The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-06-17
NEW LIGHT SHE'D UPON
THE SOUTH POLE CIRCLE.
EXPLORER SAID TO HAVE MISTAKEN
LAND FOR WATER.
Lieutenant Shackleton Gives Results for
Continental Theory. Some Danger
GUS and Thrilling Experiences.

Lieutenant K. II. Shackleton of the
antarctic exploring ship Discovery,
when asked recently at San Francisco
whether the expeditions researches
had furnished any material evidence
to support the theory that the Antarc-
tic is a continent or an archipelago,
seemingly evaded the question, but re-
marked later that the question was
one that the public would be able to
decide for itself after carefully con-
sidering the results of the explorations
of the Discovery party. 1t is known,
however, that the records of explora-
ton will show many interesting facts.
among them being these, says the New
York Herald
That Sir James Ross mistook water
for land and that material changes
will have to be made in the map pre-
pared by him.
That the results of experiments made
by the Discovery party at the various
stations built for the purposes of re-
cording magnetism in the different lat
itudes will furnish valuable new
knowledge for the people Of England,
Germany, Russia, France and the
United States, who are deeply inter
ested in the subject.
That interesting developments have
also been made in the marine biology
of the antarctic circle and additional
knowledge gained of the physical and
chemical analysis of different sub
stances found there.
OF botany the party has had little
opportunity to study. for Lieutenant
Shackleton states that few, if any,
plants exist that far south or at least
the explorers could not find evidence
of them. The geographical discoveries
will also serve interesting matter in
the reports to the Royal Geographical
association.
IF our dogs had not died." said
Lieutenant Shackleton, 1--WE should
have got much farther south than we
did. | am taking back reports of the
expedition with my diary and the hVe
copies of the South Polar Times, which
was published farther south than has
been any other magazine. The first
edition was issued and read by the
members of the party. nearly all or
whom contributed to it, on March q,
1902, when the sun left US, and was
succeeded by editions on the 23d OF
each month until Aug. %, when the
sun reappeared. The period Of dark
ness lasted 121 days.
Lieutenant Armitage, who Is big
man physically. had one of the most
thrilling experiences of the expedition.
He fell twenty feet and was caught by
his harness on a rolling piece OF ice.
If he had fallen a short distance
farther he would have dropped $500
feet. He was fshed up all right and
saved.
Thomas Vance. the man who went
over the ice precipice and was drowned
had a dramatic drop. The glacier
which was being scaled by party OF
men was of blue ice as smooth as
glass. One of the men had started
back to get pair of fur boots. Some
men had to go to his assistance, ana
in the scramble number of them
slipped and started down the smooth,
steep incline toward the brink of the
precipice. Most of them and, in fact.
all OF them. before it was too late sue
ceeded in stopping themselves by pull
ing out their knives and digging them
into the ice.
Vance. however. had too much OF
a start to save himself. He had on
fur boots. which made no resistance
to ice. and as it was blowing a biz