The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-10-04

For nearly a hundred years man, con
uurror OF the remainder OF the sphere
on which we i've. has placed among hls
CHIEF ambitions a desire 20 set q tri-
umrhant foot. 81 only for moment upon
hotb OF those absolutely unknown aud
isolatod polnts which science has placed
M either end OF the earth's aXis-tne
North and The South Poles. The at
temnts 70 reach 90 degrees north iuti-
tnde have been much more frequent ana
r.r more succcssful than have been the
trials 10 conquer the vast oe-bound re-
pions that ne about the highest point OF
fartbeet degree south. Yet the return or
two expeditions On the southern polar re-
rions-one that was made By the Ger
mans On the Gauss and the other oy
the English Oh the Discovery have aaa-
ed largely 20 our knowledge OF places
and conditions far more unknown than
the area lying immediately about me
North Pole. Moreover, it is undoubtedly
a fact that there ls every reason Tor De-
ueviur that within 20 years the North
Pole can be located and the Gag OF some
euterprising nation plauted where its
imaginary line viii protrude from the
eternal ice o. tho Arctic Circle.
Rut the Investigations OF the Germans
and En-IiSh. who have spent two years
In Antarctic waters, make u seem I'M
nrohable chat the South Pole viii ever
be set foot upon by man until some
method OF flying through the air has
been perfected. Those scientists who
have lust returned from the South polar
region have proved conclusivciy that the
rerion on eternal See extending out from
the south Pole Is az least seven times IS
great in extent as that which hens In us
northern sister. This means a eledge
tourney that holds out 20 hope OF reach
frc the pole. Moreover. the temperatures
AZ the extreme south OF the globe are
much more severe than those az the
north This Is due, OF course, 90 the
unequal inclination OF the earth 20 the
plane OF ats orbit about the sun More
over. rs intense cold always tends %
brecd q further decrease in Temperature,
the vast ice felds around the southern
Pole are slowly. but surely. increasing 90
depth and area. So, while the world OF
science firmly believes that the North
Pole will be reached within ~ years,
there is apparently no hope OF man reach
fnr the southern limit OF the earth SO long
Is BE- Is forccd 20 travel over the sur
face OF the globe. However, the true In
tcnests OF science are not bound up with
a mere reaching OF an imaginary point
az 81 degrees south latitude. The true
scientific interest OF south Polar expcdi-
rions lies in q study OF the vegetable and
animal life which is stiu able 60 sustain
tts existence under Antarctic conditions
---r- - .----- ~ srrr..r.-
Attempt.
TIE Germans made use Of kcrruelen Is
land. q drcary spot deserving Its second
ttle Of DesoIation Island. as q rear base.
It vas discovered in 1TT2 by a Breton
sGnor named kcrguelen-Tremarcc. The .
climate Cf the island Is raw and storms
are frequent. and most OF the interior is f
covered with un Ice sheet There are.
however. numerous dOrds which form
cood burborS and the position 90 the Is
land renders Do convenient IS a base for
various scientific observations. 10 1873 ID /
was visited by the Challenger and by the /
English. American and German expedi- /
lions 90 observe the transit on Venus. Do /
WAS annexed by France in lS2
d. was from this island thar the Causs /
started on It's southern journey towards 4
Enderty Land after leaving e special OBJ /
scrvariun party on the Island. as &c Is es- I
Eential On studying weather conditions or !
the changes in the detection OF the mag !
ueric needle that simultaneous observa-
tious should be made hy two or more \
parEes OF observers The Gauss behaved 4
splendidly although she was unable 10 .
reach very hIeh attitudes. The ship was
frozen az point near some ncwly-dis-
~ora~-l land in So degrees sS minutes