The Lamar register., 1899-01-11
THE VAST ANTARCTIC.
HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO MAIN
TAIN ITS SECLUSioN.
Exploration Asaia Taken rp-Fronsn
Fa.tne..s. May Have Much OF in'srs.s
20 ResesI-Adsant.se. TO Latter p~y
zxpierrrs

efforts. a sangulne band OF savsnts
and explorers have beset successive
governments with appeals TO take up
antarctic exploration again. says the
London Spectator Their perseverance
has so far been unavailing. although
Il Is not easy 70 understand why. or
to assign any dehnite reason for such
strange unwil5iagness. Remembering
how rich were the results EArnered
from the labors OF STR James Clarke
Ross and his gallant coadiuiors To the
StAReh. but undoubtedly clumsy, Old
Ere5us and Terror. and how vast was
the field opened up for the subsequent
workers. the fact that from then untii
nov no attempt has been made 20 toll
low up this great work becomes utterly
inoHplicable. Yet. Believing doustless
'that all things come TO those Who sill
but wait" tor hAlt a century all those
Interested In this great question have
waited scarcely ever relaxing the.r
efforts to awaken the powers that le
to some reeogniiion ot the pressing
claims OF science to BE heard In this
matter.
Beyond all question. the present tinn
Is peculiarly oPportune foE the prose
cutioa OF antarctic research. For Il
must be borne in mind that IN that
vast and almost unknown arcs. more
than twice the size Of Europe one
expedition, however well eauipPei
cannot. In the natpr. OF thiuss. hope
TO do more than settle a portion az
the problems that silently await Eoiu-
tinn. What is undoubteaiy indic>;ei
as the ideal treatment Of the antarctic
question is the establishment Of an lu-
ternAtioaai polar oommissioa. such ~
attacked arctic problems in 1853 4
Gordon OF expeditions surrounding the
southern polar rrsions. representative
o; al the Errat civilized PoVcrs. and
working in harmony upon pfsconcelv-
ed lines toward dsanite eads. uunli
add more In one season 70 the needed
data for the solution % the uorid prob
lens involved than Isolated efforts
could DO In = great many But sinrr
there are nos tSu separate parties A.
work in the antarctic Aad a third ~iIi
Il Is hos--d. shortly be OF tA way
thither, there must b much valuable
collaboration, As well a. many thoss-
ands OF simultaneous observations TAX
en- at far-ststant points This might
have been the ease AZ The time of Capt
Ross voyages. when the French and
American expeditions Werc both IN
high southern laiitutes. since then
science has made such gigantic strides
in the direction OF instrumental equip
meut for such work. 70 say nothing
% the Invaluable adjunct % steam.
tha; even with only toaF parties at
tneking the problem on differing mor-
idlans the mos; nonentoaz results
may be expected
After all. this planet Of ours under
the distanee-destroyiu touch % these
latter days has dwIndled into > very
small place. And il seeuss prepos,er-
Gus that region IKE the antarctic
should have been allowed TO retain
50 long the secrets Il undoubtedly
holds The iIlimltsble sea Of stormy
waters that rolls rs unhlnaered way
right around the globe. where no busy
keel rniiies the wave or smoke Of pant
ing steamship mingies with the pure.
keen air. how strange that Il should
- ~ AatAAh A4aAfE ANfA AAA9AtA 70 main
tain It's primitive Eecluslon, Those
appalling barriers OF apparently eter-
nal ice. along which Ross sailed Tor
hundreds OF miles. watching with an
indeserihable fascination the bafirJ
billows hurl themselves against the
slitteriEg cliffs that rose sheer from
the sea for hundreds OF feet-what lies
behind them? Those burning noun
taisn flaming high amid their frozen
businesses and lighting up the gloomy
sky for many leagues throughout the
long. long winter night, have they no
story to tell2 And in spite OF all be.
lief TO the contrary, II may be that a
land fauna will be found. that some
animals may have been fitted to live In
that wonderful country. which. as far
as is yet known. Is absolutely sterile.
Many firmly believe tnat a warm
polar region exists at the southern end
OF our earth's axis. but with recent
[ light upon the theory Of a warm arctic
sea within the encircling barrier of
ice there can be little expectation that
any such marvel viii be found in the
antarctic. The explorers will be fired
with the thought that whatever thotr