Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31

more or less evidence to indicate that
the land was hahitable at the begin
ming Of the age of mammals and
formed a land bridge between Aus
tralia, New Zealand, South Africa and
.South America. There is a possibility
that the antipodes. Antaretica, south
ern Africa and southern South Amer
ica as far north as Brazil formed one
great southern continent, over which
mammal and bird species passed
freely. Some connection is indicated
hy the similar forms. The marsupials,
or pouched animals, for instance, are
represented only in Australia and
America by the kangaroos and opos-
sums. The ostrich family is repre-
scented in South America, South Africa
and Australia, as are also certain fam
lilies of parrots. Botanists have found
some closely rotated plant forms in all
three continents.
Hence it is!to the fossils which may
be recovered in Antarctica that the
greatest interest attaches. II these
reveal m1rsupial and ostrich types
which persisted in the days of eNces-
sive vegetation on the polar land mass,
the col1tention that Aptarctica was
once a, bridge around the world prac-
ticallY will be proven, and 1t will be
possi6 Bic to reconstruct picture of the
glot 4 as it existed quite recently from
thesviewpoint of the paleontologist.
u X
XTHAT changed a tropical forest into
w mass of rock and ice? This
lis a question which remains obscure
to scientists. The same phenomenon
has occurred in the Far North. chang
ing Greenland from a forest to an
icecap.' In the case of the North at
least this progress has gone on during
recorded history, for the early Morse
settlers on the southern coast of
Greenland apparently found condi-
tons suitable for farming and stock
raising. Their collins, in land which
now is known never to thaw more
than a few inches below the surface,
have been found or feet deep en-
twined with tree roots.
These changes in climate occur, 1t
is likely, with the gradually shifting
positions of the poles and the drifting
of continents. Some day. likely
enough after the human race has dis.
appeared from the face of the earth,
Antarctica again will be a land of
Towering trees and singing birds, un-
less Judgement day comes in the
meantime.
Peninsuas of Antarctica jut in
places north of the Antarctic Circle,
but the nearest inhabited land is the
island Of South Georgia, n British
sheep-ranching colony, east Of the
southernmost tip of South America.
The continental mass is hidden from
the world behind a curtain of dense
fog and a protecting circle of icebergs.
This, again, is in sharp contrast to the
o
land extends to within a few hundred
miles Of the Pole itself and the north
ernmost outpost of European civiliza-
ton is hardly 500 miles away.
Yet the conquest of the South Pole
was earlier in actual fact than that of
the North Pole. The second serious
attempt to reach it succeeded, whereas
generations of explorers persisted In
the heroic following of the northern
star.
The great difficulty in south polar
exploration comes at the start Of the
journey. Once on the elevated plateau,
and the rest is comparatively easy
If provisions have held out. With
modern equipment, it is not difficult
to get within jumping distance of the
North Pole. The great hardships are
met with in the final 200 miles.
The story of the discovery of the
South Pole in 1910 has become a part
of the heroic Legendary of the white
race. During the Summer OF that
year a Norwegian expedition was be-
ing QUILTED for a dash to the North
Pole, when word came suddenly OF
Peary's discovery. The Fran was
under the command of Raoul Amund
sen, who already had spent one Win
ter in the Antarctic as a member OF
the Belgian expedition Of 1898. With
no further object to be served by a
journey North, Amundsen on August
set sail for the South. He was
aware at the same time that an Eng
lish expedition was being QUILTED for
exploration Of the Antarctic under the
command of Robert Falcon Scott, who
also had spent one Winter in the Far
South,
Amundsen knew that Scott would
establish his base near the foot Of the
volcano, Mount Erebus, on McMurdo
Sound. He decided to establish his
own base 400 miles eastward, on the
PNss Sea. The Fran reached the ice
barrier January IA, and sailed away
to Buenos Aires after a portable house
had been set up on shore. Amundsen
and his companions spent the frs
Winter establishing provision depots
across the ice barrier on q direcl
route south, which it was proposed te
follow to the pole. Eskimo dogs were
used for transport. On April 81 the
sun disappeared, and the Norwegian
party settled down in their comfort
able quarters for the long Antarctic
Winter There were no deaths, de
spite the fact that at times the Their
mometer went down to SO cent?
grade and there was no physician
with the expedition.
\ \ X
ION August "a the sun reappearet
~ above the horizon, and a month
later the seals began crawling up or
the ice--Si sure sign OF the Southern
Spring. On October 90, after the Their
mometer for several days had re
corded steady temperature Of ont
degree above freezing. Amundsen Sc
| out with men and 50 dogs for the
long dash to the pole. BY November
| II he had crossed the ice barrier with
out accident and began the long, hare
| ascent into the Antarctic mountains
Once on the plateau, named for Kin,
| IIaakCn VII of Norway, and the tri