The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-03-03

will Bartlett go?" somebody
asked.
Peary paused in open mouthed
establishment. will Bartlett go?"
he repeated musingly, as if to
make sure that he had heard
Alright. Bartlett will go. Moth
ing but ball and chain and the
bars of a state or federal prison
could possibly keep Bartlett from
going"
Some of the pictures of Captain
Bartlett look almost human, but
there are others that have a posi-
lively terrifying aspect. l recall
one in particular in which he has
pipe in his mouth that would
cause a stampede of polar bears.
If he looked like that at his Eski-
mo dog team it is no wonder that
the Peary party made quick time
to the pole. The dogs would COW
er thirty or forty miles a day
merely to get away.
The English-American race to
the south pole will be a sporting
event that will stir the worlds
blood. The two expeditions will
start at opposite sides of the pole
at practically the same time. Cap
tain Scott will traverse the route
already covered by Lieutenant
Shackleton. The Peary party
will go in from Weddell sea over
a course uncharted and unknown.
The English expedition will have
motors, Siberian ponies and dogs.
The Americans will depend on
dogs alone. While the rivalry is
to be entirely friendly, it will new
ertheless be keen and should arouse
the sporting blood of the two ma
tions as not even the Yacht races,
the Derbies, the tennis and polo
matches and other international
contests have done.
1t is not at all impossible that
the betting fraternity will get into
the game and big stakes be placed
on the event. Commander Peary
suggests that one exploring party
might get to the pole only twenty
four hours ahead Of the other,
which would be a closer race than
that to the cable lines when Dr.
Cook broke ont OF the north only
a week ahead OF himself. There
will be no Cook finish to this af-
fair, however. The example Of
the Brooklyn explorer will prevent
others from claiming to have dis
covered any pole whatsoever with
out sworn afidavits, diagrams and
proofs that would convince the
now skeptical University of Copen-
hagen. 1t will be impossible
however, for the discoverer of the
south pole to bring on his Eski-
mos, tor the reason that no hui
man beings live on the antarctic
continent.
The probability is that the
south pole is on a plateau 1000
feet in elevation and that both ex-
ploring parties will have an all
land routes. Shackleton found
land all the way in his journey
and when he reached his tarthest
south at III miles from the goal
said that powerful feldglasses re
vealed a continuing plateau as far
as he could see. His elevation
was then about 10000 feet. Be
cause of the altitude and tor the
reason that there is no sea water
to modify the temperature the
area surrounding the south pole is
colder than that encountered by
arctic explorers. Mountains and
glaciers also make going in the
antarctic difficult. For all that,
the discovery Of the south pole
should be less difficult than was
that of the northern end of the
world. There are no open leads
and no drifting ice foes, two of
the obstacles that have defeated
so many arctic explorers in their
efforts to reach the north pole.
The route to be followed by the
, American party leading in from
Weddpll sea Is also thOuoht IN he