Show I Wilkes' Wilkes Discovery of New Continent One Hundred Years Ago Gave America Its First Claim to Antarctic Lands I By ELMO ELl SCOTT V WATSON A Released by Western Newspaper Union HE recent departure of T THE Rear Admiral Richard E. E Byrd for his third expedition expedition ex ex- expedition into the Antarctic an expedition which has three purposes purposes exploration exploration scientific scientific scientific investigation and most important of all strengthening strengthen strengthen- ing any future claims of the United States on territory in inthe inthe inthe the region of the South Pole recalls another intrepid American explorer who gave us our first claim to that country country country coun coun- try just years ago He was Charles N. N Wilkes of the United States navy who on January 16 1840 was the first to discover the existence existence existence exist exist- ence of a continent in the Antarctic Antarctic Antarctic Ant Ant- arctic sea As has been the case in so many parts of the world Great Britain was the first nation to assert assert as as- assert sert sovereignty over Antarctica Her claims go back to January 17 1773 when Capt James Cook crossed the Antarctic circle forthe for forthe forthe the first time in history A year later he reached what was then farthest south even though it was 1318 miles from Crom the South pole pale and discovered a land which he named the Isle of Georgia Georgia Georgia Geor Geor- gia in honor of George III and Sandwich land in honor of the fourth earl of Sandwich first lord of the admiralty during the American Revolution In 1823 James Weddell of the British royal navy discovered the sea which now bears his name and set a new farthest south record or 1102 miles from the pole Soon after that the famous whaling firm of Enderby in London London London Lon Lon- don became interested In Antarctic Antarctic tic exploration and sent out several several several sev sev- eral expeditions In one of them in 1830 James Briscoe of the Brit Brit- ish navy discovered and named Kemp land and in 1839 John Bal- Bal leny discovered and named the islands To Aid Whalers By this thi time this time the United States had bad become interested in South solar polar olar exploration also and in 1836 congress authorized an expedition expedition expedition tion which was intended primarily primar primar- ily to assist American whaling industries industries industries in in- in competing with the British by and routing the South Pacific islands locating islands whaling areas and industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial prospects Antarctic exploration exploration exploration ration was a secondary purpose For this reason the expedition was not fitted out with vessels especially selected to buck ice packs or withstand polar winters they were ordinary naval vessels of thin walls weak prows and exposed exposed exposed ex ex- ex- ex posed rudders The two larger vessels the Vincennes and the Peacock had the added disadvantage disadvantage disadvantage vantage of a superimposed gun gundeck gundeck gundeck deck and exposed open gun ports in the lower deck There was poor and inadequate stowage space for food and medical supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies and water and a very small supply of fuel If Charles N. N Wilkes of the United States navy commander of the expedition expedition expedition tion had been trapped ice-trapped and forced to winter within the Antarctic Antarctic Antarctic Ant Ant- arctic circle he and his entire party would have been frozen or starved to death The five ships that made the cruise the sloops Vincennes and Peacock the Relief the brig Porpoise Porpoise Porpoise Por Por- poise and arid the tenders Sea Gulland Gull Gulland Gulland and Flying Fish totaled less than 2000 tons and yet carried a crew of men This meant cramped quarters with foul air and lack of space for isolation in case of at sickness Also the authorities had failed to stock the squadron with anti to prevent scurvy Wilkes Has Troubles Further to add to the difficulties difficulties difficulties ties Wilkes began to show condescension condescension condescension con con- and almost open conI contempt contempt con con- I tempt to the group of civilian scientists i I. I that had been assigned I mm i I 1 ri r- r I i li him I i 1 4 i r r r ni Jr J r li r I r l 1 l A. A nu i u. u r r fi vari ir r 4 rL I r v i. i I I 1 Lx HI n R r i I I lW 1 Fl I L. L l TA l F rv v. v i ir i iP P l r I 4 1 V ic 1 i i p a y q 1 r l HI 1 n t i iY is r h I r 6 n h mo r rl ti r AI t F Fr v mm J ii Ii ul ij JI OJ I r. r r. r A j IT I 4 P 1 I 1 Hari U I. I i 1 r r i t i ti i 1 U 1 i fIr f J hh t. t I. 4 r r rr lr it u o far rC r fl E ti Ir i rr n hl nil y r v nn II L w I h Ivr r l JF 1 f rl I r 1 r u I d lyla rY I J u l f r k h P s r c n I t l f r- r Ii 4 n. n ry n hl r r 4 a The Vincennes in Disappointment bay From bay From an illustration in Wilkes Narratives him Among them was Titian Peale artist and naturalist the third of the famous Maryland artist family Friction and jealousy jealousy jeal jeal- jealousy sprang up among the officers officers officers cers of the command The commander commander commander com com- mander of the Peacock was senior to Wilkes in the navy thus requiring a delicacy and tact almost almost almost