Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-02-11
smisa:s - sINseDs. res.
Oh. KANE's THIRD LECTURE ON THE Arc
TIC EXPLORATION.

{ ~n1s,rT
Oh. KANE's THrRD LECTURE ON THE Arc
TIC EXPLORATION.
The third lecture of DR.. Kane was
delivered on Friday night week, be-
fore large and intellectual audience.
After repeating by request, his form
er arguments in favor of the exis-
tence of Sir John Franklin and his
party; DR.. Kane went on to describe
the perils to which the American ex-
pedition was exposed during its long
and unique drift in the polar ice
One of these struck us as especially
fearful. The vessels were about to
enter Bafiin's Bay fast in great field
of solid ice, when suddenly this was
rent into chasms, which rapidly open
ed into what were characterized by
DR.. Kane as "dark rivers" nearly
half as wide as the Potomac. On
the 18th of January of last year these
began to close with frightful clamor
and disruption. The brig was bodi-
ly lifted up seven feet, and an advan-
cling mound of ice threatened to over
whelm her, when by some miraculous
agency its course was arrested. The
subsequent portions of the lecture
were full of novelty. They related
to some Of the physical phenomena
of this wonderful region. The first
of these was:
The Polar CIRcLE.-This, with its
gradual and insidious approach, was
graphically depicted. At the appal-
ling temperature of 40 degrees and
so, or 70 to 80 degrees below the
freezing point, cold became as sensi-
bic in its effects as heat, indeed, be-
S.ween the positire effects of the very
high and the negative of the very low
scale, it was impossible to distinguish
~ sensation. Upon going out into
0le open air the face became encrus-
ted with an icy rind, and the lips
were glued togetherby the cemetning
aid of the beard and moustache.-
The trigger of the gun blistered the
finger, and a jack-knife in the panta-
looms pocket caused you to jump as
with a sudden scald. During the
long darkness, when they attempted
to beguile the winter hours with the
atricals, an unfortunate Thespian
dropped the pantomimic hat-iron as
though receiving a sudden burn. In
deed next day row of blsters had
given evidence of the truth, that in
temperatures as in everything else,
extremes meet.
TIE Polar NIGHr.-With the cold
came darkness. The long night stole
gradually upon our voyagers, and at
last the clear heavens shonc out per-
petually with unchanging stars The
polar star was so near overhead as to
appear in the absolute zenith, and
around it the "great vault of heaven
revolved with perpetual twinkle. y
This portion Of the Lecture was lis
tened to with breathless attention.
At last however the night passed
away, and almost by an immediate
transition, day came upon them.-
DE-. Kane SAID that this short period
OF Attenuation, giving them as it did
the familiar day and night of home,
was full OF painful associations.
At this time many curious pheno-
mena were noticed. Among those
stood prominently.
PARAsELINAE AND LUNAR HALos.-
The moon was observed surrounded
bytsro o0ncentrifs- les, each intex-
sectcd BY lumi.s s'sn, sands passing
through her disc. 1A Kane has seen
at one time six initiative moons,
aping, though feebly, the great satel-
lite.
The AuRoRA.-This was not only
the display, either Of color or illum-
nation, or movement, which is seen
in more southern ATTITUDES. DR..
Kane observed that he had observed
the anoral ares directly overhead,
nearly coincident with the magnetic
meridian. They were then north of
the magnetic pole of our earth, and
the south polar direction was read by
the compass as north. In other words,
their magnetic variation was 1870
deg.
PARuEiIA.-With the daylight anne
the parhelia, or mack suns. These,
ike paraselinae. mock moons, were
full of variety. The lecturer very
properly observed that it was sort
of PROCLAMATION to attempt to describe
a sky traversed with rainbows and
glittering with initiative suns.
Last of these inter-
displays came "refraction;"
m it so well known to us
name Of mirage" The
f this wonderful illusion, al
stained by the united expe-
all Arctic voyages, surpass
i0Gr of the reality. Sa-
Uttered in the purple
hit ocean steamers