The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-03-22
UNIQUE BALLOONING
Views of the Antarctic Regions
from Overhead.
Important Results of Expedition TO
Southern Polar Seas Unique
an the Annals of Aero
man6fcs.

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 Tor polar research
they have 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. Tine trial which
was made in the Antarctic seas from
the British ship Discovery is pracfi-
cally unique in the annals of aero
nautics. Never before was a success
ful ascent made under similar condi-
tions. 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 OF 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 GOO miles deep. and fully
as wide. called McMurdo 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
allel 81 latitude
Touching first 1T 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 a height of from so to $50
feet Apparently the ice 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 frozen pack. is
generally level in spite of its rough.
ness. and Is thought 70 overlie sea
II was just after turning back after
these observations toward Mount
! Erebus that the balloon ascent wa;
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 couIt
penetrate, was now utilized to study
the land. Hydrogen. compressed ii
cylinders and brought from home. wa
used to initiate the gas bag. Owing Il
the low temperature of this region.
much greater quantity was required
than would have been needed in TEN
perate climates. The cable which hell
this floating observatory captive wa
$50 feet long. No satisfactory LANDING
place was discovered. but an admirabl
/ view of the region was had. This oc
! CURED February 4, 1902. Then tn
e Discovery pushed on westward. founi
Il a satisfactory anchorage in McMurd
strait. close TO Mount Erebus. and Of
4 March "a Dust after the autumns
5 equinox she was frozen in. Subse
quently Capt. Scott organized sledg
parties which explored the vicinity.
The most important results of til
Q expedition up TO the time the relic
d ship. Morning. left it last winter. wer
If as follows:
Ffrst-Discovery OF new land cas-
I of McMurdo bay.
Second-Discovery that Mounts Ere
bus and Terror are on a small islam
: and not the mainland
1. Third-Finding good winter quar-
a tiers for ship in south latitude "a: 50
5 east longitude 1e6:42. with land clos
e by for a magnetic observatory.
i Fourth-A record of 80 degrees be
u low zero Fahrenheit.
Fifth-A sledge journey to S2:1
south latitude. and observations G
land as far OF as $3.50. includin
peaks and mountain ranges $4,000 fee
high.
/. Sixth-Evidenee that the vast ic
covered plateau which reaches wesi
ward from McAfurdo bay is in som
Z places 5000 feet high.
arl Seventh-A large amount OF mag
Y netie and biological and deep Sc