The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-28
soUrn Polar rNrERPHIsss.

% ~ .
Somebody Is bound 10 reach one or tho
other pole Of the earth II the present zeal
for polar enterprise continues. The widest
attention seems low 10 be fixed on the
Antarctic regions and for the first time re
hear of expeditions whose main purpose
will be TO reach the south pole. Some ex-
plorers who have lived and worked In the
Antarctic now believe that 1t will be easier
to reach the south than the north pole.
They say that sledge parties bound for
the north pole are beSst with enormous
difficulties because the frozen sca that sur
rounds the pole abuts on great land masses
far 70 the north and the sea leo In Its move
ments is crushed against the coasts, with the
result that the ice. even far from the land,
is shattered and piled up by tremendous
pressure 90 that II 10 almost impracticabie
for sledges. =
The conditions seem TO be different in the
Antarctic. The British expedition under
Captain Scott made no greater discovery
than the vast plain OF Ice covering the sea-
whose northern edge 10 the Great BarriS'
first seen by Ross. How far this Toe sheet
spreads away to the south and east OF VIC
toria Land IL still q matter OF surmise
Wherever seen 1t presents n practically
level, plainlike surface, excepting where It
is lifted into pressure ridges by collision
with Zoe moving of the land. Scott made
it his highway through four degrees Of
latitude to $40 ~, where the same level
surface continued to the horizon.
This immense area OF fat ice has inspired
the idea that specially constructed auto
mobiles may be used TO advantage on that
surface. The level ICE IL known to extend
east and west between Victoria and and
King Edward VII. Land. Henryk ATotov-
ski, who is planning to lead the next Bel
gian expedition south, says he wishes to
use automobiles on this ice TO see how far
it extends toward the pole. liza continuous
coast line lie found between Edward VII.
Land and Victoria Land there must be an
immense gulf separating thep. II. how
ever, the two coasts are prolonged without
Joining there must exist a wide arm OF the
sea separating the Antarctic lands into two
hemispheree.
There is no proof as yet that the level ice
Of these waters may not extend to the pole
or 90 far toward it as greatly TO lessen the
difficulty OF reaching the goal.
DR.. +. A. Cook of Brooklyn also hopes
before many months to be testing on this
ice the automobiles he has made-and per-
haps he will be the first in the field.
Lieutenant Shackleton OF the Discovery
expedition expects to leave England for his
old stamping ground in October, carrying
not only an automobile, but also several
Siberian ponies. He hopes TO get much
further south on the leval ice than Scott
was able to attain with his defective equip
ment.
DR.. Charcot's next expedition has the
Endorsement Of the French Academy oil
Sciences and a vessel will be specially built
for him. Next year he will 60 TO the east
side of Graham Land to study the rich de
posits Of fossils reported by the Swedish
expedition, and will then transfer his party
to the west coast. The extent Of this land
south Of South America is not known, but
DIR. Charcot will solve the problem If he can
or at least he hopes to add a large mileage
OF new coast line TO the charts.