The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-09-15

IHE NORTH PoLE.-Under the inGu-
ence of the fervid temperature to which
old Sol has lately subjected the dwellers
upon this third rate planet of ours, the
thought has frequently occurred to the
Imaginative mind that it would be plea
sant to take summer excursion to the
North Pole, if that rather mythical point
were easily accessible. We had almost
begun to indulge the hope that in this
progressive age Of ours, tho pole would
not only be reached, but that short cut
to it, either by ballooning or by the
modification of the pneumatic telegraph
for the accommodation of passengers,
might enable the people who live in
what have been heretofore classed as the
inhebitable parts Of the globe, to trans
fer themselves in few short hours to
place where the Arctic brcczes would fan
their fevcred cheeks, and from which,
when those Arctic breezes began to swell
into 10y gales, they might make rapid
retreat. Were such summer resort
opened, Sarotoga would be forsakcn, the
streets of Newport would grow up with
horse-weed and dog-fennel. and even
Grant would sell ''the cottage by the
sea" at Long Branch, and take refuge
in some palace among tho glaciers pre-
scnted to him by his entirely disinte-
rested and admiring countrymen. If
the New York World is right in theory
it has lately advanced, however, all these
fancies of things, with the possible oc-
currence of which we soothed our suf-
ferings under the summer solstice, must
be given up. The World says:
Every boy, when first told how ra-
pidly the world spins round, has probn-
bly, asked what keeps the inhabitants
from flying off at Tangent, and has
been informed lin reply, that the attrac-
ton OF gravitation (Which he, of course,
recoiiects was suggested to Sir Isaac
Newton by the fall of an apple) suffices
to more than counterbnlnnce the centri-
fugal force occasioned by the rotary mo.
tion of our planet. But obviously this
centrifugal impetus diminishes as We ap-
proach the centre of rotation, and the
gravity which gives man firm foot-hold
ut the equator. where he is whirlcd
round at the end of radius 4, 900 miles
long, would at the quiescent pole make
him SO heavy that no effort of human
muscle could raise his heel from the
ground; for be it remembered, that if
he stood erect upon earth's summit, the
only motion impressed upon him would
De that OF turning slowly round once in
twenty-four hours.'
The Worlds theory fully explains why
Sir John Franklin. aud so many others
who have gono in quest of tho North
Pole. have never como back. When the
goal of their ambition was reached. the
poor fellows found their feet glued be-
yond oil power OF extrication to the
earth. Now that the mystery Of Sir
John Franklin's non.return has been
solved. we very greatly fear that his
anxious widow, could she repair with
impunity to the spot, would only find the
anatomy of her former husband and his
companions fixed to the frigid soil: but
she would ut least have the consolation
of knowing that he came to his death by
fixed law Of nature, and that the great
white bears, which are supposed to infcse
the Polar regions, could do him no wrong,
for the obvious reason that their feet as
we'll as his must have beon glued to the
earth.
We accept the Worlds theory, and de-
duce therefrom that it is worse than folly
to send any moro expeditions in quest Of
the North Pole. II President Grant.
indeed, could be induced to enter him
self q passenger on one of the exploring
ships, wo don't know that we should par
ticularly object. It would, perhaps, be
ns good thing as could happen for tho
country to have him glued to some gla-
cier in the Arctic regions.
LOUISVILLE Courier journal.