al al- al- al most impossible during the cruise and always galling for so downright downright downright down down- right and headstrong a man as Wilkes The crew was insubordinate insubordinate insubordinate and there were desertions desertions desertions deser deser- during the the- cruise Wilkes set sail from Hampton Roads Va on August 18 1838 and after a goodwill cruise down the coast of eastern South America America Amer Amer- ica he rounded Cape Horn and arrived off Tierra del Fuego February February February Feb Feb- 17 1839 Winter Vinter came on almost immediately Four months later the vessels scattered east and west for polar The little Sea Gull and its entire company went down to death in a storm and this catastrophe catastrophe catas catas- increased the depression ft r P c FT e b rte 9 e. e i v a may 4 fi The Porpoise in an Antarctic gale gale From From an illustration in Narratives Wilkes of the captain and the fear and discontent of his crew From May to November the squadron made a great sweep across the South Pacific to Australia On December 26 Wilkes led his squadron of four vessels the Vincennes Vincennes Vincennes Vin Vin- cennes which he commanded himself the Peacock commanded command command- ed by Capt William L. L Hudson the brig Porpoise commanded by Commander Cadwalader Ringgold and the tender Flying Fish out of Sydney harbor and headed for Macquarie island the first rendezvous Within a week after leaving Sydney the Flying Fish and the Peacock dropped out of sight in the fog Then the 1 YI 1 S r I 1 Porpoise disappeared but Wilkes pushed on southward in the Vin Vine cennes Finds a New Continent By January 16 1840 he had reached 66 degrees south latitude and had found the Peacock and the Porpoise They were now confronted by an ice barrier but the crews of the remaining ships reported that appearances beyond beyond beyond be be- yond the barrier seemed to indicate indicate indicate indi indi- cate land and in his report Wilkes sets January 16 1840 as the date of the discovery of a anew anew anew new continent Concerning this Wilkes writes in his volume five-volume narrative of the expedition that appearances believed to be land were visible from all three vessels and the comparison of the three observations observations observations when taken in connection with the more positive proofs of its existence afterward obtained has left no doubt that the appearance appearance appear appear- ance was not deceptive From this day therefore we date the discovery which is claimed for forthe forthe forthe the squadron From the Peacock Peacock Peacock Pea Pea- cock the mountains could be distinctly distinctly dis dis- distinctly dis- dis seen stretching to the southwest as far as anything could be discerned More Discoveries On the nineteenth land was now certainly visible from the Vincennes both to the south- south southeast and southwest in the former direction most distinctly The same day Hudson in the Peacock Peacock Peacock Pea Pea- cock saw what appeared to be bean bean bean an immense land mass feet high and covered with snow On the twenty-second twenty twenty-third twenty and twenty-eighth twenty there were more appearances of land the proximity of which was further A f A 1 A 1 f LC uy um un Ul ulA Ww V ui UJ the water and the character of the bottom shown by soundings On the thirtieth the Vincennes entered an indentation of the icebound icebound ice ice- icebound bound coast which was named I 1 Piner's bay We approached says Wilkes within half a mile of the dark volcanic rocks which appeared on on- both sides of us and saw the land gradually rising beyond beyond beyond be be- yond the ice to the height of feet It could be distinctly seen extending to the east and west of our position fully 60 miles Now that all were convinced of its existence I gave the land the name of the Antarctic continent On February 13 the record notes Land distinctly seen from 18 to 20 miles distant a lofty mountain range covered with snow The following day land was again seen On the fourteenth fourteenth four four- fourteenth By measurement the extent of coast of the Antarctic continent which was then insight insight in insight sight 75 miles and feet high Land Named for Him Wilkes turned north when in about 97 degrees 40 minutes east 64 degrees 1 minute south after having skirted the Antarctic coast for fully 1700 miles What he had actually discovered was the large segment of Antarctica afterward named Wilkes land in his honor On March 11 1840 Wilkes arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived at Sydney and wrote to the secretary of the navy It affords af af- affords af- af fords lords me much gratification to report report report re re- re- re port that we have discovered a large body of land within the Antarctic Antarctic Ant Ant- arctic circle I have named the Antarctic continent and refer you to the report of our cruise and accompanying charts enclosed enclosed enclosed en en- closed herewith for full information tion relative thereto On March 13 the Sydney Herald published a long account of the expedition in which appeared the first printed print print- ed notice of the fact that a continent continent continent conti conti- nent had been discovered in the Antarctic Before the end of the year a similar announcement was published in