Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-16
AMONGST ICE AND SNOW.

The recent departure OF Captain Scott
| on the British ship The Discovery,
from Cape Town to Australia, Is q re-
mlnder to the world that extensive re-
searches Will be made In the near fu-
ture in the Antarctic regions. Captain
Scott Is bound for those inhospltable
parts OF the earth and viii enter the
Ice pack about the LIST Of January next
year. His vessel is equipped at a cost
Of $4,000, and is prepared for a three
years absence.
The first explorers of those waters
formed the conclusion that a great
Antarctic continent existed, but later
travellers admit that nothing certain is
known as TO that. A few stretches OF
coast have been explored. but the
question remains whether these are the
boundaries OF a continent or only Of
Islands. That there are volcanoes Is
known, but no particular volcano has
been definitely located. The opinion has
been expressed that beyond the Ice
barrier there Is perhaps a congenal
land, kept at tropical temperature By
subterranean fire, is, at most, a pleaS
ant picture painted by Imagination.
IL Is a terra incognlta I'm the fullest
sense OF that term From rocks brought
from the region that has been visited,
II Is concluded that part at least of
the land area has history going back
to the earliest geological periods. 1t
remains to ascertain whether the strata
are similar In character and connected
In origin with those Of South America,
New Zealand or South Australia. II
fossil remains are found they will give
valuable clue.
There are many lines OF Investigation
that scientists with the expedition will
pursue during their stay in the Ant
arctic regions. Meteorological observa-
tons viii be taken every day. Sound
ing and dredging will be carried ON
with the most excellent apparatus. The
fauna and fora will be carefully stud.
led.
The Antarctic regions are pictured
as the most lonesome and forsaken on
the face OF the earth. The coast land,
as FAR as known, rises abruptly out OF
the water, and the thick Ice sheet that
covers II comes down nearly 10 the
water, making II perilous, or lmpos-
sible, to land. The SHOWS are heavy
and the winds fierce and penetrating.
Very few animals are found.
Such conditions have prevented hith-
erto a closer study Of the geography
meteorology and geology of that part
OF the world. But now an expedition
OF which The Discovery forms one part
is about to enter upon extensive re-
searches there, and as a result II is
believed the world viii be enriched
with much knowledge concerning that
part of the globe. Discoveries where
man cannot live, except with great
dtIiiculty, are necessarily slow. II is a
thousand years since the south part OF
Greenland was discovered by the hardy
mortimer that came westward in their
Trail crafts, and now our Lieutenant
Peary has mapped out the northern
coast of that island. In a scientific
age, research viii not proceed at such |
a slow rate; still the difficulties TO over
come are enormous, and even with'the
Of science animatlng ex-
plorers, and Notwithstanding the best |
Of equipment their abors VIII be |
with complete success only |
after much patience and repeated ef-
forts.