New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-16
NETWORK GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
Access TO an Open Polar sea by North
American Meridian.
BY DIR. z. X. KANE, OF PHILADELPHIA.

BY DR. x. X. KANE, OF PHILADELPHIA
A numerous audience assembled in the
Chapel of the University Washington square, last even.
ing attracted no doubt by the interest attached to the
name of the Surgeon ofhe late Expedition in search of
Sir John Franklin, who it was understood, would
read paper before the Society.
After the transaction Of some ordinary routine bust
ness including the presentation of valuable map by
Nj Dsturnen appended to the Mexican treaty the So
ciey adjourned from the Library TO the Chapel for the
purpose of hearing Dr. Kane read his interesting paper
Hon George Bancroft in the absence Of the President
of the Society occupied the Chair and upon ntroduc
Ing Or Kane TO the Society observed that all hope OF
efocting the discovery of the lsmcnted Franklin
not vet abandoned even though the exertion hereto
fore made for that purpose had not been attended with
success The discourse Of the evening not intend
ed 10 anuse, but 10 present-beore another expedition
cent out-n a scientific manner an account of what
sought TO be accomplished, and the grounds upon
which that Expedition was based.
Dr. Kane then came forward, and proceeded to read
the paper for the evening
The North Pole was regarded, even by goographers,
with species of mysterious awe. We knew OF 1t rs
we knew of our earth planet and not as we knew
ur earth a home Centuries before the days of Ply
thagoras, older poets sang of the earth disc
rounded by water and enclosed within brazen grdle.
More than two hundred years before our era Eratos
themes projected the division of the North AMI the
South and until very lately thousand years had not
added much to our knowledge.
II e north pole was shut in by of ice Here he
might remark that the early settlements in Iceland and
their extension to Greenland far back the ninth
century, made Of the existence Of a similar
iceland lying along the shores of Labrador while the
enterprise the old Muscovy traders followed this
iceland across TO Spitzbergen. This zone was also
stretching along the north Of Siberia European
Russia &c, north of Nova Zen,ba, SO that complete
zone formed This ice barrier hal always been
the subject of polar investigation and of course many
interesting observations had been made in connection
with it The lecturer then illustrated by maps project
ed upon the --latest discoveries the peculiar direction
taken by the polar ice in the Arctic regions owing
the conformation and position of Greenland Spitzber
gen and Nova Zemba The belt of ice enclosin; what
he considered great polar sea, found by all
arctic nsvigstors to be from thirty to fifty miles in
width. The enterprise of American whacrs had ,racel
ii across TO Behring's Straits, projecting south
ftr as latitude 70 This belt Of ice was something
like COCO miles in circumference with diameter of
2CoO miles aud he believed this ice to be ring sur
rounding area of open water which formed the
upon theory the other upon actual survey
showing the supposed form Of the Polar Sea As The
arguments for the existence of such sea were Of
much importance in view Of accurate geographical
research and they have never perhaps been preached
together he would trespss upon their time while he
presented them to the Society
The Polar Ocean was a great Mediterranean draining
the northern portions OF three large continents lie
had pye n mfr ov ~
drogrSphic system of the Polar Sea- bu, could no, pre-
sent them this evening. Suffice to say on tbs, head
that the system was greater than our own Atlantic
Considering then, the many and source. whence
this Polsr Sea received its supplies was eyden, that
immense basin must have an outlet and is contents
and their movements independent, Of the generally re.
ceived laws governing currents The avenues of egres
and insess three The first avenue was Behring's
Straits the second the Straits between Hudsous and
Bafns Bays and the third the interval between Green.
land and Norway on the Atlantic 1t Was through
those that thoseenormous masses Office known
a. icebergs, were carried down to the south
Late observations went far to confirm the recently
preached idea relative Polar Currents In fact some
of the best authorities recognized in the Polar Sea
system of revolving Currents, whose direction was
from north to south in the summer and from south to
north in The winter. Contrasting the movements of
the Currents Of this Polar Sea in connection with its
discharge and supply we would find the eurren. pass
ing along the Russian 20 Nova Zembla there to
Spitzbergen and then along the coast OF Greenland
where il was known the Coast Current East Of
Greenland the Current did not run due south forupon
reaching Cape Farwell it was detected and passed
along the coast of Labrador and then down the coast
Of the United sts,es Icebergs-a portion Of the Polar
glacier land for their formation Throughout
the entire region of the Polar Sea the iceberg was
found in but thirty degrees, and in this connection they
shoud remark that In the months of June to October
large area Of open wer existed in the upper part Of
Bsfin's Bay-an interval known to whslers - "the
north water" The area was no less than $4,000