The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-03-14
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sea. Another party of three will explore I'M
known tracts along the coast near the winter
quarters.
The a~eroplane with clipped wings win not be
able to fly. Its wings will take practically all the
weight off the wheels.
Wireless and moving picture outfits will not be
carried, it is expected, on the transcontinenta
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 inter
est. Pocket wireless outfits having a 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 widely different.
In the North, within 500 miles of the pole, in
summer time, there are 100 different species of
Towering plants. There are no Towering 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 no~rthermost land.
There are also bears and the life in the sea-
On a trip to the North pole, the explorer 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 travelling is the
breakup of the ice and the opening of what are
called leads-open water channels left by the
parting of the ice.
In the South the difficulties are the varying ma
ture Of the snow surfaces, the fact that the tenn
p~eratures are much lower and the danger of
crevasses. In the North one can fall 10 to 20 feet
into the sea, but in the South one may fall 1000
feet down a ,creyasse.
By this notable expedition, Sir Ernest hopes to
cut in two one of the largest, If not the largest,
white spaces yet remaining on the map. He ex-
poets to solve the complete continental 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 stretches all the way across and is a con-
tinuation Of the Andes. This Victoria chain has
been traced to the pole by Amundsen and other
explorers. The solving of this problem is Of in
tense interest to geographers all over the world.
The discovery of the great mountain range, which
is assumed to extend In a general way from the
pole to Weddell sea, would be one Of the biggest
geographical triumps possible.
The geological results will also be OF the great
est scientific value. The Weddell sea party will
take many specimens, and even the transconti-
mental party will chip OF pieces OF all exposed
rocks they find.
Continuous magnetic observations will be taken
all the way from Weddell sea to Ross sea, as the
route will lie not far from the magnetic pole. In
formation OF great value to navigators would be
learned.
Continuous scientific observations Of the wealth
er 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 the ships will be equipped for dredg-
ing and sounding. All branches of science will
be most carefully attended to and the net result
ought to be a large increase In human knowl.
edge. But FIRST and foremost, the crossing OF
the polar continent. will be the main object of the
expedition