The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-21 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION.

IT is a little more than five years ago that an
English expedition, equipped more completely
than any of its kind that Lad ever left our shores,
sailed from Spithead for the North Pole. It was
held that the Pole could be reached, and that
England ought to do it. The Admiralty pro-
posed the vote for the expedition to the House
of commons; that assembly cheerfully granted
the money; it was readily acquiesced in by the
people, the ships were fitted with every appliance
that modern science and official assistance could
suggest ; and altogether circumstances were
favourable to success. The public interest in
Arctic exploration which had laid dormant a
good many years, all at once revived; the ships
set out with all good wishes ; and so careful was
the Government that everything possible should
be done, that the despatch-boat Valorous ac-
companied the two vessels far away into the
northern seas so as to supply them with pro-
visions up to the latest practicable moment be-
fore taking leave of them. Then the Valorous
, turned her prow in the direction of home, and
the Alert and Discovery faced towards the Arciie
, regions, to remain in that great lone land awl
ace for two long and weary years, for such was
the estimated time of their absence from our own
busy sphere. In fact, in one sense, they were
to disappear altogether from this world during
i.bat time. The world into which they penetrated
was One of eternal silence, and for nine months
in the year, one of unbroken night. The sun
seemed to withdraw from it as though in despair.
His warm and genial rays were wasted on that
vast sterile waste, where no sound of industry
ever broke the long solitude, where the sea was
bound with an iron band of thick-ribbed ice,
where no steamboats could make their way
across the ocean, and no railways sent forth the
voice of civilization upon the land ; where work-
men built no towns, and farmers tilled no fields;
where there were neither villages nor hamlets,
mountains nor valleys, river nor lakes. It ap-
peared therefore, as though the sun had resolved
to devote himself to those. parts of the univorse
where light and warmth could be appreciated,
and thus left the Arctic circle to itself for three•
quarters of the year.
The Arctic expedition did not remain away
quite as long as had been anticipated. It was
back at the end of sixteen mouths with the de-
claration that the North Pole was impraciicable.
It had reached a higher latitude than had ever
been trodden by human foot before. It had
laboured indefatigably during the long months
of perpetual night with the endeavour to laccom-
plish its object. But when it had got to its
farthest point, it found that 400 miles lay be-
tween its own exertions and the Pole. This is
just the distance from London to Edinburgh by
rail, but there was no Flying Scotchinan to run
the journey in nine hours. Enormous icebergs
blocked the way—hugh towering masses heaped
together like Pelion upon Ossa, standing there
stern and cold as death, as they had stood for
thousaeds of years; placing an impassable barrier
between man's ambition and the object of his
search. "So far shalt thou go and no farther,"
was the irrevocable decree. So back came the
baffled explorers; and, from that day to this,
whatever private enterprise may have thought of
doing, Government help has not been forthcom-
ing for any additional researches into the
geography of the North Pole.
Commander Cheyne is very eloquent in hie
endeavours to persuade the public to subscribe
£30,000, to be expended in another Arctic ex-
pedition. If, argues the gallant officer, you can
not get through the 400 miles of ice lying between
the highest accessible point and the Pole, you
can go over it. Don't attempt to use the pick-
axe; try the balloon. Very.large sums of money
have in successive ages been spent in the en-.
deuvour to reach the Pole; but here is a plan
which cannot fail to uonquer all difficulties. The
fascination which this subject possesses for the
minds of men is illustrated by the fact, that no
less than fourteen enterprises of different kinds
are to be carried out in the coming year. Un-
doubtedly we should be very proud if an Eng-
lish crew were the first to reach the Pole, and
thus maintain the credit of Englishmen as ex-
plorers. All honour to the men who are ready
to risk their lives in au attempt to sustain the
glorious traditions of the English name. But if
the undertaking is to be carried out—and there
are so many countries which are sending out
expeditions—it is fairly open to suggest that in
this as in other cases unity might be found to
represent strength, Why not combine with etch
other instead of competnig ? Money from one
country, science from another, experience from
a third, practical suggestions from a fourth,
might make up a combination which would carry
human intellect to hideerto uutraversed regions,
and thus solve a mystery that has long excited
the interest of men of science in various
countries.