New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-13
DEPENDENT EXPEDITION.

,.oo,,e o.,o Z, tho convention Of American nat
uralists in Ithaca but, having been de'ayeu' mas
Just made its appearance in Science a co".
nittce Of which Angelo Heprin, OF Philadel-
phia is chairman. was appoint ed TWO years aso
10 consider both the practicabihty ana 'he
feasibility of exploring the Antarctic continent
Al that TIM there a great deal OF lax III
England and Germany about the same thihe'
scientific men the world over recognizing t1at
the region in question is by far the largest III
the world which is still an unknown term 'ry'
and also that our knowledge in regard TO IL mas
practically made no Roadway for more IMAM
half century.
The movement i'm ENGLAND looking to the or
ganization Of an expedition in lS96 came 10
nothing and the promoters of it (who were
mostly identified with the Royal Geographical
Society received quiet hint that the Govern
mcnt would not favorably regard an appeal Tor
Parliamentary aid And the matter has been
dropped FOR the present.
German gccgrapha RS zooosists geologs s ard
botanists also eyinccd much enthusiasm On Ike
subject in 1896: and very elaborate pan Tor
an invasion Of new region. directly south OF
the middle Of the Indian Ocean. with two 'eS-
GELS was formed This enterprise likewise iallfd,
although during the carly part Of tho present
winter ii was taken up afresh by Professors
Thun Virchow. Neumayer and Waldeyer, ami
the Emperor is 10 be petitoned with view 20
SCI uring his corporation.
Dr. Frederick !. Cook. Of this country. VINO
accompanied Peary one " his earlier voy-
ages To Greenland tried 10 organize an expedl-
ton to tho Antarc:ic region in 1916; and stimuli
tareously q number of Belgians were talking
OF a similar undertaking. The Belsian project
was deferred year. ard in the mean time ne
commander Lieutenant Adrian De Cerlachc. Of
the r algian Navy. invited the American to join
him Thc invitation accepted and DR.
Cooks ind, pendent scheme was therefore aban-
doned
After stopping at Rio Janelro and Punta
Arenas con The Straits of Magellan) for coal.
Gerlache's steam whaler. the Begca. to
start for Graham Land six hundred or
seven hundred miles southeast of Cape Horn,
AID just south Of tn South Shetland Islands.
which are much frequented by whaling craft
from scotland and Norway. Americans. TOO.
went there before the discovery Of petroleum
spoiled the whaling industry. 1t was the lnten-
ton of Lieutenant De Gcrlache to reach Graham
Land early last December at the opening ~
What is the summer season skirt the as-rrn
coast Of that island or peninsula (shicheyrr it
may be). get far to the southwark as pos
sble during warm weather, and then establish
q winter headquarters In March while the Eel
giea steams away to Australia for coal and other
supplies to be gone six eight months The
other projects Of this party need not be rected
here II is sufficient TO say that the Belgians
the only people who are now actually en-
gagged in what is primarily scientific explora-
ton Of the Antarctic region-a very limited part
Of that region. too.
large part Of Professor Heilprn's report IS
devoted to 4 cOnsdcrat Of the possibility Of
making satisfactory ARRANGEMENTS with vari-
Gus whaling fleets. Direct Information from tie
Australian whalers has not been obtained. hut
Encouraging advice in regard To them 20
ceived by the committee from the late Baron
Muller Peary consulted on number
OF questions. moro especially in regard to esti-
mates made by II. J. Bull OF Chrstiania. Nor
way. intended To cover one or more enterprises
which should be both commercial and scicn-
tifc. and which. it is alleged. might be made
to return a pecuniary profit to the hackers
Mr. Bull" says the report rs virtually he
organizer Of the cruise OF the Antarctic in TIE
years 1891 %. when a landing effected on
the assumed Antarctic Continent at Cape Adare. |
and his opinions and estimates are deserving Of
respectful consideration. He confidently as
sumes that joint commercial and scientific ex-
pedition could be arranged as TO render its /
outcome largely profitable to investors even to /
the extent of 500 or more and yet so directed
to place it mainly to the purposes of scien- !
tihc Investigation. In his various estimates.
however. which cover the purchase Of one or
more suitable steamers. the absolute hiring of !
tnll officers and crews, the amount of capital /
required is 80 large. 10000 to fl4.GoO as To rem