The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-13

distance with the return and the detours
would make total distance of 200 miles.
a well-equipped party of the right sort
of men would cover this distance in 100
days. Peary has made a longer journey
in less time over the interior of Green
land. To a small body of well-equipped
men, who understand the true conditions
of polar life and are willing to adopt a
life of deprivation, the North Pole is ac-
cessible.
Appalling Difficulties of Antarctic
Exploration.
We now know, with a reasonable prob
ability, the conditions which are likely to
obtain in a journey to the North Pole.
The recent explorations have proved an
extensive and deep sea in the Arctic basin.
Ii land exists beyond the known regions
It is in all proba bility of small extent.
1t follows, then, that the pole is the CEN
ter of a frozen ocean, and the man who
seeks TO find it must plan to pick mis-
way over a lifeless and moving sea of ice.
The man who aims to reach the South
Pole, however, has before him a series Of
difficulties which are of another and
more forbidding character.
The entire region within the Antarctic
Circle, an area as large as the continent
Of North America, is more or. less in
volved in mystery. Indeed, most of 1t
is a blank upon our charts. No well-di-
rected effort has ever been aimed at the
South Pole. There have been expedi
lions to the far south but they have
found sufficient work along the edge of
the pack-ice to fulfill their missions.
From the observations of these expedi-
lions we are warranted in building up
hypothetical continent around the South
Pole which spreads out to an area of
about the size of the United States. This
continent is extremely high if we may
Judge from the few edges which have
been actually seen. There are noun
tains from 2,OoO to 5000 feet in altitude.
Some are volcanoes in active eruption,
others push. their sharp peaks of hard
rocks through the inland-ice to the frosty
skies. But enveloping this great CONT
nent there is an overland-sea-of-ice which
has an unknown Depth
south Polar Land Buried Deep Be-
meath the Ice.
This great overland-ice Is piled upon the
Antarctic highlands by the vapor-charged
breezes which sweep the circumpolar wa
ters The highest part of this mainland
Is probably at the South Pole from
whence the surface descends by an imper-
ceptible grade to the seashore where the
overland sea Ice breaks into foes which
float northward as icebergs. In addi-
ton to being weighted down by the ac-
cumulated frost of thousands OF years
the land is guarded by the hand of ma
ture in another remarkable manner.
Around the globe. close to the Antarctic
circle, there is an unyieldng sea of ice
which spreads out from 400 ito 500 miles,
thus completely fencing off the land by
an almost impenetrable barrier of frozen
surface water.
The man who plans to mount to the'
South Pole must first find a passage
through the drifting pack-ice and then
face the colossal problem OF ascending a
cliff of glacial ice hundreds of feet IN
hight After he has scaled this he has
to devise means of bridging enormous
deoth-dealing crevasses and then he has
tc pull up a Notwithstanding ascent to al
titudes where the bitter cold makes life
almost unendurabie. There remains to
be added to these discouraging prospects
the soul-destroying elements of a series OF
almost perpetual tempests. But Il ds pos
sible for man no overcome all this II he
can be properly fed and clothed. Though
the conditions are entirely different than
hose which oppose the search for the
North Pole the question OF supplies which
is the main factor in the boreal march,
is also the principal setback In the aus
trail search. The supply ship can be push
ed to the edge of the land at a point with
in 800 miles of the pole. Since this jour
ney is TO be made overland a straight
course can be laid. Thus the expensive
detours which are necessary in the Arctic
will be avoided. If the land Is at all
smooth, as II seems reasonable TO expect
the distance to the pole and return should
not be more than 1900 geographical miles.
This journey with dogs and specially con-
structed sledges should be made in FIVE
months. { An encouraging prospect here
is the hope that advance stations may be
pushed inland and cached, which Is i'm
practicable on moving pack-ice.
The success or failure in Transporting
food and supplies over this land-ice will
determine the accessibility Of the south
ern axis. If the land is smooth like the
interior of Greenland. then it is within.
the power of man with present means TO
plant his foot on the austral pivot II,
however, 1t is much crevassed, irregular
and mountainous there is small hope
of success. He who contemplates an at
tack upon this heatless under-surfaco Of
the globe will find many tempting allure
ments end many disheartenng rebuffs
His obstacles are those OF the Arctic null
tiplied by ten. Nature shields the mys-
teries OF the frozen south with much jeal-
ously. She tempts by permitting a small
advance and long look ahead but when
you resolve to force on into the white