Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-05-09
Failure Of the Swedish Expedt-
fiUn.

Failure of the Swedish EXPedt-
tiUn. 1
At the last meeting of the Royal
Geographical Society in London, paper
of the Swedish North Polar Expedition
of 1868 was read by Capt A. Z. Nor
denskiold. This was the fourth scien-
tife expedition sent out by Sweden to
the Arctic regions since 1858, all fruit
ful in results to geology and other
branches of science. 1t was commanded
by Capt. NordenskiOld and Capt. FIR. W
Won Otter of the Swedish navy, and the
means for it in the first place were OBJ
tanned by private subscription at Got
tenburg, the Government afterward tax
ing it up and fitting out for the purpose
the steamship Sofa, strongly built of
Swedish iron, and originally intended
for the navigation of the Baltic in win
ter. The Swedish Academy of Sciences
appointed numerous party of scientific
men to accompany the expedition, and it
started from Gottenburg on the 9TH of
July.
After a thorough exploration of Bee
ren Island, on the way, Ice-6Ord, in
Spitzbergen, was reached on the 31st of
July. Already at South Cape ice was
met with, and it increased as they ap-
preached the Thousand Isles. The in
tention was to pass to the eastward of
Spitzbergen, but the ice rendered this
impracticable. The geology Of Ice ford
was carefully explored during the stay
here, and the important discovery made,
of post-tertiary strata containing plant
fragments and Shells now found living
much further south in Norway. 1t was
estimated that 1900 or 5000 head of
walrus were annually slaughtered in
Spitzbergen by Norwegian walrus hunt
ers, showing that there must be a large
tract of meadow land free from ice to
sustain so large a number of these ami
mails, unless they travel over from Nova
Zembla.
On the 18th of August the Sofa
reached Kings Bay, and on the 10Th
proceeded on her course further north
ward. Having replenished her coal and
landed five of the scientific members at
KnObbe Bay, to prosecute their re-
searches on land, the vessel proceeded
out to sea for the purpose of taking
deep-sea soundings with the Bulldog ap-
paratus and Of ascertaining the practical
bility of pushing between the ice toward
the North Pole. First, they endeavOred
to penetrate to Greenland, along the
eightieth parallel of latitude, but i'm
penetrable masses of ice tending north
east and southwest rendered this impos-
sible. Turning then to north and
northeast they reached 81 degrees l6
minutes north latitude Here the ocean
was sometimes covered with thin coat
ing of ioe, and the old ice northward
was quite impossible, the temperature
sinking to Il degrees Fahrenheit.
On the 29th of August the Sofa entered
Liebde Bay, in northern Spitzbergen.
The deep sea sOundings revealed the
interesting fact that Spitzbergen was
connected with Scandinavia by a sub
marine bank, having maximum depth
of 300 fathoms. North and west of
Spitsbergen the sea deepens to 1000
fathoms and more. At the greatest
depths animal life was found. At 5000
fsthOms toraminifeco were brought up
Leibde Bay was now, for the first time,
explored, both in its topography and
geology its climate was mild and calm !;
while ont at sea high winds and snow
storms prevailed. After vain attempt
to reach Giles Land, the Sofia, on the
18th of September, made a final endeayor
to penetrate the ice to the northward,
succeeding at length in reaching 81 de-
grees AZ minutes, the highest point
probably yet reached by a vessel SEQ
pesby's furthest Gin 1900 being 81
degrees 80 minutes; and Perry's Gin
1920, 81 degrees 6 minutes, but Parry,
in sledges on the ice, reached 81 de-
grees 45 minutes.
The ice to the northward of this was
broken, but so closely packed that not
even a boat could pass forward, and
further westward Con the meridian of
Greenwiehl, the limit of this impene-
trable ice came down to 20 degrees. At
night the vessel lay to beside the larger
sheets of ice but the temperature hav-
ing sunk to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, the
risk was run of finding themselves
blocked up in the morning. After re-
turning to Spitzbergen, leaving letters
announcing their intentions, they made
another last push for the North on the
1st of October; but when in latitude 81
degrees all further endeavors were put a
stop to by collision with an ice block,
which opened large leak in the vessel 5
side. With great difficulty they re-
gained heland, the water standing two
feet over the cabin floor. The intention
of wintering here was then abandoned,
and the Sofa returned to Norway.