Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1859-06-27
The Northern Sea.

~ IS TenlarkaOle thQt from the earliest
ages, among most races some singular
feeling or association of mystery attached
to the North. "Out of the North evil
shall come, says the inspired writer, and
1t was TO the North that Runic sorcerers
turned to the great source of incompre-
hensble lore. Aud the mystery has not
diminished in late days The question of
tue Northwest passage vexed the world for
years, and now that has been solved, one
IN every way of infinitely greater impor-
tance to science, has been raised in the in
qury, "ls there an open Polar Scar"
What difference does it make to any,
body whether there be such a sea ?" cry
many. The same class Of minds decry
appropriations for astronomy, don't quite
see through the coast surveys, and. in
short, howl out at every dollar devoted to
art or science, "Why was not this money
gwen to the poor" Yet even such
know that all practical knowledge is bas /,
ed on science, and that science must mas
ter the great laws which pervade the
whole earth. A question of polar magnet
Ism and the center Of cold may be of this
utmost Importance in determining practi-
cal points of electro-magnetism and manu-
lactures. AT any rate, until science has
completely satisfied every question it is
interested in, practical, daily bread, man,
ulacturing and arts have no absolutely
perfect foundation or future.
There is good reason to believe that
North ola certain latitude, climate be,
comes warmer. With this theory are sas-
socia!ed many unsolyed scientific prob
lens. 1t is believed that there is q vast
Polar sea, and that this is the great resort
oi whales, the observation of many wha,
lers confirming this. All the principal
whaling grounds are just in situations
which seem to be the exits or doors of
such sea, and the singular fact ofwhales
gong South from them, and the manner
III which they disappear or reappear all
confirm the idea. There are also scien-
tihc observations innumerable, to say
nothing Of the Kane expedition, which
should be deemed almost conclusive.
There is another class who say, there
has been suffering and expensc-let us
have no more of this Polar exploring."-
Such persons are not aware that thou
sands Of whalemen annually suffer little
less than they probably would in a well
appointed expedition and that picked
men can easily be obtained among them
for such voyage. In short, if men who
are perfectly familiar with the rerils of
the extreme North, are willing to en-
counter them, and if the whole scientific
world approves Of the project, land gives
glory to America for having those who
dare do it, the question simply is, wheth-
er America will raise the money requisite I?
That is all.
Dr. Hayes, who has with Dr. Kane en-.
countered the worst perils of the North,
is now occupied in organizing such an ex-
pedition. We command the considera-
tion of i. to all our readers. If he and
others are willing to GO cannot raise the
thirty thousand dollars requisite to send
them and solve the last great Northern
POLLEN? The true chivalry of the Nine.
teepth century 4: the risking Of life for tru-
ly honorable distinction, centres nearly all
around science And if we come to his.
tory, to progress and facts, we shall find
that one new scientific fact is well worth a
thousand lives, though it were very small
fact indeed. Generations may come and
60 without doing anything for posterty ;
but one scientific fact is an eternal and ab>
solute acquisition to the cause of progress
and from it may grow new scource of
happiness. No one can say how but we
defy man tostudy the history of science
and human culture, and not agree with
us. To those who extend helping hand
to all such chvalric and truly philanthrop-
ic effort, the highest honor belongs
Theirs are the truly enlightened minds
who look beyond petty, narrow limits,
and coming generation will do them hon.
or for it is the true scientific era which
is now dawning on the world.