New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-02
ACCESS TO THE NORTH POLE BIZ
kAEE'S SEA.

TIE Polar Basin !. body Of w,.s, 800 niles IN s
greatest diameter BY nearly 900 in is least 10 su-
percia area from four TO Eve millions OF square miles
one half larger than the Continent Of North America
Its ard boutesries have been explored, except the
roth coast OF Greenland. Its channels Of commuucs
ton With the southern waters BY Behring'S Strait the
es.uares leading into ard from Bsfns and Hudsons
Bsy. srd the iroad e1panse of water between Green
land and Norway, are blocked up BY ~ ice barrier
which bss de6td all Efforts 10 force passage.
That this ice barrier is bu. belt zone OF varying
Width, limiting POinia, or sss free from les, has
been long corjec!ured.
The southern margin Of this barrier has been accu
rs.ely defined and penetrated BY Parry above Sptz
bergen to e. 4J-the closest approach yet made to
the Pole but only at two points has the belt been
| passed over and water discovered beyond. These
points are to the ard Of he new Siberian Islands
by tho Russians, and through Smith Strait by DR..
Kane.
The open sea Of DR.. Kane was reached by working
through tie ragged margin of the ice belt in .fas
Bay By vessel from lat 70' to lat. rs 81 in Smiths
Strait From this point journeys Of exploration were
made TO the northward the unbroken ice with dog
seighs; and one Of the parties Morton and Hans dis
covered open water in lat 80 90 at the point whore
Smiths Strait opens into the newly discovered chan
rel Of Kennedy. Travelling along the margin Of this
open water the party reached TO lat 81 3O and from
az elevation of 1me 400 feet looked out upon ice
lets ses The following are the principal features OF
this discovery:
A strong VIVID bio wing from the northvNd brought
down no ice with the current setting south. Immense
focks Ct birds gus ducks and geese were seen upon
or hoyerrg over the water. Seals were seen, and ben
were shet; aid upon testing the water with Their
nomeer it gave temperature Of 80, while the ten
Iera.urs Of the air 81. will briefly consider these
points in sequence:
Fast: The fact that no ice came down with the
wind and current points to the conclusion tha' there
must have been much larger open ares than covered
the range Of vision Of the observer.
Second The discovery Of water foT gives vaue to
my own experience; for have repeatedly seen large
fotks in norlhward fight in the Spring aud again
moving in column southwark in the Autumn. DIR.
Kane observed the same; and he saw also the white
whale passing northwsrd through Wellington Channel
during thrse dsys.
Third The seal seen must have been denizens OF
the orth a.er and hence must be continually open.
fer this species Paoca Babats are lot endowed With
the mechanical powers 70 open breathing places in the
ice ard they could not pass under the unboken ice
belt Of Smiths Susit $50 miles, without coming to the
tufface to breathe.
Fosr,h. The temperature of the water 1907 is of
most in portance and We may very we'll ark with Dr.
Ksre "Where does tai. warm water come from"
Tie currents of the Arctic ONan are bat imperfecty
understood, but we know that current sets north
ward through Behring's Strait and another along the
coast Of Norway 10 continuation OF the Gulf ream.
Two ao Sc. south-one through the Spitz bergen and
Greenland Seas another through Baiiin's Bay and
Dsvis's Straits bearing their immense ce-raf,s.
A deep-sea current is known to flow northwerd
through Bsflins Bay; and follow Lieut. Maury in
suggesting not improbable, that the deeper waters
of the Gulf Stream continue to flow rorthward beyond
Nova Zembe, and, with the deep-;ea current of Bif-
Fms Bay rise to the surface at point within tue
Arctic Ocean with q temperature at or above 30'.
II will have great circumpoar boiliog spring
If We may venture TO the expressionl varying in
extent ard position with the seasons, expanding with
the Summer and contracting with tie Winter.
II this open exists, will necessarily modify the
innate about the Pole. TIE isothermsl lines pro
jected by Humboldt. Berghaus and Prof. Dow poidt
TO tie existence Of an Aistc ard American center OF
cold, co1cdirg with the magnetic centers, in lat 49,
and if this be the ease will have at the geographic
role the same CLIMATE al in latitude Go, where barley
s grown in Europe. The isothermsl charts of Cass
A.
point to the came iIterc sting conclusion.
But we have no positive proof that open wafer ex
ists in midwin,er, ard it was to propose plan By
which the existence or noa existencs of water a. this
period might be positively determined and the Pole
reached that sppe aled before the Geographical So
ciety As the most practicable route for these pur-
poses have to recommend tia. made familiar to US
by tie researches Of Dr. Kane.
The following are the advantages possessed by this
route:
l. Terra fins "a ba ais Of operation-not, however,
as fed for trave but sfordipg marginal belt Of
ce always al certain smooth and secure, aud
furnishing at al times safe reres. for parties, and
sure four dation for depot stations a. least 10 81 V
H. A due north liue, rendered certain by personal
knowledge Of the coast.
I'LL The benefit Of the land masses Of Greenland,
Washing ton and GriuDe Lands to check the equsorsl
drift Of the early breakup thus obvatng the dfcal.
ties Parry encountered in his Spitzbergen foot~tismp.
". The Cooperation OF the natives, who would fur
rsh the party with dogr, sle6ges and fdrs cHe OF
need.
V. possible chance of fading an opsn'xater pas
sage through Smiths SIait and Kennedy Chanoel, by
which access 10 the Pole could be made with vessel
vi. Being on lice with the Greenland c'as', WITH
TO lGge body of water to cross the safety OF Tue veg
sci need rot be made gu Object Of serious consideration
10 pushing forward escape 10 boas to the south oeing
always practicable, as proven By the experience OF Df
Kane. / would push 9 vessel as far within SniEhs
Strait as practicable, and, securing Winter hsroor on
the western shcre set out upon the earliest freezing
with dogs and slsdge to the northward anc estaosn
ifg depot Of provbiops upon the northern terminus
OF Grinrell Land, pass the Winter In sno" mouse
with one companion and, durcg the mooHltgA PeTI0d
of December, January and February, perform journeys