Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-11-15
The Great Geographical Discovery Of
the Age.
The Popular Polar Problem Practically Solved

1t is evident from the highly impor.
tant circular of Dr. Petormann pub.
lished yesterday that tho long per.
picked and perilous problem of u way
to the North Pole has been practically
solved. The lustro which the dis.
coveres of Payer and Weyprocht have
just shed upon Germany will eclipse
the brilliant military famo recently
won by her armies on the battle fields
of France. 1t is truo we have but
heard by telegraph report the outline
OF what these explorers have found 10
the icy, but not impenetrable, seas
which roll their waters betwoen Spittz.
bergen and Nova Zembla but enough
is already known TO verify the dis
coveries OF Kane and to bear out in
all their length and breadth ofmean.
ing the deductions of American ply.
scists, which, for moro than three
years, have been urged upon the
scientific world, and which so strk.
ingly pointed the Arctic explorer to
the very spot where triumph has now
been won. II our transatlantic breth.
rem can now rejoice, they must be
willing, as they doubtless are, to share
the honor of success with those who
taught them where to find it, and wo
can rejoice with those who have reap.
cd the first fruits Of the harvest which
we have sown.
When the Royal Society Of London
began its career, the poet COwIey, in
his famous "Annus MirabiIis," sung
its fame in anticipation, and predicted
in glowing numbers time when it
should lead men to the very verge Of
the globe:
When we upon the globes last verge shall 90,
And view the ocean leaning on the sky
From thence our rolling neighbors we shall know,
And on the lunar world securely pry
But in this case it is not the Royal
Society OF London that has led us to
the extremity of the planet. The
present expedition was not projected
nor was it much favored by the Eng.
lish navigators who have so long
boosted Of tho maritime supremacy of
Britannia. While the most influential
British seamen have bcon trying to
persuade the world that there was no
hope for Polar discovery in the region
along which the American Gull lfStream
projects itself into the Arctic Basin,
the event of a successful exploration
has answered and ovcrthrown their
arguments.
While the Herald was preparing the
article of Thursday, suggesting the
possibility of commander taking a
ship through the Arctic ice belt, us
Ross and Weddell took their ships
through the Atlantic ice belt, the mail
was bringing us the tidings that our
sugpestion wac already a rat aco0na
s'3s s"s 'ss'O
1t will be seen, by reference TO Dr.
Petcrmann's circular, that the entire
success of the present movement is to
be attributed to the warm current of
the Gulf Stream, which in this country,
three years ago, Captain Sias Bent
first suggested, and another American
demonstrated, would furnish tho true
"thermometric gateway to the Pole"
The highest temperature in the frozen
seas and tho most propitious circum.
stances for moving towards the Pole
have now been proved to exist just
whore the "thermomctric" theory
said they should exist. We know
that Levcrrior indicated on his celes-
tial map just where tho telescope
would find the planet Neptune but
the French astronomer was not more
unerring in his work than our physi-
cists have been.
DR. Petermann interprcts his intclli-
gence in this light, and claims also
the share to which he is so Justly
entitled, in basing all bis late recon-.
mendations for Arctic exploration up
on the hypothesis that the GulfStream
is the potent agent in breaking up or
loosening the ice Gordon which girds
the circumpolar area, and he INDUCES
in some warmth of expression (par.
donable, perhaps, under the circum-
stances against Captain Koldowcy,
who prcjudiced the public mind against
his views.
Captain Shcrrard Osborn, OF the
Royal Navy, man of fine intellect
aud great geographical learning, has
been always set against even an OK
pertinent in the regions where Payer
and Wcyprecht have found the exten.
sion of Kanc's open sea, and to Osborn's
stubborn prolonged opposition is per
haps due the fact that hitherto no fair
trial has been made in those quarters.
Although the expedition of Captain
Hall has not taken this route it is by
no means to be supposed that he will
not be able TO accomplish the end OF
his expedition. Far from it. On the
contrary, indeed, the physical infer
enco to be drawn clearly is that Hall
will find, perhaps in latitude little
higher, the very same open water,and
that with his well known 'push" and
indomitablc energy he will penetrate to
the very sea whose pillows and whose
tides were first witnessed 10y the gal
liant Kane.
The result Of these achievements In
Arctic navigation will doubtless pro
woke widespread and honorable emu
lation among all tho maritime Powers,
who will Vic with Germany in the
prosecution Of geographical research,
Science may be congratulated now as
having made another stepping stone
into tho heart of the Polar world, aud
she will doubtless seize upon it at an
carly day for pushing forward many
important inquiries and investigations.
lf Leutenants Payer and Wcy-
precht have been able to advance 80
lar and so late in the season as Sep
tember, in small sailing vessel, there
is renewed and redoubled reason for
believing, as the Herald pointed out
some days ago, that "with an iron
steamer armed with circular ice saw
at her prov, an experienced comman
der might as Ross did, mako his way
entirely through the barrier of float
ing leo islands. and, having reached