New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03
ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Captain Scotts observations during the sec
ond year Of his stay in the Antarctic regions
have tended to confirm the conclusions Of the
frst year. though without adding much entirely
new information. Owing to the impenetrable
fee barrier which stretches almost entirely
around the globe between the sixty-flfth and
SEVENTEEN parallels Of south latitude, IL has
been practically impossible to get beyond the
latter limit except In two localities. Weddell
worked his way with great difficulty about five
degrees further into the pack TO the southeast
ward OF Cape Horn. Ross entered a remarkable
recess In the coast to the south Of New-Zealand.
and, keeping on bis right hand that portion of
the continent now known as Victoria Land,
pushed on TO the vicinity Of two volcanoes,
which he named ErEbus and Terror. Unable TO
eproceed much further south, he turned east
ward again. following an apparently unbroken
Zee barrier for three hundred miles along the
seventy-eighth parallel. His highest latitude
was 1910. This general region has been the
scene Of the latest British expeditions work.
Scott went over the same track as Ross, sight
ing Erebus and Terror before proceeding east
ward, discovering land never before reported
at the extreme end Of this part Of his cruise
and then turned back to the vicinity OF the vol
canoes. where he went into winter quarters.
Bis repeated scrutiny of the fee barrier along
the seventy-eighth parallel was supplemented
by an ascent OF $50 feet in a captive balloon.
Though he found no place at which he could
work his ship further southwark. he was led
to suspect that the fee front did not represent
land. He now reports that he sentlout q sledge
party from his ship last year in q southeasterly
direction 160 miles Thus the region TO the
south Of that barrier was invaded, and Captain
Scott says that IT proved TO be "a vast floating
plain" Just where the true east and west coast
line lies at the southern end of MacNIurdo Bay,
AhoF
cannot yet be located on a map is a geographic
cal revelation Of much Importance. 1t VIII be
remembered that Captain Scott manated TO
reach a point in latitude S2:17 the previous
summer To get there a trip was made over
land lying to the westward OF his winter quar-
ters but he did not approach close enough TO
the coast line-which here apparently runs
north and south-to determine its contour or
end.
Scott also noticed during his first years stay
that a considerable portion Of Victoria Land is
a plateau. some 5000 feet above sea level.
He examined it more thoroughly last year,
reaching a point fully 30 miles westward OF
his ship There seems TO be no mistake about
It's elevation therefore, though it is impossible
to say how extensive this great upland is.
Minor geographical observations have been re-
ported both years. In the first budget Of news
came the statement that Erebus and Terror
are on an island, not the mainland IL Is now
announced that Russell and Balleny islands,
iust within the Antarctic Circle and well out
side Of AIacAIurdo Bay, are identical, instead
OF being separate. 4 bit Of coast hitherto
charted as a part Of Wilkes Land does not
exist at all: fresh illustration OF the danger
of mistaking an fee sheet reaching out from
the continent for the land ITSELF
Though the temperature fell more than 60
degrees below zero several times at the place
where observations were made, these records
cannot be regarded as representing the extreme
Of cold in the Antarctic regions. Greedy and
Peary saw nothing worse than 60 or % degrees
below zero. but, like Captain Scott they were
close 20 the sea except during the summer
months. The most severe cold on record is
that observed in Northern Siberia, well In
land. A temperature of 80 below was regis
tered a few years ago at Werkjohansk. For
well known astronomical reasons the winter
OF the Southern Hemisphere is colder than that
OF the Northern. IL a midwinter observation
could be made several hundred miles from the
ocean IN that part Of the globe, therefore, il is
not unlikely that a temperature Of fully 100 de-
grees below zero would be encountered