Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-01-14
UNIQUE B~ALL0ONING.
Views of the Antarctic Regions
from Overhead.
Important Results of Expedition to
Southern Polar Seas Unique
I'm the Annals of Aero
nautics.

Balloon ascents for military recon
noissanee 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 nave 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 a success
ful ascent made under similar condi-
lions. 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-hfth or sixty-sixth par
allel Of south latitude. BY far the
most remarkable break in the coast
line occurs to the so~utheastward OF
Australia. There is an enormous re-
cess, 500 or 600 miles deep. and fully
as wide. called McMurdo bay. Along
its western shore lies Victoria Land.
It's 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
allel Of latitude
Touching first at Cape Adair, Of the
northwestern corner of the bay, Capt.
Scott sAirted 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 a height of from 80 TO ESQ
feet. Apparently the fee had receded
somewhat from the limits noted by
Sir James Ross. who explored the
region in 1s45. During the next few
DAYS Capt. Scott saw land of 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 a frozen pack, is
, generally level in spite OF its rough
ness. and IA thought 70 overlie sea.
, It was just after turning back after
! these observations toward Mount
Erebus that the balloon ascent was
a made. The ship was still under con-
|, troll. the season corresponding to mid
summer. An inlet through the Ice
which reached further southwark thar
any other to which the Discovery could
/, penetrate. was o utilized to study
: the land. Hydrogen, compressed In
cylinders and brought from home, was
: used to initiate the gas bag. Owing &c
: the low temperature of this region, 9
much greater quantity was required
: thar would have been needed in tenn.
uerate climates. The cable which held
I 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. Then tht
I Discovery pushed on westward, founc
7 a satisfactory anchorage in McMurdc
}, strait. close to Mount Erebus, and OF
i March "a just after the autumna
e~ouinox) she was frozen in. Subse
ouently Capt. Scott organized sledg'
parties which explored the vicinity.
The most important results OF tn
expedition up to the time the relic
shin. Morning. left 1t last winter, wer'
as follows:
Frst-Discovery of new land cas-
Of McMurdo bay.
second-Discovery that Mounts Ere
bus and Terror are on a small Islam
and not the mainland.
Third-Finding good winter quar-
tiers for a ship in south latitude U;5u
east longitude 1862. with land clos
by for a magnetic observatory.
Fourth-A record of 80 degrees be
\ low zero Fahrenheit.
4 Fifth-A sledge journey to ST.
south latitude. and observations c
land as far off as $3.50. includin
Il peaks and mountain ranges $4,000 fee
n high.
Il Sixth-Evidence that he vast &c
covered plateau which reaches west
y ward from McMurdo bay is in som
s places 5000 feet high.
: Seventh-A large amount of mas
:. netic and biological and deep sc
v sounding.
sunlight for Tuberculosfs.