Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-30

In modern fines the first attempts 10 explore
,,c ,rctie sen were made in Europe, and the
tbe exhibitions went round the North Cape
towards Nova Zembla. The aim was to fud a
way to Eastern Asia, through the arctic seas;
Int none of the yoyagers were able to get be
yond Nova Zemba, the sea east Of it being one
of the iciest coolest, and most forbding portions
of the polar world. The climate of Nova Fem
hla is considerably colder than that of Spitzber-
gen, three or more degrees further north; and
the climate of the north shores of Spitzbergen
is much mder than that of its southern coast.
After time, explorers began to visit Spitzber
gen: but they did not venture far beyond it, be.
cause they assumed that the sea around the
pole was a permanent mass Of ice In 1913,
Capt. Phipps sailed into the polar sea, north OF
SpitzbergcD, to The eisht-iist degree Of north
latude In 1927, Capt. Parry sailed 10 the
same parallel, intending to go further north;
hut at that time, fields Of moving ice were en-
countered, which he attempted to cross, with
boat sledaes. In 1906, Captain Scoreshy, being
on a whaling voyage went to eighty-one degrees,
thirty minutes, and could have gone on to the
pole for the sea was entirely open. 1t is said
IAN open sea lay temptingly before him, and
The absence of icc-bnk showed that it was open
beyond the visible horizon; but he was answer
able to the owners for the voyage, and felt
Obliged to sacrifice his inclinations to his duty"
In 1887, the ship Truelove, Of Hull, sailed up TO
eiahty-twO degrees thirty minutes, and found
the S,a entirely open at the north. She could
have gone on TO the pole, if the character of the
voyage had allowed her to do so, for she was al
ready in the open polar sea, although it was not
known, at that time, that the pole surrounded
by open water. In summer, the floating ice
fields are usually further south; but in the Sc
verer seasons, they are found further north than
the latitude reached by Captain Phipps. What
this signifies in connection with the open polar
sea, which Kane's men saw little above the
sOth parallel is indicated by the fact that SDitz-
bergen lies between scventy-six degrees thirty
minutes, and eight degrees forly-nine minutes,
north latitude.
In 1856, Lord Dufferin made a yacht voyage
to Spitzbergen, and published narrative of his
adventures The season was so uniayorabc as
10 interrupt the business of the walrus hunters.
After leaving Hammerfest, in Norway, his chief
difficulty was the ice fields extending across the
southern part of the Spitzbergen islands, to-
wards Greenland. After sailing westward and
hunting some ten days for a passage, he made
his way through them and found the sea entire
" open at the north. He could have
sailed much further north without diff
Guilty, and, probably, could have sailed
to the pole, for the polar sea must ordi-
nary be open in this direction quite as far
southwark, as towards Baffin's Bay. On his re-
turn, Lord DaGeIiu got through the ice belt
very easily, by sailing further over towards
Grecnland but his voyage back was favored by
the fact, that much of the ice had disappeared
and left the sea more open. Mentioning this
fact, be says "Instead of being obliged to run
up very nearly to the SOth parallel, in order to
round it (the ice), we were enabled to sail west
ward at once" He went in this direction about
so miles, to the far extending Greenland ice, and
then sailed south into the August weather of
the temperate zone.
There is no record Of the date when SpitzbeT-
Gen was first made Il whaling station. But it
was earlier than the year 1611 for, in that
year, the trst English whalemcn went there,
and found that the Dutch, the Norwegians, and
the Baslues, had long preceded them in the
business. The Dutch whaling stations were on
llt HolllOlH NbdNts llubAliiS hh"iSo III tHstV
part OF the arctic sea was continued, until the
prosecuted whales learned TO avoid it, Adj
miral Beechy mentions noticing the remains of
about thousand dead sailors, in kind Of Gem
etery near one of the deserted Dutch whaling
stations. If we had complete history Of these
whaling operations, it would, doubtless, appear
that some of the whalers sailed to much higher
northern ATTITUDES than have eyeri been reached
by any exploring expedition; for they were ac-
cusomed to pursue whales in the arctic sea far
north of Sptzbergen. After the discovery of
Davis Strait and Bafin's Bay, most exploring
expeditions went in that direction; and this new
route to the pole has been tried eve: since, down
10 our time. And since whales became scarce
near Sptzbergcn, that region has seldom been
visited, save by walrus hunters from Norway.
II is now reported that the Germans have sailed
in thar direction to the pole.
Most of the explorers who have sailed up
Bafiin's Bay have turned west, trying every
passage leading westward, and always assuming
that The climate further north was much colder
and far more inhospitable. Generally, the aim
has been 10 find passage through the ice to
Behring's Strait and the nearest approach TO
success was realized, in 1853, when the British
ships, Investigator coming from Behring' 5
Strait, and Resolutc from the opposite quar-
ter, were within few degrees Of each other in
the ice south of Melville Island. The Invcsti-
gator which had already been frozen in, two
winters, was visited by sledge party from the
Resolutc. The vessels were abandoned, and
both crews came home in the North Star by way
of Baffin's Bay. The passage thus traced is wide
and direct; but the water in ii is constantly
frozen. No vessel ever did or ever will get
through it. Further attempts there will he worse
than useless Some have tried more northerly
routes; but the only important success Of the
many voyages IN this direction is that secured
by the Kane expedition, in 1854, which went
directly north up Bafin's Bay towards Kennedy
Channel DR.. Kane succeeded in taking the
Advance up to the latitude Of seventy-cght de-
grees torty-three minutes, and spent two winters
near this point. No other vessel sailing in this
direction has reached so high a latitude,
although Captain lnglefeld, in 1852, went up
by the same route to sex entyeight degrees thirty
minutes; and yet, it is more than two degrees
further south than the northern extremity of
Spitzbergen. slcdee party went across the
ice 10 eIghH-One degrees twenty-five minutes,
north latitude, and found the open polar sea
but open water was lonnd one degree below this
point, in Kennedy Channel, along which the
voyagers went TO the sea. 1t was found mpos-
sible TO release the Advance from the ice, after
she was frozen in, and Kane was Obliged to
leave his vessel, and return to an inhabited
point on the coast of Greenland, by means OF
sledges and boats.
Expeditions have been sent towards the south
pole; but the highest latitude reached in this di.
recton is seyenty.eight degrees ten minutes
aud this point Of south latitude has been reached
but once-iy Sir James Ross, in 1872 In the
previous year, he went to the nth southern par
aliel, directly south of New Zealand, along a
frozen coast, and discovered an active volcano
which rises 2,4O0 feet above the sea level The
exreme severity of the cold in the southern
polar sea, makes exploration in that quarter
very difficult. Il is known however, that there
is a large body Of land within the antarctic cir