The times., 1901-05-31
The Antarctic Expedition.

! The Antarctic Expedition.
/ There is to be an expedition to the
Antarctic regions, and from the reports
which are now published of its object
| and scope it seems to be a considerably
! more sensible thing than the numerous
| expeditions which have been sent hunt
| ing the North Pole and had to be sent
| for afterward. In the first place there
! is probably nothing in the vicinity of
the North Pole but ice and water, wirile
at the nearest point to the South Pole
yet reached the explorer is still on land,
and it is not certain whether this land
| is part of one great continent or of an
| island in an archipelago. The known
| lands to the south of Australia-Vic-
toria Land, Wilkes Land, Geilkie Land,
Adele Land, Newnes Land, Termina-
tion Land, etc.-all extend so far to-
ward the Pole that the polar shore has
never been reached, if they are islands;
but they may be part of a continent. 1t
is certain, according to the statement
of scientist who is a member of the
party, that all this region is geologically
a continent but whether it is geograph-
ically one is not known. Thus one of
the questions to be settled by the ex-
pedition is geographical in its nature.
Another thing which the expedition
will do is to establish meteorological
stations and seismographic observa-
tories; it also hopes to make discoveries
leading to the solution of the problem
in regard to the hypothetical anti
cyclone over the South Pole. All these
things, though not of intense interest
to the public, will contribute more or
less to the work which science is doing
in the way of determining atmospheric
and meteorological conditions-in other
words, to the invaluable work of the
Weather Bureau in predicting storms
and cold waves, and other phenomena
of intense moment to the industries of
the world
Still another object of the expedition
is geological in its nature The men en-
gagged in it hope to discover the char
acter and distribution of the different
ice agents, the relation of the valley
glaciers TO the main ice. sheets, the
physics Of glacier ice, and the rate of
flow of the glaciers. 1t is also hoped
that something may be discovered rela-
tive to the nature of the inland ice.
All this is very different from the
mere stubborn determination to reach
the North Pole, which has apparently
characterized most explorers at the op-
posite end of the earth. OF course,
much has been done along these same
lines by the polar expeditions of the
north, but the difficulties surrounding
the search for the Pole have been so
enormous as to REQUIRE in themselves
most of the energies of the explorers. |
The Antarctic expedition, on the other
hand, will accomplish something !
whether it or any of its successors ever
reach the Pole.
The pursuit of scientific exploration |
is the modern crusaders work, and he |
follows it. as a rule. with all the ardor |
and devotion and a good deal more COM |
mon sense than that shown by the |
knight of the Middle Ages. He wastes |
no time killing inofensive people who
have never tried to do him any harm, !
though he is usually quite ready and |
willing to dispose OF offensive natives |
who show a disposition to block his |
plans or interfere with his continuance |
in a world so full Of interesting things |
to be discovered. Wherever he may be |
he finds some fascinating work to do. |
There is nothing, 10 him. common or
unclean. He recognizes, reverently it |
may be, indifferently perhaps, but al
ways clearly. the fact that all branches
of science are one, and that not the |
smallest lump of earth, the dirtiest pool
by the wayside, is wholly devoid of its
significance for science. It is his work |
to write with infinite slowness, bit by /
bit the history of creation.