The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-10-14
The Arctic Mystery.

ThP AfCIle mystery.
| Among the most interesting items OF
intelligence contained in the foreign news
brought by the Canada, we find a notice
of the return of the latest expedition sent
out by Lady Franklin to search for It'd
ing Of her husband. The fate of that Arc
tic traveller is now fully set at rest by the
intelligence brought by the returning par
ty.
! 1t is now fourteen years since Captain
Franklin started on the great expedition in
search of the famous north west passage.
His two ships the Erebus and Terror, sail
ed on observation-disclosures voyage on tie 26th
of MAY, 1915, and it was expected that
the expedition would return in about two
years One month from the dav he sailed
he was seen by whaler in Baffin's Bay.
In 1913, no news having been received of
Franklin, the British government fitted out
three vessels to proceed to the Arctic seas
in search Of the missing explorer. In
lo49, after a protracted and dangerous
but useless search, the last vessel of the ex-
petition returned. During the same period
a land party under Sir John Richardson,
and another sea expedition under the vet
eran Arctic explorer Sir James Ross, were
equally unsuccessful.
The British government then offered a
munifcent sum amounting to one hundred
thousand dollars, to any private expedite
| ton that should afford efficient aid to Sir
john Franklin. In 1850 no less than
eight expeditions were fitted out, Sir James
Ross again taking taking the command of
one of them. Lady Franklin also, in that
year, fitted out the expedition in the vessel
that bore her name, and also assisted
largely in despatching another expedition
| in the schooner Prince Albert. Mr.. Henry
Grinnel's expedition also started in the
same year, and there were eleven different
vessels at that time searching the arctic
seas for tidings of the lost. The result Of
all these numerous expeditions was com
parativelv small. The graves of three
men belonging to the Erebus and Terror
were discovered, but no documents that
gave any traces as to the Whereabouts of
the missing men. In 1853 DR.. Kane
started on his famous explorations, pre-
ceded by Sir Edward Belcher, with five
ships. Although this latter expedition did
not find anything of Sir John Franklin,
they succeeded in rescuing Capt. Mcclure,
who, with his ships company, had been
bound up by ice for three years.
At last, as these numerous expeditions
returned year after year, without any It'd
ings of him in whose search they were
dispatched the public began, with reason,
to deem further Investigations useless. 1t
was argued that the claims of humanity
had been satisfied, and that it was wrong,
as well as useless, to endanger more lives
in what was deemed vain search Lady
Franklin, however, with noble heroisln
that has won for her the admiration and
sympathy of the civilized world, still hoped
for her husbands safety, and recently dis
patched to the Arctic regions the small
screw steamer Fox, under charge Of Capt
McClintock. That vessel is now returned.
bearing to the bereayed lady, intelligence
that confirms the general impression as to
the loss of Sir John Franklin. Documents
were found at point on King Williams
Island, bearing date April rs, 1S4S, and
stating that Sir John Franklin died on the
18th of June, l847. His death, scarcely
|
must have discouraged his companions,
and it is perhaps owing to this premature
removal of their respected and experienced
chief that the whole party were lost.
If Sir John Franklin thus died a martyr
to his zeal in the cause of Arctic explora-
ton, he has IN death done more towards
unwilling the hidden mysteries of the Arc
tic seas than ever he could have done in
life Sympathy for his fate, and human
efforts to save him from death, have sent
out more Arctic expeditions than ever mere
enterprise would have done in the same
time. The history Of Arctic navigation,
for the past decade, has been but series
of searches for Franklin, and during these
searches DR.. Kane made his observations
so valuable to science, and Capt. Mcclure
made the discovery of the famous north
west passage, that has been the great geo
graphical event of the age. But for really
practical uses this discovery has yet been
of no avail, and with the return Of Lady
Franklin's latest expedition, we presume
!, Arctic navigation is over, for the presen;
at least.
The fate of Sir John Franklin has long
excited the speculation of geographers,
travellers and scientific men, and suggested
to poets some thrilling inspirations. In
Chambers Miscellany, a few years ago, a
fine poem on this subject appeared, and
attracted much attention. 1t was popu-
larry supposed that the frigid temperature
OF the Arctic zone would keep the human
frame from dissolution after DEATH and it
was said of Sir John and his men thatthey,
amid the icebergs of that mysterious land,
might still be found,
G like Egypt's kings,
Each in his iceberg sepulchre
And pyramid of snow
Perhaps the poetical allusion may be de-
stroyed by tie recent developments; but
more deeply touching than any effort of
the poets pen is the story of that heroic