The evening times., 1899-04-05
ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS
RETURNING HOME
Left Antwerp in Search of the
South Pole.
------------- ---------- $50
Reach Punta Arenas After Sac-
cessful Voyage.
Much New Land i'm WeddeII Sea and
Much New Land in Wedden Sea and
Open Water DiscOyered-Equip-
ped by Belgium.

Montevdeo April 5.-The German
steamer Karnac, which arrived yesterday
from the Pacific Coast, reports that the
Belgian Antarctic expedition on the steam
er Belgica, under command of Lieut.. An
tonin de Gerlache, has arrived at Punta
| Arenas. Straits of Magellan. after having
been imprisoned by ice for two months.
NJ. Daner, an explorer, died from ILL.,
ness and one sailor perished by drowning.
Brooklyn, n. Y, April 5.-Dr. Frederick
A. Cook, surgeon of the De Gerlache Ant
arctic expedition on the Belgica, COM
manded by Lieut.. A. de Gerlache, OF the
Belgian navy, in a dispatch yesterday to
the Brooklyn Standard Union,'' from
Montevideo, South America, gave the first
news of that expedition since it sailed from
Ushuia, Terra del Fuego, on December 80,
1897. He reported the expedition as sue
cessful.
Dr. Cooks message was as follows: THE
Begica arrived here this morning. All
well. Our Antarctic voyage has been
complete success. Much new land in We'd
dell Sea and open water to far South dis
covered. Arctic volcanoes seen. | come
home direct by early steamer. The Belgi-
ca will not return for another winter. as
originally planned. We lost men by ac-
cident, but not by disease" -
1t was the original purpose of the Bel
gica to return after several months to
Melbourne, Australia, to refit. 1t did not
do this, and fears for the safety of the eX-
pedition arose in consequence The eXpe-
dition was the first to winter south of the
Antarctic circle hf t''e
Dr. Cook accompanied Lieutenant Peary
on the Arctic expedition of 1ss1-'s2. His
home is at 6S7 Bushwick Avenue, Brook
lyn. His fiancee, Miss Anna E. Forbes,
teacher in one of the Brooklyn schools,
died year ago, during his absence.
Equipped by Belgium at an expense OF
go, 600 francs, the Belgiea left Antwerp on
July %, 1897, to enter on her Antarctic
expedition in quest of the South Pole.
The vessel, originally whaler. was refit
ted TO resist ice pressure on the plans of
DIR. Nansen's Fran.
In the equipment of the Belgica was a
captive balloon, TO facilitate observations
and surveys. Carrier pigeons were taken,
one of which subsequently brought back
word from the Belgica in January, 1895.
The crew consisted of two machinists, one
sailing master. one carpenter two har-
pooners, twelve sailors, two stokers, a
cook and a steward.
The scientific staff included geologist,
meteorologist, an expert dredger and
physician.
1t was the plan of the expedition to pro-
ceed from the Straits of Magellan to the
Shetland Islands, thence to Grahamland
and southwestward along its border, south
into Weddell Sea, the western terminus
of Grahamland to the coast of Alexander
land, southwark and westward to Victoria
land, skirting the coast from Cape Adare
to Mounts Erebus and Terror, in order 10
effect a landing, when the party would
disembark with provisions for year and
the Belgica would sail TO Melbourne 10
reft and coal, after which she would pro-
ceed to the Rusklands, the Campbell and
other subantarctic islands.
1t was the aim of the expedition to make
thorough scientific survey of the region
traversed.