The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-03
The German Arctic Expedition.

From ne LoRdo Sun, December 49,
At the monthly meeting of the Geographical
Association which has just taken place at Berlin,
Captain Werner delivered long address, in
which he detailed the plan drawn up by DR..
Petermann for the proposed expedition and
stated his own views upon the probability OF its
success. II is intended to begin the voyage at
the commencement of spring, and to take Ham
merfest--a barber which never freeZes-as the
starting point of the expedition. Thence Spitz-
bergen will be visited, with a view OF examining
the coal beds used by the Dutch for upwards of
a century. where should the coal be found really
in quantity, depot might be set up.
The apparently very extensive iJhing-grounds
to the south side OF the island Will also be ex-
plored. Connected herewith VIII be an explo-
ration OF Eales Land, living to the east of Spitz-
bergen, which has probably been often enough
visited by walrus hunters, but never by a scien-
tiic expedition, and of which no one yet can
say whether 1t is an island, the commencement
of an archipelago, or even OF continent The
expedition will then stretch away to the west
endeavoring to penetrate as far as possible
towards the north, in order to discover whether
the North Pole is immediately surrounded BY a
sea free of ice, and will next pursue its course
to the east coast of Greenland, whence it will
also feel its way as far north as can be accom-
plished. Turning then to the east. the expedi.
tiOn will cross the Siberian sea, and if favored
by fortune, return through the Arctic Ocean.
Whether, and to what extent, the entire plan
may be accomplished, depends naturally upon
circumstances, but Captain Werner believed
nlDseu dDie 10 assure MS hearers tnaI no SUOTJS
would be wanting on the part of the leader and
partiCpators in the enterprise to insure success.
The speaker hoped the Prussian Government
would give one Of It's war vessels for the eXpedi
tion, and that in other respects the nation gene
rally would bestow upon IL as much support as
the English had repeatedly done with the Arctic
expeditions fitted out by their Government.
Should the Prussan government decline to give
a ship for the purpose, the next best plan would
be to accept the offer of a Bremen house, which
rendered two wooden transports lately disposed
of by the American government. These would
cost together about 100000. 1t would be advi-
sable to equip two ships, provlsioned for three
years, in case of being frozen in.
The cost OF purchase and equipment, provi-
sioning, pay, and hire of crews, aud all other
expenses, Captain Werner estimates at 220,0
thaers (about 93l, ,5O0), admitting this sum to
leave liberal margin for unforeseen outlay,
The original plan is to accomplish the whole
voyage within eight months, and it is only in
case of being Unexpectedly frozen in that three
years. sojourn in the Arctic regions is al all con-
templated. As in the preliminary reconnaissance
voyage in August last, when the engines broke
down before the vessel was out OF the Elbe,
numbers of offers had been received from eXpe-
rienced, tried, and scientifically educated sea-
men to take part in the expedition. A large
number of Young persons had also applied from
the navigation schools, so that the crews of two
ships could consist almost entirely of picked
volunteers, all scientifically educated men, pre-
senting an altogether novel feature in the ex.
oeditiOn.