The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-02-13
BALLOONING
Balloon ascents for military recon

Balloon aScents Tor military recon
noissance are common CT 46h. %
Gay tueJ III be extensively e-Apio.
for b70lF@lal.eal e..pioi ttlVl, le.-.'.o
There 70 tai, OF ua.A1 eagu7e atts..s.s
for eltbi:ng tourists to view Alp
seen -4silJ Dut log golac reese ri
they nave .aas f2r been pracdtNl
neglected. i'Cor Andree ho.cd Ca
a Tree ualtyet. &c a.6At DRIFT stettsiy
northwarG ,fom 5p.tzbor3en sef3st,
aundrod a..loa, out he paid for th2-
error with Ms lie. The trial Wh.el
was mace in the. Antarctic aeAS ;t'.".
he British ship Discovery is practi-
cally unique in the annals OF aero
nautics. Never before was success
full ascent made under similar condi-
tons, says the New York Tribune.
Leaving Lyttleton, New Zealand,
just before the close Of 1901, the Brit
ish expedition pu@ned steGOil. SOUTH
ward, heading for Cape Adair. The ice
barrier which skirts the Antarctic con-
tinent extends almost continuously
along the sixty-fifth or sixty-sixth par
allel of aonth latitude BY far the
most remarkable break in the coast
line occurs 10 the southeastward OF
Australia There is an enormous re-
cess, 500 or 600 miles deep, and fully
as wide, called McNur3o bay Along
its western shore lies Victoria Land.
It's eastern houndarF is poorly defined
and is represented only vaguely By ice
The southern side is almost .raight
and extends eastward and .war
fairly close to the seventy 6iehlh paf-
allie 81 latitude
Touching first at Cape Adair, Of the
northwestern corner Of the bay Cant
Sect drted Victoria Lead aad
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 chan 500
miles has a height Of from 50 to go
feet. Apparently the ice hld reeeGst
somewhat from the limits noted by
region IN 1845. During the next few
days Capt Scott saw land off TO TIE
eastward OF him which he's 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 oYerlie sea.
1t was just after turning back after
these observations toward Mount
Erebus that the balloon ascent was
made. The ship was still under con-
troll. the season corresponding to mid
summer An inlet through the ice.
which reached further southwark than
any other to which the Discovery could
penetrate, was now utilized to study
the land. Hydrogen. compressed In
cylinders and brought from home. was
used to initiate the gas bag. Owing to
the low temperature of this region,
much greater quantity was required
than would have been needed In tenn
perate climates. The cable which held
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 the
Discovery pushed on westward found
a satisfactory anchorage in McMurdo
strait, close to Mount Erebus, and on
March "a Dust after the autumnal
equinox she was frozen In. Subse-
quently Capt Scott organized sledge
parties which explored the vicinity.
The most important results of the
expedition up to the time the relief
ship, Morning. left 1t last winter, were
as follows:
First-Discovery OF new land east
OF McMurdo bay.
Second-Discovery that Mounts Ere
bus and Terror are on a small island
and not the mainland
Third-Ftnding good winter quar-
ters for ship in south latitude 1880.
east longitude 1876: A. with land close
by for magnetic observatory.
Fourth-A record of 80 degrees be-
low zero Fahrenheit.
Fifth-A sledge Journey to S2:t7
south latitude. and observations of
land as far off as $3.50, including
peaks and mountain ranges 1900 feet
high.
Sixth-Evidence that the vast ice
covered plateau which reaches west
ward from McMurdo bay Is in some
places 5000 feet high.
Seventh--A large amount of mag
netic and biological and deep sea