The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 11, 1898, Page 21

TO THE NORTH POLE BY ICC BREAKER. DMIRAL MAKAROFT, the well-| of the North aking preparations e north pole. And jeclares that he is sure of a way through of powerful ice that nt are in course ft with a good | irst one put in ia, in 1864 stern Ca- | are in constant use | between the small is- | the mainland. d | alway: An ordina steamer coul!d no more force a passagew through the flelds in this part of the world than could instantly convert itself into a fly- ing machine | The gene appearance of the hull of an ice breaker differs little from an ordinary steamer. it is bulit of heavy steel and its prow is heavily | armored. >ssel is fitted with win scre stern and a single large screw are of the fi at the prow. The engines st and the horsepower is very high. ’An fce breaker that plies between Prince Edwards Island and the main- land Is of 3000 horsepower. It easil sails through ice four feet thick. 1In fact, ice of this thickness hardly in- EADER OF THY FROM A 10 THE SOUTH POLE BY DOG TEAI EXPEDMON. PHOTOGRAPH) (7 HE fine steam bark Southern | Cross has just sailed on her ad- venturous voyage to reach the south pole. The desolate ions. which girdle the southern end of the axis upon which our globe is ever spinning have the great merit of offering a terra incognita to the ex- plorer. C. E. Borchgrevink, who will lead the expedition, tells us that he would not be surprised to find a new race of men. he Who knows, then, that may not bring an Antarctic de emont back with him? No polar has ever been seen in these white wildernesses. But there is no reason why that animal may not be encoun- | tered—a new varlety. It is the supposed absence of mam- mals, however, in the interior which will form one of the chief difficulties of the expedition. A mere tabloid is but | an indifferent substitute for a bear| steak hot and smoking. Luckily, how- | ever, the country teems with sea birds, | eggs will be large- | and these and thei 1sed to supplement the bounteous 5 which Sir George Newnes, who | has generously fitted out the expedi-| tion, has crammed into the hold of the Southe From morn till night towed away an amaz- of foodstuffs. ¢l in which the venture will riety o e was originally a whaler and | ind since her purchase has been any months in the hands of Colin | who built the Fram, Nansen's ship that became ice packed arch for the north pole. The | 55 really almost smart enough spick and span fr ; with roomy | cabin scastle; splendid- ly equipped with everything that Arctic adventurer could require. The expedition consists of thirty-two men all told, including six scientists, and in addition to being furnished with an equipment very similar to that taken | by the polar expedition under Sverdrup, | is provided with over elghty Siberian dogs Including some ten Greenland animals which were once owned by the late Eivind Astrup. The master, Ber- nard Jensen, is an experienced ice navi- gator, and was mate of the Antarctic when in 1895 he landed with Borchgre- vink at Cape Adair. The principal of- ficers are as follows: Carsen Egeberg Borchgrevink (Norwegian), leader, sur- veyor, etc.; Herlof Klovstad (Norwe- gian), surgeon; Nicolal Hanson (Nor- weglan) and Hugh Evans (British sub- | moyed dogs alone ject), zoologists; William Colbeck, lieu- tenant R. (British subject), and Louis Bernaccal (British subject), as- tronomers and magnetic observers; Bernard Jensen (Norwegian), master; Hunsen (Norwegian), first mate; Jor- gen Pederser. (Norwegian), second mate. The Ingenuities that are devised now- adays for expeditions of all sorts, whether they are to penetrate the frigid or the torrid zone, are innumerable. Once the basis o® supplies is reached the question of transport is all-govern- ing; so a pound of beef may be repre- sented by a dozen lozenges. The gal- lant adventurers of old had no such facilities, and scurvy brought many a party to a deadly and horrible end. Not one case occurred on the Fram. But it is not for the food alone that the equipment this Antarctic expe- dition is remarkable. Guns, skis, kay- aks, snow shoes, ice axes, sledges, furs, sleeping bags, instruments—all have been selected with a view to the rK in contemplation, and are ‘really a re- markable collection. The ninety Sa- “ost close on to $10,- 000, and to gather them an agent was specially dispatched to Siberia, mak- ing a journey of 4000 miles for the pur- pose. Sir 000 at the disposal of Borchgrevink to outfit the expedition. Mr. Borchgrevink expresses himself very hopeful that most valuable re- sults will be the issue of the expedition. In 1841 Sir James Ross first sighted the vast ice fields which he called Viec- toria Land. He made the best of his way around a small bit of the coast, saw and named Mount Erebus, a vol- cano 12,000 feet in height, Mount Ter- ror and many other points. But his passage to the interfor was barred by a lofty ice wall, which seemed to pro- hibit all attacks upon it. Mr. Borch- grevink, who was the first man to land there since those remote days, regards this barrier with less diffidence. His appliances will enable him to storm fit, and when once atop he hopes to find a vast table land of snow, over which he and his men, his dogs and his sledges will make their way. The Southern Cross will sail to Ho- bart Town direct; thence she will pro- ceed to Cape Adair. The land party of eight will be put ashore there in 70 degrees south latitude. They will at once erect the base huts, the timber for