Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-02

food this time will be an improve
ment over that of his 1907-1909 ex-
pedition, when he reached point III
miles from the South Pole Every
man in the expedition will know how
to cook.
The aeroplane with clipped wings
will not be able to fly. It's wings will
take practically all the weight off
the wheels. Under favorable condi-
tions it should carry 200 pounds at
about 80 miles an hour.
Wireless and moving picture out
fits will not be carried, it is expected,
on the transcontinental trip, But one
cinematograph machine will go with
the party working from Ross sea and
another with the party working about
Weddell sea. These films will have
both scientific and popular interest.
Pocket wireless outfits having range
of from 100 to 800 miles will also be
carried by these two expeditions, but
the main party will not attempt the
added weight of either device.
While the North Pole is situated
about two miles beneath the sea the
South Pole is on the plateau two
miles above the sea. The conditions
of journeys to the two points are wide
/ ly different. In the north, within 500
miles of the Pole, in summertime,
there are 100 different species of
Towering plants. There are no flow
ering plants within 100 miles of
the South Pole and within 700 miles
of it there is no plant or animal life
of any description whatever.
In the north you may expect to get
the Arctic hare and the ptarmigan on
the northernmost land. There are also
bears and the life in the sea.
On trip to the North Pole the ex-
plorer sledges over a moving sea of
ice that packs up and breaks up, and
it is impossible to lay any depots.
The danger of northern sledge trav-
cling is the break up of the ice and
the opening of what are called leads
open water channels left by the part
ing of the ice.
In the south the difficulties are the
varying nature of the snow surfaces,
the fact that the temperatures are
much lower and the danger of Gre
vases. In the north one can fall 10
or 20 feet into the sea, but in the
south one may fall thousand feet
down crevasse.
By this notable expedition Sir Err
nest hopes to cut in two one of the
largest, if not the largest white spaces
yet remaining on the maps. He ex-
poets to solve the complete continen-
tai nature of the Antarctic.
Especially scientists would like to
know whether the great range of
mountains on the New Zealand side
/ of the Antarctic continent really
I stretches all the way across and is
continuation of the Andes. This Vic
torian chain has been traced to the
Pole by Amundsen and other explor-
ers. The solving of this problem is
of intense interest to geographers all
over the world. The discovery of the
great mountain range, which is as
sumed to extend in a general way from
the Pole to Weddell sea would be one
of the biggest geographical triumphs
possible.
The geographical results will also
be of the greatest scientific value. Inc
Weddell sea party will take many spe-
cimens and even the thanscontinental
party will chip off pieces of all ex-
posed rocks they find.
Continuous magnetic observations
will be taken all the way from We'd
dell sea to Ross sea as the route will
lie not far from the Magnetic Pole.
Information of great value to naviga-
tors would be learned.
, ColIiiuouo oCIeiIillC oDoeINdlioiS Vi
the weather will also be taken and
these should be very valuable when
correlated with the results obtained
by other expeditions.
/ Biological work will be thoroughly
carried on and the distribution of
fauna and fora will be studied. Both
ed to and the net result ought to be a
large increase in human knowledge.
But first and foremost the crossing of
the polar continent will be the main
object of the aynedition