Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-11-08
THE MYTHIC SEA,

For sges there has existed myth concern
ing Northern, Ocean, whose shores were the
barriers OF ice, and whose wat
ers held life and music. all its own. The
Seas sdinavians remember the myth, and to
this day iE Sweden and Norway and the
Northern Islands, the great unknown sea has
existence in the belief OF every supersttious
mind. TO US, who reason so phlosophcally
that nothing is hidden, it was not deemed
probable that such body Of water did or could
exist; and though many navigators asserted
their belief in the myth, IL has not had suf-
ticient data TO claim attention. A few minds
nature, still cluhg to the ancient story and
suffered it net to die. One of these minds
was Dr.. Kane, who now returns home with
tidngs that the lost sea is found!
Our readers doubtless perused the narrative
of the Kane expedition with breathless at
tenlion, and from it learned that the epid
navigator left his vessel fast in the almost
! impe netrable mountains of ice In lat 70 deg
45 min. north, pushing his way in sledges
and on foot to lat. 80 deg. 81 min, where he
stood upon shores Of, to his eyes, limt!ess
sea. Three thousand square miles did he
scan with eye and glass, and yet no bounds
to that expanse of water were found for
| ffty-two hours did heavy gale from the
north heave up the heavy surf, and yet il
brought down not sparticle of ice-stowing
around the pole ali was ocean life instead OF
| frigd death. Thus was the veil penetrated;
surprise seized upon the philosophical specu-
| II tha u,nsld ;e kuo, ~ tho
solution OF this wenderful problem of Nor
thern Sea.
lst The Doctor represents those waters
as lmpid as any summer sea. BY what pro-
cess in Nature can that high latitude sc
modify the temperature of the air as to leave
the sea unfrozen! Where the Doctor win.
tered the thermometer often stood at 60 de
gress below zero, and yet in still more
northerly cline there is sea which never
is frozen. Science stands stupe6ed, for al
its axoms are repudiated 6hd new laws are
to reconcile the facts TO theory.
I'd. Bird iand f.h life is there existent in
the utmost prolusion. There the awk and
elder duck range in unlimited freedom while
whale and walrus sport in such herds as make
the waters swarm with their huge merrment
Can these all live withou: proper foodl Does
the duck infest these regions without its
berrie, and grasses and bulbs for sustensr ce!
Here. then, is another query for the specua-
tor to answer, and the mystery Of that Nor
thern Sea grows more and more exciting.
Over the grand ice barrier which DR.. Kan'
passed WIS a new land, and he called
Washington, giving names also to the bay
and capes. Beyond this is that sea, and tina
sea battles the intangible North Pole
holds the myst cry of the Northern Lights i
its keepng--it keeps the secret Of its owl
I life within its bosom; will man ever solv
that secret aud open up that unknown world
We shall patiently await in hope. for, in on
minds, is a vague thought floating that the
sea which whirs round the pole Of this eartl
holds in its keeping the key to a Thousand
mysteries, aud we have faith to think that il
our years--should they be three score O.
more-thut rnythic sea shall give up its long
kept secret --Sta. Reg.