which they are taking with them, every plank ready for its place. The ship will then leave them and do a lit- tle surveying under Captain Jensen and return to Hobart Town. It will thus be seen that the explor- orge Newnes placed $100,- terferes with its speed and it is possi- ble for this craft to pierce ice walls 15 feet high. E Taking into account that, according to Nansen, the ice walls (toroses) in the Arctic basin seldom attain the height of 25 feet, and that the lolar Sea is free from ice over, at least, a third of its surface, while all the ice is weakened in summer by thawng, and especially by interior canals due to accumulations of salt, and by crev- ices, Admiral Makaroff conciudes that an ice-breaking steamer of 20,000 horse- power would overcome all the ditficul- ties which polar ice may oppose to her progress. The ¢ stance between the latitude of | 78 degrees north to the pole being 20 miles, he calculates the various speeds at which such a steamer could make her way through ice of various thick- nesses from four to seven feet, and he finds that the total distance comd be covered in twelve days. Moreover, instead of one ice breaker of 20,000 horsepower, it would be ad- vantageous to have two such vesscl3 lof 10,000 horsepower each, it having lately been proved by actual experi- |ment in Russia that two ice breuxers placed one behind the other, and the ! rear one pushing the front one by means of a special wooden frame, act as effectively as one single ice breaker |of a double force. ; Admiral Makaroff’s intention s, therefore, to build two special ice {breakers of 6000 tons and 10,000 hors2- | Ipower each, provided with stem screws, | and to force a way through the ice to | MR.LOUIS BERNACCHI. MRICOLBECK MAGNETIC PBSERVER, MAC NETIC OBSERVE ers will have the end of the summer (the seasons, of course, being reversed) and autumn to make things snug, climb the ice wall and get the hang of the country before the long and dreary winter sets in. The Antarctic spring, that is about September, 1899, they will expect the Southern Cross. According to the plan adopted the land party and sea party will then join forces and make a bold dash for the pole. Mr. Borchgrevink goes with the strong belief that Victoria Land may prove another Greenland. Nansen's chief difficuity in that venture was the landing. Once ashore he, too, had an ice wall to surmount, and having reached it found the vast table land over which he and his men salled and sledged to the other side. Of course there is no ‘‘other side” to Victoria Land—at least they will never try to reach it, Antartica covering an area of some ten million square miles. But if there is a plateau, no matter how scored with crevasses, they should give a good account of themselves. Here is what Mr. Borchgrevink has to say of the venture: “While the main object of the expedition will be to col- lect scientific data, full attention will also be given to further investigation of the commercial possibllities of the southern seas, of the islands and of the shores of Victoria Land, and the ship will therefore be fitted out with the ne- cessary implements for such research. I still maintain my bellef in a future for commercial energy in those parts, both in regard to the guano beds and DR.KLBVSTADM[D. CAPT.JENSEN MEDICAL OVSERVER. THE CAPT/ IN also in respect to whaling and sealing. However, my scientific staff will have their entire energy directed to sclentific research. “I propose to land at Cape Adair with 00000000000000000 WHY OUR NAVY SHOOTS SO YWELL INCE the welcome news of Admir- al Dewey's remarkable victory at Manila on the 1st of May it has been a matter for wonder every- where, not less in the United States than in Burope, that the American gunners were able to destroy a Spanish squadron in a Spanish harbor without the loss of a single American life. When history repeated itself at Santlago two months later the wonder was Intensi- fied. In the Government building at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition is an ex- hibit which in a measure explains the mystery. This is a naval range finder, the Invention of a United States naval officer. Up to date no one outside of Uncle Sam’s service has been able to discover how it is operated. The in- strument is shown in a glass case with various other nautical paraphernalia, and of course the attendants refuse to answer questions as to its method of working. One of the naval officers in charge of the exhibit says: g5 THE ElNG 8UILT MR.HANBEN = £ooLopisT EvANS an adequate outfit of instruments, pro- visions, dogs and sledges and to estab- lish my winter quarters at that spot. Semi-globular huts, constructed on the Eskimo principle and .uilt out of hard wood, will be taken with us for the pur- pose of sheltering my staff and also some livestock which I intend to take with me. As soon as the provisions and implements of the main camp have been landed the vessel will proceed southward with its crew, myself and three of my staif, if possible, as far as 76 degrees south, where my companions and I will be landed (all must neces- | sarily be snow-shoe runners), with our instruments, dogs, sledges, provisions and other necessaries for the inland 0000000000000 0000O0 “It {s a fact that no other navy has any means of finding the range that does not involve a mathematical cal- culation. This implies a gocd deal of time lost, and in most cases they find it quicker to get the range by actual experiment. The Spaniards, for in- stance, have to fire several shots