Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-10-23
WILKES LAND SEEKER
Philadelphia Plans Expedition to
Region Around South Pole.
HOPES TO GO IN SEPTEMBER
Or. Henry E. WotheriIl, Traveller and
Inventor. Says IL 10 Americas Duty
to Substantiate Claim to Vast Terri.
tory Lying Within Antarctic Circle.


to Substantiate Claim to Vast Terri.
tory Lying Within Antarctic Circle.
Now that the north pole has been
discovered the question Is arising In
the minds of explorers. What of the
south pole?
Among those who are planning to go
south is DR.. Henry e. Wetherill Of
Philadelphia, surgeon and inspector
of rifle practice In the Pennsylvania
naval reserves, once a companion of
Commander Peary in arctic travel and
an inventor of scientific Instruments.
DR.. Wetherill is preparing to explore
the region surrounding the south pole
known as Wilkes Land. which, he
said recently. was the most fascinat-
ing field for the explorer today. 1T is
a vast territory" he explained, Lying
wholly within the antarctic circle and
in vastness can be said to be at least
twice the size Of the United States.
Commander Wilkes of the United
States navy discovered 1t, approaching
from the south of Australia In 1910.
Lieutenant Shackleton crossed Sec
ton of this land on his recent dash to-
ward the south pole, entering upon 1t.
as well as | can understand, from a
point somewhat to the southwark of
South America.
Fertile Field For Explorers.
This great waste affords fertile
field for the explorer because 1t Is
land and upon it there is chance
of discovering interesting conditions.
There is a comparatively small amount
of land In the north polar regions,
which makes that territory of less i'm
portance, to my way of thinking. than
this region surrounding the south
pole"
DIR. Wetherill pointed out the fact
that 1t had been a question In the
minds of some as to whether Com
mander Wilkes actually discovered this
continent which bears his name, and
he thinks that since the north pole has
been discovered 1t is the duty of Amer
leans to send an expedition south to
substantiate the American claim and
In a way to vindicate Wilkes.
"Such a PLAN" said DR.. Wetherill.
"has been taking shape in the minds
Of certain members of American scien-
tiic societies for years. but now the
matter seems to be taking definite
form Edwin Swift Balch. a member
of the Philadelphia Philosophical So
ciety and leading authority on south
polar conditions. has applied to the
Philadelphia Geographical society. and,
I think, to two other societies as well.
for support In bringing the question
tozthe attention of congress during the
coming term. understand that con-
gress will be asked to appropriate
money for the expedition, which |
should think would require about $780,
O0O."
Would Take Three Ships.
DR.. Wetherill has made formal ap.
plication for the command of the ex-
petition should one be formed. and
in the meantime he is going ahead with
his plans, believing that the funds will
be forthcoming. He would take three
small ships. to be built after the model
of the magnet survey ship Carnegie,
of the auxiliary type. One of these
would be used as supply ship. Sec
ond for cruising at sea out of danger
of the ice fields. but within call by
wireless in case anything should hap
pen to the third ship. which he would
personally command and which would
be used for the actual work of ex-
ploration.
DR.. wetherill has been for years In.
terested In inventing instruments for
scientific use. He has recently invent
taking Greenwich time by what he
calls lunar declination that is. to
determine longitude by an observation
of the moon.
He explained that lunar observations
for longitude were made in the past.
but the task was one of such complex
ity that few navigators were equal to
1t. He has devised simplified meth
cd which he considers to be one of
his most important contributions to
the science of navigation. BY the use
of this table. he said. longitude could
be determined by a lunar observation
in fifteen minutes.
The Stellar Sextant.
The new sextant which DR.. Wetherill
has invented contains. instead OF two
reiectors Of the old type. only one re-
fiector. which makes It Of especial
value in polar work. due to the fact
that star can be much more readily
observed through It, DR.. Wetherill not
only devised this instrument hut he
actually built 1t. using, he said. the
model Of an old quadrant. Because Of
its service to navigation by the stars
he has named IL the stellar spxtant.
DR.. Wetherill has travelled extensive
ly. He accompanied Dr. Henry G.
Bryant when the latter went to Green
land In 1894 to try to find the where
abouts of the naturalists Bjorling and
Kalestanius. who were lost in The