Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-15
UNIQUE BALLOONING
Views of the Antarctic Regions
from Overhead. <,-
Important Results of Expedition to
Southern Polar Seas Unique
in the Annals of AerO-
nauticS.

Balloon ascents for military recon-
noissance are[common enough. Some
day they will be extensively employed
for geographical exploration, perhaps
There is talk of using captive airships
for enabling, tourists to view Alpine
scenery easily. But for polar research
they aave thus far been practically
neglected. Poor Andree hoped that in
a free balloon he might drift steadily
northward from Spitzbergen several
hundred miles, but he paid for that
error with his life. The trial which
was made in the Antarctic seas from
the British ship Discovery is practi-
cally unique in the annals of aero
nautics. Never before was success
full ascent made under similar condi-.
tons, says the New York Tribune.
Leaving Lyttleton, New Zealand,
just before the close of 1901, the Brit
ish expedition pushed steadily south
ward heading for Cape Adair. The ice
barrier which skirts the Antarctic con-,
tinent extends almost continuously
along the sixty-fifth or sixty-sixth par
allel of south latitude. By far the
most remarkable break in the coast
line occurs to the southeastward of
Australia. There is an enormous. re-.
cess, 500 or 600 miles Deep. and, fully
as wide, called McAIurdo bay. Along
its western shore lies Victoria Land.
Its eastern boundary is poorly defined.
and is represented only vaguely by ice.
The southern side is almost straight
and extends eastward and westward
fairly close to the seventy eighth par
al1el OF latitude b
Touching first at Cape Adair, of the
northwestern corner of the bay, Capt.
Scott skirted Victoria Land and
reached the southwestern corner, near
the volcanoes! Erebus and Terror.
Turning eastward on January %, 1902,
he worked his way slowly along the
ice barrier, which for more than 500
miles has height of from so to ESQ
feet Apparently the ice had receded
somewhat from the limits noted by
Sir James Ross, who explored the
region in 1845. During the next few
days Capt. Scott saw land off to the
eastward of him which has never be-
fore been chartered, and also observed
that the ice barrier itself practically
disappeared, and was replaced by slop-
ing ice, which doubtless covered land.
/. The barrier proper is frozen pack, is
generally level in spiteaaOf tits roughA
ness, and Is thought to overfie1s sea-
It was just after turning back after.
these observations toward Mount
Erebus that the balloon ascent was
made The ship was still under con-
+YQI he dfr<r tn voi1
summer. An inlet through the ice,
which reached further southwark than
any other to which the Discovery could
penetrate, was now utilized to study
the land. Hydrogen, compressed in
cylinders and brought from home, was
used to initiate the gas bag. Owing to
the low temperature of this region, a
much greater quantity was required
than would have been needed in tenn
perate climates. The cable which held
this floating observatory captive was
$50 feet long. No satisfactory landing
place was discovered, but an admirable
view of the region was had. This oc-
Cured February 4, 1902. Thens.Cthe
Discovery pushed on westwards found
a satisfactory anchorage if13fMcMurdO
strait, close to Mount Erebus, and on
March "a Gust after the autumnal
equinox) she was frozen in. Suisse
Quently Capt. Scott organized sledge
parties which explored the vicinity.
The most important results of the
expedition up to the time the relief.
ship, Morning, left it last winter, were
as follows: III
F4rst--Discovery of new land east
Of McMurdo bay. SA ni57-f=1tts
Second-Discovery that Mounts Ere
bus and Terror are on small island
and not the mainland.
Third-Ffnding good winter. quar-
ters for a ship in south latitude 77:5o,
east longitude 166:42, with land close
| by for a magnetic observatory.
Fourth-A record of 80 degrees be-
! low zero Fahrenheit. .s....t
Fifth-A sledge journey. to, 32:17
| south latitude, and observations Of
land as far off as 1880, including
peaks and mountain ranges $4,000 feet
high. & aE
Sixth-Evidence that the vast ice
/ covered plateau which reaches west
ward from McMurdo bay is in some
| places 1000 feet, high. ..."
Seventh-A large amount of mag
netic and biological and deep sea
| sounding .,..
Sunlight for Tuberculosis.
In several places in this country, es-
! pecially in the west, experiments are
being made with the. hope Of curing
tuberculosis by concentrating the suns
rays upon the chests of the sufferers