be- fore they can get the range of one of Uncle Sam’s ships. If their first shot falls short they try again and then they are apt to overshoot, and by that time the position of the vessels may have been altered and they are still at sea. Meanwhile the officer in the con- ning tower of the American ship has located them almost exactly with this instrument and reported the range by telephone to the various gun captains. This has only consumed a few seconds, and while the Spaniards are still trying to get their range the shells from the American guns are sweeping their decks. “The. peculiar thing about the instru- ment,” continued the officer, “is that while it is one of the simplest things in the world to any one who knows its secrets, the most expert mechanic or inventor might examine it as long as he wanted to and still be unable to dis- cover how it works. This is why rep- resentatives of other navies have beer B T2 @ NEWTCE BREAKEE oW HER A ] 10\11mey toward the souh magnetic pole. “If 1 succed in landing on Victoria Land at that latitude I shall have to cross about ten degrees of longitude in a westerly direction to reach the place where the south magnetic pole (accord- ing to dip-compass observations) ought to be situated in latitude 75 degrees § minutes south, longitude 150 degrees east, or about 150 English miles; the longitudes at 76 degrees soutL being about fifteen miles apart. “I hope to have covered the distance inland and back in two months, in which time I shall have made the necessary magnetic observations, and again join the camp at Cape Adair be- fore the Antarctic winter sets in. “My scientific staff at Cape Adair will meanwhile have been occupied in ex- ploring the bay at Victorlia Land, in taking deep water soundings, investi- gating the fjords, and in _collecting specimens of the fauna and flora, be- 000000000000 0000O0O0 completely baffled in their efforts to find it out. They have range finders of their own. but none that give the same instantancous and accurate results. And as long as they can be kept in the dark we shall be able to outshoot any nation on earth, even if there was no difference in the skill of the gun- ners.” There is another advantage in the use of the instrument which amounts to considerable in the course of half a dozen navai engagements. It costs $1360 to fire a pair of 13-inch guns once. If the Spaniards go into a fight they must fire at least two shots to ‘secure the range. Frequently these do not answer, and they go on shooting $680 charges in the air, while every pound of powder that goes into the United States’ gun is utilized. The ability of the American gunners to obtain the ex- act position of the enemy before a gun is fired saves thousands of dollars in ammunition in every engagement. —_——— COLONIAL POSSESSIONS OF THE s NATIONS. Now that the question of colonial ex- pansion and ‘“imperialism” is up for discussion the following figures show- LB - 2 sides making pendulum observations, taking meteorological data, etc. “The whaler wil Ireturn to Australia or Tasmania, both because it would be safer for the vessel and because It could do so valuable work among the islands between Australia and Victoria Land during the latter part of the An- tipodean winter. It would be safer, be- cause it would avoid the danger of the ice pressure in winter and because it could start fresh for Victoria Land the succeeding spring for the purpose of bringing the members of the expe- dition back to civilization. “In zoological direction I expect great discoveries to be made, especially on the Victoria continent itself. So far we know that the Antarctic circle is the home of fish, whales, seals and birds of the most widely different kinds, but undoubtedly there are also in those re- gions hitherto unknown mammals.” B — COUNTING THE. STROKES. “Now that you have finished shaving me, how meany strokes of the razor did it require?”’ asked the man in the chair, as he straightened up to have his hair combed. “That's pretty hard to tell,”” said the barber. “Of course it is. But you've been in the business how long?"” “Fifteen years.” “You ought to know by this time about how many strokes of the razor it re- | quires to shave a man, supposing that you go over his face a second time.” “T might make a guess at it.” “All right. What's your guess? member that T have a hard beare “Well, I should say about 125."” “You're a good guesser, I don’t think. Some time ago I got into the habit of counting the strokes of a razor every time I was being shaved. It's a good way to employ your mind. In shaving me you just made 732 strokes with the razor."” “I wouldn’t have believed it.” Re- 000000000000 000Y00 ing the areas and populations of the various countries and their colonies is very interesting: —Extent.— Motheriand. Colonies. Sq. Miles 16,622,073 505,000 Country— Great Britain France ... . German Empire. Portugal . Holland Spain Italy Denmark 89 —Population. Motherland. Col 44,290,000 7,450,000 10,215,000 34,210,000 9,800,000 Country— Great Britain France . German Empire. Portugal Holland Spain Italy .. Denmark . onies. 000 “Why do vou always use the stairs?”’ “Afraid of meeting my creditors in the elevator.”'—Cleveland Plain Dealer. Watts—What? You drinking again? I thought you told me you had won a vie- tory over alcohol. Lushforth—Sp-hic-anish victory, ole fel- ler.—Indianapolis Journal. —————— The first line-of-battleship launched af- ter the Queen came to the throne cost £110,000. Several recently launched steel monsters have cost £910,(