ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11824, 29 November 1901, Page 5

ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

ARRIVAL OF THE DISCOVERY OFF LYTTELTON.

[BY TELEGRAPH. press association*.] Christchitrch, Thursday. The British Antarctic exploring vessel Discovery arrived off Lyttelton Heads late tonight. She will be brought into the stream and inspected by the health officer to-mor-dow morning.

The present year will be a red-letter one in the annals of Antarctic exploration, inasmuch as determined efforts are "to be mads by the British Geographical. Society and the German Government in concert to unravel a little of the terra incognita of that remote region. The South Pole has not received that attention from explorer* which has been bestowed upon the North Pole, for, whereas we are only 238 miles from the latter goal, wo arcs yet about 770 miles distant from the South Pole. Yet, it is imperative that our knowledge of these southern regions should be extended in the interests of navigation, since owing to our meagre information of the magnetic pole, ships Bailing in these southern waters often stray miles out of their course, and thus constantly protract their voyages unnecessarily. The Discovery was specially built for the British expedition. In appearance, she is a small, ungainly looking vessel, 178 ft in length, though she possesses tine lines. Bha is built of timber throughout, and special attention has been devoted to the strengthening of her aides to enable her to resist the enormous ice pressure she will encounter. Her framing is constructed of Scottish oak, and where shs will bo subjected to the maximum pressure, heavy transverse bulkheads are supplied. There is a solid mass of wood 9ft in thickness In her stem, while her sides amidships are 2* ft thick. Her outside planking is of hard wood sheathed with ereen heart and iron hark. Owing to the peculiarity of her form, when tho ice exerts heavy pressure, instead of crushing the vessel it will gradually lift her up. She belongs to the. auxiliary class of steam vessels, her engines developing only 450 horsepower, and she will thus depend mainly upon her sails for progress. She is driven bv three propellers fitted 'with new pattern withdrawing shafts and lifting screws, bv which means, whenever an exigency arises, the screw shaft ran be withdrawn inboard out of the way of the ice. Her boilers are the best return tube Scottish type. Her coal capacity is only '280 tons, but this is sufficient to carry her 8000 knots at an average speed of 65 to 7 knots per hour. Pbe covered the ISO miles between Dundee and London with the consumption of only 14 tons of coal. She carries a steam dynamo and also a windmill dynamo to economise coal.

The internal arrangement l ; of the vessel are as comfortable aiMJpssible. There is the usual ranee of laboratories and workshops incidental to such expeditions, and roomv quarters for the offipers and crew. One prominent feature of the interior en'iinment. is a Tnnd of aimosnhorio loolt bv which means the raw Antarctic air is prevented from entering the interim- of the vessel when a nerson enters from the dpeh. It is a double-door arrangement, and when entering the -person first plnc(»q the outer door before he oriels the one leading into the apartment. To Preserve the warmth in + hp rooms the walls ore lined with p.shpstos. The stovo"? pro nroxtded with tale floors with fimnel-Hko tiffins:"? over them, throned) which the fir from the outside enters and is carried "'-cr grlowinar coals to he lieit"'l T-rior to its dpTiverv into tbo rooms. Tbp =hin is be-bfed thronjrho'it. with pleptrio l.iffht. The magnetic instruments carried are of tbo most, dplicntp dnsorintini, and to prevent- their l lP fr,n- no "feel or iron <"" locntprl within a radius of 3"ft of them. Tbo total post, of the OTOPditiop is £100. Tft will tip abtipnt for three vers, and ihe finpiinl post of P'airtaininfr if will be -Co one. The of the pvnpn'ition is Cant" in P.. V. Scott, of the "Rovni N«ival 'Reserve. The officer* and crew tnjrplipr 50.

The Pi-nth Point- regions have been divide! into foil,. rii-nrtorß or mnrtrnnfs. risrnel reqnoflfivol''-. VWni'Vl. 9flrlpiT. to Ifi"'l«»<r. Pfl-it.' T?fRO. IPfVW. t" On- s*?,5*?, wpot. ; Wo-blel. QO/W woat. to mltw., f!r°»nvri>.li Wet-Wan. n-nrl Tn(lpvhir. (Hloo-. to POdpof, Pnit- Tim British ptnwl'Him vfjll r»TT>IoT» tbo Victoria nnrl "Rr>*<* nnarTrPTits, awl th" f!r>rnnrs will explore the Wetl'lel and Enderby Actions.

ELECTRIC TEA MWA YS, * Excellent progress continues to be made with thei track-wort for the Auckland electric tramways, the rails having been laid down as far as St. Stephen's Avenue, the work of excavation has reached Ayrstreet, and the metalling has been completed up to Park Crescent. The work of laying the underground conduits was commenced yesterday, Messrs. J. G. White and Co., Limited, tho general contractors for the electric tramways, having let a contract to Messrs. John McLean and Son, whose tender was the lowest submitted. Messrs. Newson and Coulson's tender for the foundation work in connection with the power-house, to be erected in Hobson-strcet, being the lowest of those received, the contract has been awarded to them, and they will commence operations almost immediately. Messrs. White and Co. quite expect to have this preliminary work completed before the arrival of the steel work, which is due here in about two and a-half months.

At last night's meeting of the City Council a letter was read from Mr. P. M. Hansen, of the Tramways Company, intimating that the company's "contractors (Messrs. J. G. White and Co., Limited) would begin the work of reconstructing the western line from Queen-street to the Ponsonby depot as soon as possible after December 1. The Streets Committee reported having received the plans of Jervois Road and Hobsoiistreet extension, but had deferred consideration of them pending submission of plans of proposed further extensions. Mr. Stichbmy said he had not seen the plans, but ho was given to understand that only a single tramline was to bo laid along Jervois Road. According to the deed there should be a double line to Wallace-street. He moved that the Streets Committee report on the plans, and the motion was adopted Permission was granted to the contractors (J. G. White and Co.) to lay the rails on the sides of the streets, pending their use, subject to the engineer's approval.