The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-09-24
SHACKELTON'S VOYAGE
TO THE SOUTH

The voyage of the Quest, the quaint
little 200-tOn ship which is carrying
Sir Ernest Shackleton and his party
to frozen mysteries in the South
Polas seas, has for its detectives not
only oceanographic research but the
exploration of a petrifed forest and
the location of "Iost" island-Tua-
naki-the adjacent waters of which
have not been sailed for more than 80
years. In addition, soundings will be
taken of the ocean plateau surround
nag Coughs Island in an effort to de-
teImine the truth regarding a suppos-
ed underwater continental connec+
ton between Africa and America.
Nineteen persons, representing each
of the British self-governing domin-
ions, are expected to be aboard when
the tiny but staunch craft, ''built for
tight corners" leaves Capetown, S.
A, for two years of buffeting its way
through the Antarctic ice.
The Quest, which uses both sail and
steam, and which may cover more
than 10000 miles before its return
home, was constructed according to
the personal ideas of Shackleton, who
has made several voyages to the Ant
arctic. He commanded the British ex-
pedition of 19O7-O9, which reached
within 81 miles of the South Pole,
and also the expedition of 1914-15 to
We5den Sea. His present ship is Ill
feet long, 25 foot beam and II feet in
depth. She was built in Norway in
1917 of oak, pine and spruce and has
been tested in heavy ice. Her sides
are two feet thick and her bows are
CT solid oak sheathed with steel. Her
steaming radius is 5000 miles and,
under sail, in stiff breeze the Quest
can make eight knots. She carries
wireless equipment and an airplane
with a 25-foot wing spread. She has
a glass enclosed bridge and lookout
that resembles a flour barrel.
Major c. R. Carr, an English soldier
of fortune, the aviator of the expedi-
ton, plans to fly above the Antarctic
fogs to scout out passages between
the foes through which the Quest
may pass. He is also the photographer
and naturalist of the expedition. The
biplane he will use is one of only
three of that pattern. The other
two were flown, respectively, by Col.
Borten V. c., the pioneer flyer from
England to Mesopotamia, and by Sir
Ross Smith, the first man to fly from
England to Australia,
Other members of the Shackleton
party. beside sthose already men
toned, include Frank Etild, second in
command; Frank Worsley, command
er; Major A. H. Mackiin, biologist;
r. Stenhouse, lieutenant commander;
Captain l. Hussey, meteorologist; j
S. Marr and n. E. Mooney, cabin
boys.
The petrified forest that viii be ex-
plored was found by Shackleton or
the island of Trinidad at a certain
point where he landed from Captain
Robert F. Scott's ship, the Discovery
more than II years ago. Coughs Isl.
and is eight miles long and 1000 feei
high and in 1904, when visited for the
first time on record by members OF
the Bruce expedition. was found tC
have at least four hitherto unclassi
fed species of birds. Tuanaki. the
'1ost" island, has been mentioned II
old nautical records but apparentl!
has disappeared A spot in the Pa
-cific. where it is supposed to be VII
dredged for evidence to show that i
/ is recently submerged land
There is already in the South Polal
regions, another British expedition