The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-18
SOUTHWARK, Hol
Ai1plane, Ship, and Sledges to Carry
Explorers on Survey.

| 6AplOIeTS OH survey.
| To Antarctica, roof of the world, for
six-years' work, is shortly to sail the
most completely Quilted polar expedi-
! ton ever assembled Alas for romance,
/, however, its aim is not glory, but
complete commercial survey of the
white continent and the encircling seas.
| The British Imperial Antarctic Expedl-
) ton, as it is called, is backed by great
governmental, scientific, and financial
interests, which have raised $4,000 to
insure its complete success.
First of all, photographers want the
coast line charted, and the limits found
for the great central plateau. Then,
they ask, does the mountain chain along
the west coast of Ross sea stretch I'M
| broken across the continent, forming
! continuation, except for $50 miles, of
the South American Andes? Here, OBJ
viously, is work for the expedition 9
! airplanc, of which, again, more later.
! With the nation s pocketbook in mind
Britain wants to know the extent of
! the coal, manganese, granite, marble,
and ruby deposits already located.
Where, again, are the breeding places,
the secret rendezvous of the whales,
! 10000 of whom in a recent year yielded
| 100000 worth of oil, glycerin, soap,
margarine, fertilizer, and other by-pro-
duets? Australia, New Zealand, and
! South Africa want Antarctica' s eli
mate charted, that the meteorologists
I at home may trace the cyclones of the
southern hemisphere from their incep-
/ ton. Scientists throughout the world,
finally, are demanding information of
electrical conditions near the pole, that
they may found on established fact
| their intricate studies in terrestrial
y magnetism. Some imagine the pole as
/ holding a clue to the origin of the mys-
| FERROUS messages from Mars that
have lately been the subject of world
wide controversy.
The ship chosen to bear the party to
| Antarctica is the Terra Nova, q sea-
soned whaler whose wooden sides have
! withstood the battering of many voy
! ages within the polar circle. The YES
! sci was first heard of when it went to
/ Captain Scott s rescue in 1904. Admir-
| ing then its strength and general lay
out, the captain later chose it to bear
him southwark in 1910 on the trip that
won the pole but cost his life. But the
Terra Nova of 1920 is TO be even bet
ter adapted to her work than the ship
of 1910.
Thus splendidly equipped the British
Imperial Antarctic expedition will sail
from England in June of this year
Wellington, New Zealand, will be the
last port of call, and will be left be-
hind in October A thousand miles
through the mingled waters of the In
dian and Pacific oceans will then bring
the adventures to the limit of the
floating ice. and a day or two later, to
! Macquarie Island which will be sur
veyed in short order. Another south
/ ward journey of the same length
through constantly thickening ice foes,
win bring them to Scott Island, where
three assistants, with their hut, will be
maroOned for a years investigation
| The ship will now be in the midst of
the pack, ceaselessly lodging icebergs,
and often ramming the scattered foes,
which in a few months will cement
themselves into continuous mass Ant
arctica summer months. it must be
remembered, are November, December,
January and February. During this
time the unsetting sun brings the mer-
curry very nearly to 80 degrees F. This
the explorers call ''hot weather.
Meanwhile, the Terra Nova will have
sailed along the barriers 4O0-mile
front to Bay of Whales, where the
airplane will be put together, and a
start made about Christmas day, 1920,
/ for the pole, 500 miles to the south. A
nonstop flight unfortunately will be
impossible, as the level expanse of the
barrier is terminated, 400 miles to the
south, by the mountainous escarpments
of the central plateau. So, at the foot
of Axel Heiberg glacier. discovered and
named by Amundsen during his rush to
the pole in 1911, will be established a
depot of food and gasoline. Heightened
, in every possible way, the big plane
will then rise from the barriers sur
face, make its spiral climb for altitude
- and finally dart southwark at II 900
, feet. If the plane comes to grief on the
} polar plateau, the crew of three, I'M
der Captain wilkins. will attempt to
draw their sledge back to the depot. On
their return to the Bay of Whales the
Terra Nova viii pick them up, then
cruise north at full speed, for the days
will be growing short and the pack will
be showing a desire to catch and hold
The ship for the winter
The plane is expected to prove val
liable, too, for the Transportation of
supplies to parties sent inland from the
ship. The Terra Nova will, of course
be locked in the pack ice every winter
but probably for enough from shore to
escape the annihilation which overlook
Shackleton s Endurance in 1905. In
the early summer of 1925, if every
thing goes well, the Terra Nova will
reach New Harbour once more. take
aboard the long exiled scientists with
their precious reports and specimen
cases and sail north for Wellington,
which should be reached in February
the following Year.-Popular Mechan-
les Magazine.
1t is believed that more fish are found
off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland