The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-04-07

many of the mammals the descendants of which
scattered the earth. Next year the
museum will send out biologists and a motion
picture photographer, and in 1923 archeoogist
and anthropologists will follow.
The Royal Geographical society is pushing ahead
its plans for the conquest of Mount Everest. the
highest mountain in the world the summit OF
which no white man has ever reached The main
attempt will be made next year. Sir Francis
1ounghusband, the president of the society, has
announced that Col. Howard Bury who has trav-
eled much in Asia, has been chosen to lead this
years expedition. with Harold Raeburn in charge
of the actual reconnaissance of the mountain. Mr..
haeDurn has just returned from reconnaissance
of Kangchanjunga, a mountain in the Himalayas
with an altitude of 146 feet The society is also
hoping TO secure the services next year of Briga-
der General Bruce the originator of the idea of
ascending the mountain
The ascent of Mount Everest is impractcable
for many years least, in the opinion of Henry
f. MOntagnier of Terre Haute, Ind. who has made
many ascents in the Himalayas the Rockies and
the European Alps, and has attained the highest
attitudes. He says:
, ~ have hesitation in predicting that Everest
will certainly not be conquered by the first party
that makes the attempt. In my opinion 1t will
take years, each party prOfting by the experience
acquired by its predecessors and each gaining
thousand or more feet on the previous record One
thing is certain, and that is that the conquest OF
the highest peak in the world will be far and away
the most terrific test of endurance human beings
south pole, far as physical effort and moral
courage concerned, would be mere childs play
compared with the ascent of mountain more
than 20 900 feet high. The highest altitude yet at
tanned Is about "a 600 feet.
1--WE know that the number of feet active
climber ascend per hour diminishes with the
altitude Thus up to L. 600 feet average climber
can ascend about 1000 feet hour easy
ground without exhausting himself. Above $4,000
feet the ascensional rate falls below 300 feet an
hour even for exceptionally strong climbers. What
it would be at 27,000 feet say without
experience.
Judging by what know of the diminution
of the yascensional rate of strong climbers above
$1,000 feet, it would seem doubtful whether it
would be possible to ascend more than 100 or $50
feet hour above 81 900 $4,000 feet. And,
moreover, these figures are based on the suppose
ton that the party meets with no great difficult
ties such powdery snow, high wind steep
rocks, sickness, etc"
The south pole exploration, now on the
way, seems important 1t is the British Antarctic
expedition, headed by Commander John Lachlan
Cope, fellow of the Royal Geographical society
and formerly of the British navy 1t has been
financed for $4,000, and there will be five ships.
125 men, several airplanes and extensive wireless
apparatus. The object is to clrcumnavigate the
Antarctic sea, make dash to the south POLE To-
cate whaling grounds and map fields that are
supposed to be rich in gold, silver coal and rubies
Plans have been made for an absence of five years.
Dr. Donald B. Macmillan, veteran of six trips to
the Lan0 OF the MIunASnI sum- HeduS Inc ISL OF
Arctic explorers. He is building at East Booth
bay Me- the schooner Bowdoin for an expedition
scheduled TO start in July. Under favorable wealth.
er conditions the Bowdoin should reach Fury and
Hecla strait early in September. There the ship
will be frozen in. Leaving their vessel under
guard the party will push forward sleds drawn
by dogs. Doctor Macmillan expects to establish
a camp re miles south of Etah, Ia northwest
Greenland, from which he will try TO circumnavi-
gate Baffin Land and TO penetrate 1900 miles OF
irs western coast said to be the longest stretch of
unknown cOastline in the world.
Four expeditions in progress IN Africa,
namely, the British Natural History museum ex-
petition TO penetrate the secrets of the west coast
and of the Jeb-Maria mountains; the effort of the
duke OF the Abruzzi to find the source of the Webb
Shebell river which flows from Abyssinia through
Italian Somaliland into the Indian ocean; the en-
genealogical tour of the Belgian portion of Tan
ganyka and the Eastern Congo. by I. A. Barns
who explored the Ituri and Semlki forests finding
a strange of pygmies and making wonder
full collection of moths and butterflies, and the
Macke chronological expedition into Central Africa
to study the Bahima, one Of the chief pastoral
tribes OF Ankole, district west of Uganda.