Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-28

MZp.uM world is being rapidly dimin-
" H ished in this age of eXplora-
tion. The discovery of the
"A &s5 north pole has solved the
mystery which for centuries
sat upon the top of the world.
, The north pole region is, with one pos
sible exception, the most useless part OF
the whole world so far as the wants OF
mankind are concerned. But curiously
enough, 1t has been more attractive TO
explorers, its intense cold, its barren
bleakness and its manifold dangers be-
ing lodestones which drew on the IN
trepid pathfnders. The other most use
less. part of the world is still in the
realm of the undiscovered-it is the
south pole. Lieutenant Shackleton
reached a point only Ill miles north OF
the pole, and British explorers are now
Fastening preparations for an eXpedl-
tion.whlch has for its object the plac-
ing of the Union Jack at the southern
extremity of the worlds axis before
anyone can possibly get there with the
Stars and Stripes. Enough has been
learned of the two polar regions within
the past four years to establish what
was never before known, that the north
pole is in the sea and that the south
pole is situated on a high plateau or
mountain. 1t is probable that the epoch
Of Arctic and Antarctic discovery will
come to an end within a few years.
AS a matter of fact scientific men
were more interested in the magnetic
pole than the true north pole. Inc
magnetic pole was located three quar-
ters of a century ago and has been
more definitely placed within the past
decade. The ship which found the
northwest passage and fixed the exact
location of the magnetic pole upon the
charts of northern Canada is now set,
UP in a San Francisco park for the
delectation of the curious. The dis
coverers of the north pole are engaged
in a controversy WHICH, whatever It's
merits, has very little to do with what
the world has so long been expecting to
learn of the secrets yelled by the
aurora borealis.
Exclusive of the ice caps which adorn
either end Of the earthly axis, there
still remains a vast amount of unex-
plored territory upon the dry land
areas of. the world, and to this one
may give the name "the Undiscovered.
World" The Duke of the AbruzZi last
summer succeeded in scaling mountain
heights higher than any ever before
attained by man. His explorations in
the Himalayan peaks of Nepal nave
added much to the worlds knowledge
of the geography of the roof of the
world" AS is the case with the polar
regions, bleak and barren mountains
seem to attract the explorer, largely
because of the element of danger which
is the concomitant of mountain climb
ing. There are many mountain peaks
Still unscaled; Mt. Everest, probably
the highest peak in the world, tower
ing more than five miles above the
level of the sea, still keeps its summit
free from the desecration. of the human
foot.
Mountain climbers look forward with
eager anticipation to the conquest of
more than one great peak in the Amefl-
can continent. Mt Fairbanks, Mount
Crillon and a number of other peaks in
Alaska and northwestern Canada nave
successfully resisted the attempts OF
men to climb them. They STAND near
the head of what is the longest moun-
tain range in the world. 1t begins in
the Arctic regions, becomes the Rockies
of Canada and the United States, drops
low enough at Panama for the canal to
be cut through it, rises again into the
Andes, where it reaches its maximum
height, and continues unbroken TO the
Straits of Magellan, total distance or
10000 miles.
This great American mountain range,
in its peaks and it's highest mountain
valleys, contains the greater part OF the
undiscovered world. Comparatively
little Of the Rocky mountain region in
the United states Is uneXploreu' al
though there are still many peaks
which have not been scaled, but in both
Canada and Mexico there are vast areas
which are still practically unknown to
white men, In the Andes, and in the
great central plateau of South America
from which spring the Amazon and the
Orinoco rivers, there are tracts of un-
explored territory larger than may now
be found anywhere in the world. This
territory is sparsely inhabited by abor-
igines, but is a terra incognita to
civilized man. Many parties have ex-
plored the streams through this region,
and the world is acquainted with it's
general characteristics, but its jungle
Businesses and its broad savannas are
reserved for some future generation to
conquer.
How long it will require to open up
all of South America no one may pre-
dict with confidence. Sixty years ago
there was an extent of unexplored
land in the United States equal in
area TO France, Germany and Spain