The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-26
THE POLAR EXPEDITION.

Captain Halls Instructions from Secre-
tary ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS by the Smith
sOnian Institute.
The Secretary of the Navy, in giving his final
detailed instructions to Captain Hall with re-
ference 10 the expedition of the steamer Polaris
towards the North Pole, has minutely prescribed
the necessary arrangements for furnishing the
expedition with additional supplies at specified
the first rendezvous for this purpose,
provided for many possible contingencies
of disaster or disagreement between men,
beTs of the expedition and required that every
qualified person accompanying the expedition
shall keep daily journal of its progress and of
all his observations and that after passing Cape
Dudley Digges Shore, shall be frequently thrown
overheard small copper cylinders sealed and
containing memoranda, which may be carried
back by the ocean currents, and be ultimately
picked up and sent to the Navy Office for in
formation as to the welfare of the explorers.
The appropriation for this expedition baving
been granted by Congress chiefly on account of
the representations of Captain Hall and his
friends as to the possibility of exploring the
regions beyond the eightieth degree of north
latitude, and even of reaching the Pole, he was
of course appointed the commander of the expe-
dition, and entrusted with its organization and
the selection of his assistants The expedition
is not regarded as strictly of scientific charac-
ter, its main object being simply geographical
discoveries.
Though science is thus made subordinate, the
expedition has received through the National
L
apparatus and such number of skilled OBJ
servers that, no doubt, even if the main object
should be defeated entirely, there will still be
made very large additions to the present store of
physical knowledge.
The instructions for the scientific observations
| were drawn up by committee of the members
| of the academy, as follows:-Prof Henry, on
| meteorology; Prof. Newcomb, on astronomy;
| Prof. Higlard, on magnetism and tides; Prof.
| Baird, on natural history; Prof. Meek, on geol-
| ogy; Prof. Agassiz, on glaciers. When practi
| cable, four astronomical observations are to be
made each day-morning and evening, the
altitude or zenith distance of the sum- for time;
| and at noon and midnight for latitude.
AS the long winter will afford ample leisure,
the transits of the circumpolar stars will be fire.
| quently observed; the variations of the magne-
tic needle will be studied, and pendulum ex-
periments will be made to determine the force
of gravity In comparison with that at Washing
ton. The following list of topics, however,
indicates sufficiently the range of the inquiries
| generally:-Ocedn PhysicS-Depths; bottom,
temperature, tides, currents density. MeteoroI-
| ogy-Temperatures moisture, direction of winds,
pressure OF air, precipitation, Clouds aurora
borealis, electricity, optical phenomena, me-
| teors, ozone, conduction of sound, evaporation,
melting point of mercury; Natural History
| Zoology, botany (specimens to be collected
wherever practicable, but the members of the
expedition to be permitted upon their return to
| retain none whatever for private purposes0
| Geology-All exposures of rocks, especially of
| limestone to be carefully examined for FOSSILS
all evidences of elevation or sinking of coasts
to be noted, etc.; GlaoierS-Especial attention
| to be given to glacial phenomena of every kind,
such as the formation, size, movements,
etc., of those existing, their abrading and
| other effects upon the subjacent rocks, forma-
| tion of morains, formation and movement of
! icebergs. DR.. E. Bessels, of Heidelberg, Ger
| many, who was scientific director of the German
| expedition to Nova Zembla in 1859, is appointed
| to the same position in the Polaris expedition.
| The vessel is provisioned and equipped for two
and half years, but the Secretary instructs
| Captain Hall that the explorations may be con-
tinued longer, if requisite, and if supplies can
| he obtained,