at all after
they start inland their chances Of reaching the
Pole would not be 80 poor as one might suppose
who had not studied the contrast In the sur
roundings Of the Poles
Little or nothing has been heard from the
marty which, went out last summer in the Bel
gica. under the leadership OF Lieutenant Adrien
de Gerache to explore the Antarctic Continent
II is not unlikely that the English expedition
will find some trace OF II within the next few
months Like the Gerache party. the company
which goes in the Southern Cross Intends to
Iptor On md thaiS
ship coming back for them twelve or fifteen
months after putting them shore Every one
OF the Engsl. party is accustomed TO roughing
II. and no private expedition has ever been so
admirably equipped for polar research this.
Sir George Newnes, its financial hacker. and his
countrymen have occasion for pride In the
dertaking and science has much to hope
from it,