Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-02-24
rELEaRAPHic sREvlrIes.

frozen south after getting nearer To
the pole by fully five hundred miles
than any other man. c. E, Borchgre-
vinck, the Norwegian explorer, ar
rived in New York on the Etruria OF
the Cunard line and expressed his
satisfaction by declaring that 1t felt
like getting home.
Although he and his associates have
just returned from year shut of
from the rest of the world on bleak
continent. wind-swept and devoid of
vegetation and animal life. he is even
now planning return to the far South
not to break record. but to obtain
information which he believes will
be of great value to the scientific
world.
When seen today Mr.. Borchgrevinck
was comfortably at home at the Ev.
erett house. Although only a few
hours ashore he had unpackekd his
pictures and was surrounded by the
trophies of his long trip. Gazing at
photograph of a limitless reach OF
snow and ice, he said:
Not even those adventurous souls
W ilO nave IoICcu tutil way Close 10
the north pole can conceive of the
dreariness of that great and unexplor.
able continent that stretches away
through the solid seas of the far
south. 1t is fact that the cold Is
much greater in the south than in
the north. | will not attempt to ex.
plain why, although | have theory
of my own.
1T was almost four years ago that
completed preparations for my voyage
south. We arrived at the ice banks
In February. 1893. Ten OF us landed
our stores and supplies. and then sent
the ship, Southern Cross. back to re.
main year in the waters about Aus
tralia When we took our sledges we
were 1000 miles southeast of the Aus
tralian archipelago.
THE Roaring Forties'-the most
terrible seas known to the mariner
had been safely navigated. and we
had then the frozen sea to cross be-
fore reaching that mysterious cont.
nent that has been named South Vic
toria Land.
Our party was made up of my sci
entific staff of six. two Laplanders and
Norwegian sailor. Our ninety sledge
dogs were all in good condition, and
We had food enough to last an indef.
mite period, SO that l never thought of
failure. There could be no failure for
the reason that did not seek rec
ord. No thought was given to pre-
vious efforts. We were after results.
and 1t made no difference to us wheth
er we went farther south than any
other man had done or no.. AS 1t
that was the least of our achieve
ments
"Of course it has been known 70.
sixty years that great continent is at
the south pole, but of its physical
characteristics. not thing was
known. We found that no animals
live there, and the only form of vege-
tation is a lichen of the same variety
and species that is found In far north.
Seals are often found on the coast
of South Victoria Land. but there is
no animal life inland. Penguins and
few other migratory birds appear in
the spring and remain about three
months. Some Of the harder varie-
ties nest there. but all depart at the
first suggestion Of the coming of the
intense cold. Spring comes in Octo-
ber. At the end of February there is
return of winter, and the change is
terribly sudden
THE warmest weather l saw
brought the thermometer up to just
freezing In the winter 1t was "a de-
grees below for days at time. For
seventy-one days we were in absolute
impressed with the achievements of
intermission for almost that entire
period, the wind attaining velocity
of more than 100 miles an hour. 1t
was not only impossible to move
about In the cold air, but difficult to
exist under the most favorable cir
cumstances.
I'VE spent our time during the dark
days quarreling. and l believe In quar-
reling under such circumstances.
really fostered the quarrels. Our only
other recreation was reading. We
had a very fair library.
Admiral James Ross in 1841 dis
covered the great southern barrier
which he said blocked all progress to
the southwark. Our party surmount-
ed that barrier which rises l 900 feet
above the surrounding level. There
we buried our zoologist, Nicholas Han.
sen. who died of beriberi October IA.
1899 His is the only human body
ever given sepulchre on that cont.
nent. His is the greatest monument
ever raised to man, and the wind sings
requiem over his grave as it does
over no other in all this world"
Mr.. Borchgrevinch is not deeply
pressed with the achievements OF
Prof. Cook of Brooklyn. who was with
the Belgica expedition. Referring TO
that expedition, he said Commander
Geriach was a man of high attain
ments, but he likened Prof. Cook to
q sparrow soaring on an eagles back.
CHICAGO, ILL.,. Feb. 20.The Tribune
today prints cablegram from Pel'in
China, giving particulars OF note