New Orleans Republican., 1871-06-27
THE POLAR SEA EXPLORATIONS.

one of the most interesting and i'm
portant expeditions of the age, viz ol
voyage to the North Pole. The com
mander, Captain Hall, is a man ad
mirably suited for the work before him
He has been thrice resident of tht
polar regions, once for two years and once
for over five years. In everything per
tanning to the position which he is called
upon to occupy he has no superior. In
his work, and to share the perils and
honors of the expedition, are DIR. Emil
Bessells, member of the late Prussian
polar expedition, and graduate of the
University of Heidelberg. He is also
an accomplished zoologist, botanist and
photographer. The astronomer is a
young and accomplished graduate of
Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania,
now attached to the coast survey. His
name is not yet announced, but the fact
of his selection by Professor S. F. Baird
of the Smithsonian Institute, and Mr.
Hilyard, of the coast survey, assures
us of his attainments and qualifica-
tions for the position which he
is to fill. The meteorologist is
Sergeant Frederick Meyer, of the signal
corps, who has been stationed at St Louis.
The first mate of the vessel is Mr.. Hub
bard C. Chester of Noauk, Connecticut.
He has had twelve years experience in
arctic life. The second mate is Mr.. Will
liam Morton, who has passed thirty years
in the naval service of the United States
While with Kane's expedition he had the
honor of discovering the open polar sea.
He was with Farragut at the capture of
this city. Emil Schumann and John Will
son, the engineers, are men thoroughly
competent for their work. The crew is
composed of nine men, besides E carpen-
ter, cook, steward and two firemen. In
addition there are also the two Esqui-
maux friends of Captain Hall, Joe and
Hannah, with their adopted daughter
Silver, now about seven years of age.
The steamer Polaris, formerly the Peri
Wrinkle, is vessel OF about four hundred
tons measurement. She is a neat, trim
boat and has been almost entirely rebuilt
with reference to the purpose for which
she was selected. The bows of the vessel
have been sheathed with iron, and
throughout her sides have been nearly
doubled in strength, having a sharp iron
prov, with which to cut through the ice.
In all that is necessary for the comfort,
safety, pleasure and accommodation of
the officers and men who accompany this
expedition, nothing has been neglected
that art, labor, ingenuity, skill or science
could devise. They are amply supplied
with provisions and other supplies for
five years stay in the Arctic regions.
The great and important object of this
is to solve the question is there
an open Polar sea or Northwest passage
beyond the icy belt of the Arctic circle?
1t is said that the long winter there,
whose sunless days grow SO chill, is fol-
lowed by the long six months of uninter-
rupted sunlight, with no cold nights to |
absorb the heat of the intervening day. |
Other causes also tend to warm the Polar |
sea. The immense drainage of the con- |
inental rivers of both hemispheres sends
warm streams into its basin.
This is the generally expressed opinion
Of the scientific men and learned physi-
cists of our country. With all the
and experience which Captain
Hall has acquired during twenty years
study and investigation, we may reasona-
Dly expect the accomplishment of the
work before him.
During large portion of this twenty
years, Captain Hall completely dena-
ionalized himself, living with Esqui-
naux, and as they do, eating the raw
neat and drinking the oil by which they
preserve their animal heat. He improved
lis time in completing his knowledge of
heir language, customs, and traditions,
md in preparing himself for the great
expedition on which he has now en-
cred.
The student of the polar chart will no.
ice that no American name appears on
ny of the headlands, bays, channels, in.
cts, capes or rivers until, in latitude 7So,
Te approach the winter quarters of the
american expeditions. By the many
lnglish explorers not one prominent
.merican name has been honored, while
he American explorers seem to have di-
ided the honors of their discoveries be-
veen American and European names of
rominence. Captain Hall is determined
nat the pole itself shall be surrounded
y a galaxy of American names, which
aall make the territory peculiarly our
wn.
The present expedition differs from all
le others which have been sent to that
lhospitable region in this, that while
ley were in the commercial interest, or ,
'r the purpose of discovering the fate of 1
lose who had gone there in that interest,
aptain Halls mission is purely geograph-
al and scientific That the North Pole I
! surrounded by an open sea scarcely !
dmits Of reasonable doubt, and the |
ian who first navigates those waters and t
caches the farthest point will have t
anne to be recorded in the book of fame, 9