The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-02
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Twelve Nsnehs-snDertan1 Daaa.

~H HE Royal Belgian 0eo8rapnica1
Society received on April "a
report from Lieut.. DE Geriache.
commander OF the Beigfca ex-
III petition. on the year and two
months spent tn Antarctic va
ters The Sun has already printed many
facts about the experiences Of the expe0l-
lion hut no sufficient data concerning the
scientific work Of the Belgfca have been
a. hand hitherto TO make u possible 10
prepare q summary Of the results Of this
tourney. which extended some distance
into the unknown Antarctic area The
following facts deduced and some OF them
computed from the Neutenant's report re-
late entirely to the exploratory work ana
the hitherto untTied Antarctic winter
Starting on Jan a. 1888. from Staten tsi-
and at the southeast end Of Terra Del
Fuego. seven soundings were made AZ the
Beix1ca creased the 800 miles Of waters to
the South Shetland Islands and the great
est depth attained was LEI feet. The
comparative shaliowness Of these waters
had previously been ascertainsd- vide
submarine plateau connects the southern
end of the American mainland With the
island~ visited by the BeIgica-
On Jan. n. week after leaving South
America. the BeIgfca entered BranfieId
strait. which separates the houtn ohet-
land islands from the larger land masses
known an Trinity. Palmer and Graham
lands 10 the south. and steamed west
through the strait 10 Low island. II was
while crossing the southeast from Low
island to Hughes gulf, Palmer land. that
De Gerlache saw what he reports as
possible discovery Of land. He says ne
found q narrow strait separating the ter
res de rEst" gTrnin.ty isnd) from an i'm
portant archipelago. which he provision
ally named the Palmer archipelago. In
view Of the visits to these regions OF Bell
ingschausen. Bfscoe D'Urville. Dailman
and a number Of British and American
whaiers. 1t II strange II the Bslgica has
brought to light new land north Of and
near to the large land mass.
Excellent Collectieas made.
In the three following weeks. January -
20 February r. about twenty landings we're
made on the islands Of Palmer archipelago
and the coast on the nouta side OF the
narrow strait. and these weeks were very
fruitful In collections. The biologist, Mr..
Racovltxa. discovered specimens OF new
Kind Of podureiie and species OF dipter-
ous, or two-winKed. insect. besides repre-
sentstives Of a terrestrial Antarctic fauna
hitherto unknown. He also collected
mosaes. iichens and grasses and made notes
on the penguinH. cormorants and many
other kinds Of birds that were seen In
large numbers. Mr.. Lecointe determined
the geoGraphicai position uf number OF
points Lieut. Dance determined the mag
neflc elements. wherever he was able TO
land his instruments. DIR. Cock. OF Brook
Iyn. took many photographs OF the pictur-
es1ue coasts and Lieut.. DE Gerlache speaks
In high terms Of the value OF this work.
which In fine and faithful representation
Of the aspects Of part of this coast lire.
the longest yet known In the south polar
regions. except In vEtor,a land. Mr.. Arc
towski collected specimens illustrating the
geology.
On February Is the Beigica made her
way westward into the ocean and turned
seuth. A heavy fog prevailed until the 18th
and prevented observations that might
ctherwis have been among the most In
teresting Of the Journey. The Elscoe Isl
ands. extending for some sixty miles south
westerly. WIRE not visible. and nothing, Of
course. was seen OF the west coast Of
Graham Land. not set outlined on the
maps. though IT = known 10 be bordered
by mountains. The 18th was bright and
sunny AMI Alexander T. land was visible
NJ a distance. but wide field OF ice pre-
vented approach To It, The fog thus pre-
vented the expedition from solving two
very interesting questions determine
ticn on the west coast line Of Graham land
and thu problem whether Alexander I.
land In ISOLATED or Is part OF Graham
land. The great desire, however was to
enter the unknown area 10 the south. and
10 the Beigsea turned to the southwest.
skirted the edge OF the foe Ice and on
February 2s In No degrees west longitude.
attained 10 degrees 20 minutes south ,a,i-
tude She had passed into the unexplcr.d
area. which. between the Afh and li6sh
meridians west IL bounded on the north
Tor the most part by the s6th 10 the roth
parallel A gale from the northeast had
made vide breaches in the Hoe ice, and the
Beigiea pushed In. making her way with
cat difficulty 20 Il degrees "A minutes south
and IS degrees Is minutes west On March
the vessel could not gain another foat
south. and so she was pu, ahou, and for a
week made seven to eight miles q day to
the north In very compact ice.
frOsea ta the Zee
On March Ia she was frozen In solid, the
Zee ficid prohab bly, extending sixty TO sew
enty miiSs nGfth Of her Preparations were
Ut once made fer the first winter spent
by human beings III the Antarctic regions
Snow was heaped ur around the vessel
to the height Of the bridge and the bridge
Was rooted over. Steam was kept up ttIl
March ~. in view IF possible chance
Co break out which did not come Frozen
I'm on March ~ ,S~. the party spent n
year In The Ice. and IL took all the SUM
mer following the winter season to break
out az the ice prison. fram which they nm
My escaped on March ~. 'Ss. During iris
long. helpless dfif: In the Antarctic sea
the little party WINS I. IiS 20 T. 80 miles from
the nearest human beings ON the south
shores of Terra del FNuego.
IL was found that the severity ~ the
weather depended upon the direction Of
the Wind. In the second half az March
iSN. for instance there were strong south
Winds and low temperatures South winds
hiring cold. clear weather North winds
coming from the epen sea only few
score miles away bring ctegdy weather
and frequent fogs. with temperatures ris-
Ing te zero 0r even - the shawinsS point
The drift ~ the vast tee aek was also
found to be directly function Of the
wind. Throughout the year the tee WITH
the imprisoned vessel. was tn Sow aaottan
Fer a Wide belt south % Saath America
there is general set Of winds and waters
10 the sass. aat south of sae gggh parallel
where the neigssA was in the fcs fns pre-
Satiing direction wss toward the west and
particularly during the Summer months
% is--se. She emerged fruna she See AT
ltG degrees west er abeut ssa miles wes;
as the point whore she WAS eaGxh: in TIRE
Pack. She had also been drifting nurth
er south all these months witasn VERY