The sun., 1912-08-04

graphical Society is TO commem-
crate its sixtieth anniversary.
In celebration Of the event ~
has arranged a transcontnental excnr
sion In which many distinguished foreign
geogrsphep will participate. Its sixty
years OF existence have been notable In
the annals OF exploration.
Over a hundred active geographical
societies are scattered around the world.
Tho oldest Of them was founded in Paris
only ninety-one years ago. The berlin
society was organized eishty-four and the
London society eighty-two years ago
The American society comes next.
No other branch of science has so many
great societies devoted to its interests
The reason for this is that geography is
cf practical. every day utility to the
average citizen Of the world: and nearly
every geographical society was founded.
not by leaders Of science in the univer-
sites. but by the voluntary association
Of persons Interested in exploration and
the spread Of accurate. geographical
knowledge.
1t may be said that these geographical
societies have been the all importan,
influence that set on foot the great move
ment for earth study and discovery that
has revea led in the past sixty years nearly
half Of the earth's surface and vast areas
Of the SEA floor. The world never saw
iefore and never can see again such an
outburst Of zeal for geographical! dis
covery.
Few geographical societies are rich, but
they have been the means Of securing
- f,r "a, Il hoy
have obtained sometimes after years Of
persistent and discouraging "Hor, tn"
cooperation Of governments in the worN
They have trained many hundreds of ~
plorers 80 that they might render more
scientific service in the fold. They have
published thousands Of explorers maps,
which have been used for many years to
improve our common aliases; and they
have tablished at many centres great
collections Of literature and maps SO
that geographical workers. students and
readers may find there the present stat" of
Eeogra phical knowledge and learn how
this knowledge was attained.
Here is an instructive comparison IL
Illustrating the wonderful growth Of geo
graphical knowledge in the past sixty
years In 1850 We knew practically nothing
of four -fifths OF Africa more than ten or
twelve miles inland. excepting along
few great rivers and other routes Of
handful OF pioneer explorers. but We
know vastly more OF inner Africa to-day
than was known Of inner North America
800 wears after Columbus discovered the
western world.
When the United States won its indie
60 actor achnnl rhit-
dren were still taught that there were no
important MOUNTAINS in North America
excepting the Alcghanies. II is curious
fact thu, less than three centuries ago
the outline Of South America appeared
on the maps about as at present. while
an unknown sea was represented as
covering the western two-thirds Of North
America This was because the Spaniards
had circumnavgate South America and
in their search for gold they had crossed
the Andes and foated down some OF the
great rivers flowing to the Atlantic.
About forty years ago A. Petermann.
one of the most celebrated geographers
OF Germany. conceived the idea tina,
Greenland was really a continent extend
ing across the North Pole and far south
in the Eastern Hemisphere and that
Wrangell Land, which We now know IL
a little island near Bering Strait. WAS the
end of Greenland in that quarter. Peter
mann's idea was shown on many maps
for wears and it was not until twenty years
ago that Peary brought home a map
of the real termination OF Greenland.
Our map OF the Arctic regions Is now
very likely complete 30 far as the out
lining Of lands 10 concerned. Some islands
may still remain to be discovered to the
north OF the American Arctic archipelago
but this Ia not very probable. because
q great physical fact governing the dis
r>ibution Of all Arctic lands seems to have
been demonstrated. This fact did no,
begiA to dawn upon the world until the
Fran completed her three years drift
over Arctic seas some fourteen years ago.
II was q great surprise when Nanser
told the world that he had found deer
.eas and no landa, Then It came To mino
ihst all tho Arctic lands We kn0~ ros,
from shallow seas, excepting n few $50
lated islands. like Jan Mayen. which were
formed by the outpourings of submarine
volcanoes. Peary found d"ep seas on
mis- way to the North Pole; 20 did Mikkelser
10 thu north OF ALASKA The Crorkei
Land expedition which will start for the
Arctic next summer has been especially
instructed to take soundinas, II possihls
10 the north of the eastern part OF the
FAIRY archipelago. There IL little doub
tAAt within tho mex, few years the question