New-York tribune., 1901-01-06
ENORMOUS ADVANCES IN GEOGRAPHIC KNO WLEDGE WHICH
HA We BEENMADE IN THE LAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS
By BBIG4DIER-GENERALA A. W. GREELY-
Chief Siqnal Oifcer. U. 8 A


be the advances of the nineteenth century along
like lines of research. Judged by this standard.
the present century will perfect the aspirations
of the explorer of the last century to make
known the entire surface Of the earth. Few
appreciate the enormous advances in geographic
knowledge during the last one hundred years,
which may be summed up in the general state
ment that fully 60 per cent of the worlds land
area unexplored in 1900. while scarcely 10
per cent now remains unknown.
In these days geographic exploration means
not merely the topographic distribution of
mountain or river, of lake or plain. but the
determine ton, in a. cursory manner az least,
of existent vegetable and animal life. of cli-
matte conditions, and especially OF the ethnology
of inhabited
At the commencement Of the last century
the four greatest geographic problems were the
Northeast Passage, the Northwest Passage, the
sources Of the Nile and the Polar quest: the
last only remains
ONE ARCTIC PROBLEM SOLVED.
The Northwest Passage first yielded it's secrets
to the energetic explorers of this age the result
being attained by a series of voyages. almost
entirely under British auspices, that are unsur-
passed in number, duration and heroisn. At
tempts for Northwest Passage, interrupted by
the death of the great navigator. James Cook,
who lost his life therein, renewed through
the success of William Scoresby, jr.. in explor-
ing East Greenland, 1S11-'22. Prosecuted both
by land and sea. advances came through Parry.
Ross and Franklin, 1s19-'35. while the voyages
of Collinson Rae, Mcclure. Belcher Austin.
McClintock and others in search of Franklin,
1S45-'59 completely solved the mystery.
Parry in three notable voyages explored the
greater part of the islands and waterways north
OF America, passing half way from Bafin Bay
TO Behring Strait, going north Of the magnetic
pole John Ross explored the Felix Boothia
Peninsula, the north point OF the continent
OF America, while his lieutenant and nephew,
James c. Ross, located the north magnetic pole
at Cape Adelaide, 30 degrees minutes north,
96 degrees "A minutes west. The north coasts
of America were outlined by the land Journeys
OF Franklin. Beechey, Dease and Simpson.
1s19-'46. from King william Land west 10
Point Barrow.
other notable advances have been made in
Arctic America by InglefeId. Kane. Hall, Mares
and Greely in Grinnell Land and Northwest
Greenland. by Drygalski Geisecke, Garde.
Holm. Steenstrup and other Danes in Western
Greenland; by Scoresby Graah. koldevey,
Payer, Nordenskiold, Garde. Clavering. Holm.
Ryder and Peary the east coast, while Nan
sen and Peary have crossed the inland ice, the
latter 20 the extreme southeastern point of the
new land 10 the north of Greenland. discovered
by Greely. 1852.
ADVANCES TOWARD THE NORTH POLE.
spitzbergen has been fully explored by CAIN
ard. Nordenski6ld Torrell, Leigh Smith and
Conway. weyprecht and Payer discovered
Franz Josef Land. whose limits have been ex-
tended and defined by Leigh Smith, Jackson
Nansen and wellman. De Longs drift from
Navr- Islands
Nansen's extraordinary continuation OF the
Same around Spitzbergen have most materially
advarcsa our knowledge of the Siberian and
polar seas.
Advances toward the North Pole have been
made through the exertions of Scoresoy. 81 de-
erees so minutes north; Parry, 81 degrees 40
minutes north; Mares, sS degrees ~ minutes
,orth. CreaIv. s3 degrees "a minutes north Ghe
most northerly land as yet Nansen SO degrees
IA minutes north and Abruzzi. S6 degrees So
minutes north, within 20S geographic miles OF
the Pole.
A. 20 the Northeast Passage NordenslSiOld.
having faith in both its scientihc value anu
rracticabiIitv. selected PaIander as his navi-
sator and sailing from Tromsoe in 1873. passed
Kara Sea. successfully and readily rounded the
-,o~+t oars of Asia. Beset by ice and Obliged TO
winter within 12O miles of Behring Strait. Nor
danskiSIa completed the circumnavigation OF
Asia during 1879.
Within the antarctic circle. to the south OF
Patagonia, Palmer, Bellinghausen. Biscoe' Lar
son and Gerlache discovered Palmer Lana anu
adjacent islands To the south of New-zealanu
ReIlsnv found islands. and James c. Ross added
70 his arctic laurels by discovering ice elau
Victoria Land with its flaming volcanoes anu III
locating the south magnetic pole. South Oh her-
guelen is the Enderby Land OF blscoe' Whi'e
southeast of Tasmania an archipelago OF uesO-
late islands located by Wilkes and D'UrvlAe'
marks the northern limit OF an ice clad eontl-
nent.
EXPLORATION OF AUSTRALIA
The greatest southern confederacy. Australia
has a European population exceeding three lhlil-
ions but In 1900 its two thousand settlers did
not even have a country with recoshlzeu
name. AS New Holland it appeared on the pest
mans a featureless central area. with It's out
lined coast largely conjecturaL Surveys OF the
coast begun by Flinders. 1901. were finished oy
King. 1922; Wickham and Stokes. 1SSt-4S. IN
land Hughes solved the photographic problem
~ The MURRAY watershed sturt traced the south
coast along the Great Blight. The central desert
was made known by Mitchell and Eyre. while
Co., and Gregory explored in the northwest and
I,eichart and Kennedy in the northeast. The
.+ sru,,yuI tourney was that of Sturt 1898
,eo from, the inhabited south coast TO the ex-
,ra,,a north which opened a fertile, we'll
watersd district to colonization. The great
western desert has been explored here and there
bv Forrest. Warburton and Giles, the last named
having twice traversed the great sahara. east
and west.
Naw-ZeaIand first came TO our knowledge by
missionary lahors, 1s14-'3o. and later by COM
merciaI extensions and gold hunting New