The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-27

| Captain Scott started the other day from
New Zealand for Ross Sea, In command o'
the third English Antarctic expedit ior
since the revival ~ south polar research
DR.. Bruce. in command Of the second
Scottish expedition. expects to leave
Scot land about May I. 1911. to complete
his invest igat:ons OF the depths 81 the
south Atlantic and then proceed to Coats
Land, discovered by him in 1904. which
will he his base Of operations for the
journey across the supposed Antarct ic
/ continent. Lieutenant Filchner. COM
! manding the second German south polar
expedition. expects that his vessel. the
Deutschland. will be ready for her cargo
early next year, He will start soon aft or
for Weddeil Sea, His purpose also is to
cross the land mass. Filchnsr. who is
| less known to our public than Scott and
Bruce. ia a scientific explorer who won
recognition 10y his recent surveys in
Tibet and western China: his fine maps
brought him a special vote Of thanks from
the German Geographical Congress-.
These three explorers are going to the
Antarct ic pra u ically for the same purpose
Scott wishes 30 do much more than
attain the pole. for Shackleeon came
within 100 miles OF that goal. and Scott =
costly expedition must strive for some
thing more than merely to All up the little
gap remaining. All these men wish to
help settle the question whether a great
continent really exists or whether the
land Ia split UP into islands making a
large archipelago
Long before Scott sailed the three
explorers sought to devise plan for
cooperation 40 that there should he no
clashing or useless duplication Of effort
in the same field. Lieut. enant Filchner
in recent scientific meet ing at K6nigs-
berg gave some very interesting part icu-
lars OF the agreement they reached
Scott. according to the German explorer
will push over the ice Of Ross Sea TO the
land and then south to the pole. follow
ing practically Shacklaton's route. He
does not expect to return the way he
came. but from the pole he hopes to go
northwnrd 10 weddell Sea. thus crossing
the Antarct 10 AREA. II on this journey Fitch
ner and he should meet. some Of Captain
Scott 3 men will accompany Filchner and
a detachment 81 the German party will 70
on with Scott; and in their further work
each will avoid il possible all intrusion
ttic tne
other has passed.
DIR. Bruce and Lieut. enant Filchner will
land in the same quadrant Of the Antarc-
tic. IL was mutually agreed that DR..
Bruce shall use Coats Land "a his winter
quart era and that in his journey toward
or to the pole he will travel along or 20
the esss Of 70 degrees west longitude. this
meridian crossing Coats Land. Filchn~r.
landing furthe west in We<idell Sea- per
haps on one Of the islands supposed to he
in the region to which w@idell penet rat ed
In 1903. or perhaps on the mainland. will
confine his advance movement to the re-
gion west Of ~ degrees west long, ude.
Thus it is expected that each II these
expeditions will cover an AREA 81 its own.
that all sources Of friction and rivalry
will he eiiminate ed. and that the work OF
each expedition will supplement that ~
tn" others. 80 that IL may reasonably be
hoped that the three parties will each
accomplish large independent results: and
perhaps their joint labors will 60 far TO
se'tle the question Of the extent Of the
Antarctic continent or of the large and
small land masses hat are grouped round
tn. southern pole.