London Wilkes Wilkes' expedition made in un un- seaworthy sailing ships which lacked the special equipment usually usually usually ally regarded as indispensable by polar explorers was a daring and splendid venture Some of the positions he assigned to the coast have since been proved to be inaccurate and some of his appearances of land were probably ice but the fact is undeniable un un- un deniable that he found a vast stretch of Antarctic coast where no land of any kind was previously previously previously supposed to exist and that the knowledge we possess today concerning the outlines of the Antarctic continent began to take definite shape with his eries But most important of all those discoveries gave the United States a real basis for its claims in Antarctica and some day if we wish to establish airplane bases there that may be a very important fact indeed Wilkes our first Antarctic explorer explorer ex ex- explorer was a native of New York city having been born there April 3 1798 It is an interesting fact that his name is better known to most Americans in connection with an incident which occurred two decades later than it is for his polar discoveries That incident incident incident in in- was the famous Trent affair affair affair af af- fair of 1861 In 1855 Wilkes was commissioned commissioned commissioned commis commis- captain and at the the out out- outbreak outbreak out out- break of the Civil war in 1861 het hp he t r ry l y J f rZ was placed in command of the sloop San Jacinto On November November November Novem Novem- ber 8 the San Jacinto encountered encountered encountered the English mail steamer Trent which was on its way from Havana to St. St Thomas in the West Indies Aboard the steamer on this voyage were John Slidell of 01 Louisiana and James M. M Mason of Virginia who had been appointed appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed commissioners to enlist the sympathy and aid of France and Great Britain for the Confederate Confederate Confederate Con Con- federate cause The San Jacinto easily overtook the Trent which hoisted the English English English Eng Eng- lish colors while Wilkes ran up the Stars and Stripes and fired a ashot ashot ashot shot across the Trents Trent's bow as asa asa asa a signal for her to stop When the British captain paid no attention attention attention atten atten- tion to this summons the San Jacinto sent a shell screaming across the water in front of her Then the Briton hove to Wilkes ordered Lieutenant Fairfax to man two boats and board the Trent When the lieutenant lieutenant lieutenant lieu lieu- tenant did so and asked permission permission permission sion of the captain to see his passenger passenger passenger pas pas- list the request was re re- re- re fused However Fairfax seeing Mason and Slidell and their secretaries secretaries secretaries sec sec- Eustis and McFarlane McFarlane McFarlane Mc- Mc Farlane on the deck informed them that he had orders to take them aboard the San Jacinto Over the vigorous protest of the British captain this was done al al- YI rr r. r r 3 rf 1 t r 1 f cJ though the families of the four Confederates were allowed to remain remain remain re re- re- re main on the Trent which continued continued continued contin contin- on its way to England Hero Der of the Hour Captain Wilkes took his prisoners prison prison- ers to Boston where they were imprisoned in Fort Warren Their capture created a sensation throughout the country and for a time Wilkes was the hero of the hour His act was indorsed by the secretary of the navy who wrote the captain a letter of thanks and he received a similar similar simi simi- lar letter from congress Banquets Banquets Banquets Ban Ban- and receptions were given him in Boston New York and Washington But over in England the affair was viewed in a very different light The British government made a peremptory demand upon the gov government of the United States for the restoration of the prisoners and an official apology for Wilkes' Wilkes insult to the British flag and his violation of international international international inter inter- national law For a time it seemed that the United States and England might be embroiled in a war over the incident for popular feeling in this country was running as high as it was across the Atlantic Fortuna Fortunately tely however President dent Lincoln and his secretary of State William H. H Seward were by public opinion They ordered the prisoners surrendered surrendered surrendered sur sur- rendered on the ground that Captain Cap Cap- tam tain n Wilkes had erred in not carrying carrying carrying car car- the Trent to a neutral port to have the case adjudicated before a prize court In acting g as the judge himself and practically practically cally executing his own decree the captain had I technical technically committed committed com com- mi a violation of international law for which the only redress was the restoration of the status quo Several years later the Royal Geographical Geographies 1 society of England presented him with a gold medal in recognition of his work as an explorer It was also striking evidence of the fact that the lish English English Eng Eng- people bore him no will ill-will because of his action in the Trent affair He died in Washington o on n February 8 1877 |