The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-11
HUNTING FOR A CONTINENT.
THREE NEW ATTEMPTS To SOLVE
THE ANTARCTIC MYSTERY.
Reasons for Relieving That n Conti-
nent Exists About the south Pole.
The Tetrahedron Theory of the
Earfh-AttRcks on the Problem
From FOur Different sides.
I NEWTON HATHAwAY.MD.

The Tetrahedron Theory of the
Earth-Attacks on the Problem
From Four Different sides.
From the New York sun.
The report OF the Belgian Antarctic ex-
petition which was published recently IN
Brussels. is OF special interest for the
reason that within a few months three
more expeditions-one English. one Scotch
and one German-will start for the south
polar region on similar exploring missions.
II is perhaps too much to cay that the at
tack OF these four expeditions is a COM
bined one AS a matter OF fact each OF
the four was organized ard planned quite
irrespective Of the other There was no
concerted arrangement as TO the different
points OF exploration. The circumstance
that each planned 10 approach the pole
from different direction is purely a mat
ter OF chance. But Il was a fortunate
chance.
The Belgian expedition started from Ant
werp on the specially equipped steamer
Belgica on Aug. iS 1897.
During fifteen months when for the
greater part OF the time the Belgica was
fast locked IN tho south polar ice pack. no
tidings whatever came from the eNpior-
ers. IL was not until nearly April OF last
year that news Of their safety came They
had escaped from the Ice pack with the
Belaica intact and with the loss OF only
one man. who had succumbed TO the cli-
mate and TO the depression incident 20 the
long imprisonment and constant peril
The expedition was commanded by VI.
de Gerlache with Lieut.. George Lecointe.
a Belgian who had served in the French
Navy as second officer. Its original pro
gramme included two summer campaigns.
one was in the direction OF Victoria Land
10 the east and the other IN the direction
OF Graham Land 10 the west. IL began
and ended with Graham Land exploration
owing 20 the capture % the Belgica by the
ice and her detention as a prisoner for up
ward OF a year.
The German expedition. which Is TO
start early next year. will be under the
direction OF Prof T. Won Dryga'ski II
proposes to approach the Antarctic gone
TO the south Of the Indian ocean near
Terminus Island, and on the prolonEation
OF a meridian that would pass tpough
Slam and the Island OF Sumatra. This Is
exactly opposite the Palmer and Graham
Land RECON. whore the Beigica started
her explorations The English expedition
organized by the Royal Geographical SO
ciety will start toward the pole from the
neighborhood OF Victoria Land 20 the
south OF the Poiyneslan sea. The Scotch
expedition under william Bruce. will ad-
vance from Graham Land on the oppo-
site side Of the pole from Victoria Land,
the English point Of deplrture. II Is the
object Of all three expeditions 90 study
the geographical couhgura ion OF what IS
supposed 10 he the great Antarctic conti-
nont and also TO examine Its geological
formation. and especially TO make mag
natic, meteorological ana occanographical
observations. II Is thought thnt the uni
ted work Of the three expeditions. oil
working with similar instruments ana ac-
cording TO practically the same system
will bring very valuable results. The
question Of reaching the pole Is another
matter and Is not proclaimed ~ the great
objective Of either party OF explorers.
Writing OF these three expeditions and
Of the results OF the Belgica's voyage.
81 a Dastre IN recent contribution TO
one Of the leading French periodicals,
says.
"Geographers generally admit the ex-
istence Of an Antarctic continent having
its center at the South Pole. The South
Pole differs in this respect from the
North Pole. II the North Pole. In fact,
Is in the waters OF a more or less frozen
ocean. the South Pole is. on the other
hand on solid land. land that Is frozen
as are the waters q the North Polar
sea. II f. trIe that this conception OF the
two poles Is based on theoretic reason
ing. but q Is reasoning that Is very
strong. which. up u the present time, no
aseertaia. fact has overthrown.
"The first result OF Antarctic eNplora-
lions was 20 confirm this theory OF the
terrestrial conformation OF the South Po-
lar region as opposed TO the marine char
acter OF che cap that covers the polar
region of the North. The problem that
future expeditions will have 20 solve
should be To determine the connguration
OF this frozen continent, access TO which
Is nearly everywhere barred by icebergs
and vast fields OF lee pack. They should
determine It's extent and outline It's
shores Up 20 the present time II never
has been reached except at isolated
points II Is not known whether these
shores only seen In fragmentary way.
I belong TO islands or 10 the VASE conti-
mental mass whose existence Is admitted
ted Are these solid thresholds against
which the more fortunate navigstors have
stumbled al wide distances apart-Adelie
| Land discovered In 1870 by Dumont d'Ur-
Vile: Sabrina Land. Endorbr Land and
Graham Land. all discovered by Biscoc
/ In iss2 and Victoria Land. discovered In
| 1891 BY Capt James Clarke Ross-ar"
these the shores OF continent or OF "A
polar achipelago7 DO they form around
/ the South Pole a more or less solid Cir
I die. or do they resolve themselves into
I Isolated islands?
what Is certain IL that lands multiply
/ and become concentrated just IN proper
ton as we approach the pole. II We cx-
anime the southern hemisphere. we OBJ
serve that she non-submerged land ends
I very near the equator. The remainder
I up TO the neighhorhood Of the polar cir
/ Gle offers To the view nothing but an Inn
mense stretch OF water Tho African con-
tinent ends at the Cape OF Good Hope In
I latitude 3Asi. that Is TO say. 81 does not
extend any further below the equator
/ than Morocco is above a. Tasmania.
which may be regarded as n prolongasion
/ OF Australia and OF the Aslatic continent.
/ does not extend beyond latitude $50; that
I Is to say. IL does mol reach HALFWAY TO
/ che pole South America alone throws
| on is southern extremity. Cape Horn,
as far south as the hfty-sixth parallel
and Is sim as FAR away from the South
/ Pole as Scotland Is from the North. Be
yond these three continental projections
/ and up go the polar circle-that f. 20 say,
up 20 the seventeen parallel OF latitude
we meet with nothing but the immense
mass OF the antarctic waters dotted here
/ and there with rare Islands like mere
specka upon thelr surfaces. But once we
] 49, .4r~uus.N sea circle fhe rnana rhunuan