The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-18
SOUTH POLE EXPLORATION.
Discoveries Made by NJ. dc Gerlachs, of the
Expedition on tho Belxica.


Expedition on tho BeiEica.
Par, Correspondence Of u, Courier de, Etat- U.ts.
The BelGica. bringing back the South Pole
expedition under tho direction Of NJ. do Gerlache
arrived a few days ago at Boulogne sur -Mer
The voyage lasted moro than two years or, to be
precise. exactly twenty 81. months.
The expedition was under the patronage Of the
Belgian Geographical Society. -Four months
after leaving Antwerp tho Bclgica reached Pun,a
Arenas, the extreme point Of South America,
From there she started toward tho SOUTH toward
tho unknown. Tho whole winter and all tho
summer Of 1907 passed without any news Of tho
expedition and Il was thought that tho vessel
was lost. But on April 4. 1890. tho Begica re-
turned 10 Punta Arenas and from there NJ do
Gerlache photographed tho news Of tho success Of
his enterprise, Tho following Ia an extractfrom
his report to tho Belgian Geographical Society:
After leaving Punta Arenas the Belgica passed
through tho Cockburn and Beagle canals TO tho
Argentine station OF TERRA del Fuego. where she
took In supply Of coal. On Jan. !. 1898, she left
the settlement and stecred toward the east. In
the nigh, the weasel ran upon hidden rock and
water had 10 be abandoned. and the vessel had 10
return to the Bay OF ST John To renew the supply
oeeGd e 81
ings gave depth Of 4,o4o meters
In the Strait Of liransfeld the vessel got 10 tho
west Of Low Island and than proceeded toward
Hughes Day, and on Jan. "a We discovered
strait separating the lands Of the east from an i'm
portant archipelago, the Palmer Archipelago,
ton ran all over Hughes Bay and the new strait
and landed on tho islands at several points where
landing was possible In all twenty landings
were made between the Strait OF Bransield and
the Pacific including those made on the eastern
coast Of the islands Of tho Palmer Archipelago
and those made in the Land OF the East which has
now been called Dance Land.
ron Feb 10 tho expedition saw tho island OF
Alexander and Graham Land or Adelaide
Island On Feb. 20 the Belgica got into a field
Of ice In 10 81 south latitude and So 10 west
longitude On March 3 an effort was made 10
get out OF tho ios but by March 10 the vessel was
stuck fast Preparations for going into winter
quarters were Immediately made We surrounded
the ship with taus Of snow high as tho deck,
in order 10 reduce tho loss Of heat by radiation.
and roof was made upon the deck"
The explorers remained blocked in tho Ice until
tho beginning Of last January, when they do
termined 10 cut a canal in the leo and get TO the
open water about 7hO metres distant The slow
and hard work OF cutting through ice metre in
thickness lasted nearly three weeks but on near
ing tho open water a bittor disappointment was
experenced by tho explorers. The clearing in
front of them closed and they wero blocked gain
ON March II, after having escaped many dangers
the BelgicA at last broke loose and started toward
the North. Fifteen days later she reached Punta
Arenas
During tho period Of their whitening, tho FIRST
that was ever made in those lautudes. the ex-
ploreIs wero enabled 70 make important and In.
torestng scientific observations.