Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-05-17

large quantities of stones and dirt, indi. |
eating plainly that there must be land in |
the direction from which the ice came.
In 1869 the Albert, another German |
vessel, sailed from the southern part OF
Spitzbergen to Nova Zembla, but in no !
place was she able to break through the
ice barrier, and only reached latitude 80
deg. IA min. This same year, Dr.. Peter
mann sent out his second expedition, con-
sisting of the Germania and Hansa, with
similar instructions to those given before,
but in this instance the parties were pre-
pared to winter on the east coast of
Greenland. The highest latitude gained
was about 20 deg. 80 min. Here Captain
Koldewey wintered in safety, but the
Hansa Ia sailing. vesseD became separated
from her escort, and was crushed in the
pack. The crew saved themselves on the
ice, where they remained all winter, drift
ing to he southwark with the current
until Cape Farewell was rounded, or
passed; and then, again, north and west,
to the vicinity of the Danish settlements,
where the ice-raft was abandoned bythem
after an occupation of about two hun
dred days. Captain Koldewey resumed
his efforts in 1870, and with his assistants
performed large amount OF scientific
labor, but returned without achieving
the principal object of his voyage.
1870 was an unusually favorable year
for arctic navigation, the open water ex.
tending from Spitzbergen to and beyond
Nova Zembla, which was circumnavi-
gated by Captain Johannesen; but, still,
no further progress was made north ard,
though much important information was
gained by various parties in different
branches of science, which have but little
bearing on the present subject.
Last year, however, we were surprised
at the publication in our daily papers of
an enthusiastic letter from DR.. Peter
mann, stating that his last expedition, un-
der Lieutenants Payer and Weyprecht,
had solved the great problem-he having
received a telegram from them at Strom-
soc, as follows: "In September, open sea
followed from AZ deg. to 60 deg, east of
Greenwich, beyond 79 deg north latitude,
Highest latitude reached was 70 deg.
north, on the meridian of 43 deg. east.
There found favorable state of ice toward
the north, probable connection with the
Polynia toward the east, probably the most
| favorable route to the north. pole"
1t will readily be seen that these sup
posed discoveries hinge upon two very
doubtful probabilities, for other navigat-
ors had previously done nearly if not
quite as well. Upon the strength of
these, however, DR.. Petermann takes it for
| granted that one of his favorite theories
has been verified, and arrogates no small
| credit to himself at having mapped out
this line of travel after twice failing on
the Greenland coast. 1t is noticeable that
| in his letter no allusion is made to either
Kane or Hayes, and he has always been
so disinclined to acknowledge the merits
of our American navigators, that some
three years since he published chart in
which Greenland was projected nearly
across the polar regions blotting out, as it
were, the open sea of Kane and Hayes,
and thus directly casting the stigma of
falsehood upon the published account of
their voyages.
This last expedition doubtless found a
space of comparatively open water be-
tween the parallels of 7S deg. and 20 deg
north, but it does not necessarily follow
that this was any portion of the "open
! Polar Sea-" for its limits and position
must be taken into account. Eighteen
degrees of longitude have magniloqueni
sound, but degree on the parallel of 10
deg. is only 9bout twelve geographical
miles, which gives us a sea sixty miles
wide, and not two hundred and fifty miles
in length This is certainly not what we
expect to find in the vicinity of the pole,
nor is it a very great cause for congratu-
lation that such limited space of open
water has been fouud in September, for
that could probably be done almost any
year, but so late in the season that il
would be wholly unavailable for pIactica-
BILE purposes, as the new ice begins form
ing in October, and, there being no land
near for winter harbor, vessel caught
in the ice must inevitably winter in the
pack.
Captains Ulve and Smith also found
open water in the same month, in latitude
81 deg. "a min., and worked along
through it to east longitude 81 deg. q
min., being then in latitude so deg. 81
min. AS proof that patches of open
water are attainable almost every season,
/ shall instance the case of Captain La
mont, who sailed on his fifth voyage to
the arctic seas from Dundee, April 22d OF
last year, and in the month of June
found a space free from ice between the
parallels of rs deg and n deg, and ex
tending from l deg. to 7 deg. west OF
Greenwich; but, so far from feeling iubi
liant over this fact, he writes to DR.. Peter
mann that the ice-belt on East Greenland
looks more hopeless and imp 'dctlcdbie eger3
time Tsee it" This is the verdict ofa mar
who himself looks for what he wishes.
1t will be noticed by the reader that al
of these European expeditions were di
rected east of Greenland, and most OF
them directly in one of the so-calleC
''thermOmetric gateways of the pole" as
in fact, have been numerous others since
the days of Hendrick Hudson, more thar
two hundred and fifty years ago. The
writer has no intention of discussing here
the merits of this theory, nor is it his OBJ
ject to express any decided opinion as tC
the existence of an 'open sea-" but W.
must rest assured that there must be sOmt
reservoir at the far north, from which
these strong currents are constantly pour
ing out to the southwark; and anothe
fact is equally certain-that in the las
two decades our American navigator
have accomplished as much toward dis
covering this "Open sea, if it does exist
as has resulted from the combined labor.
of all other nations since the search for i
first commenced. do not except Parry
; in this case, for, although farther nortl
than Kane and Hayes, he only found i'm
passable ice, while our own explores, il
: Smiths Sound, discovered open waite
illimitable to the vision, and were onl,
: debarred from navigating it by the wan
of proper vessels.
This may oe called the American rout
for reaching the north-pole of the earth
,, !, and it is also approved by Admirals Col
linson and Back, Captains Hamilton, Os
, borne, and McClintock, and many other
of the British Navy, who won thei
; proudest honors in the ice e.felds of tn
North. The thermometric theory ha
; also many ardent supporters (among then
, DR.. Petermann), and, as several Europe
an expeditions will sail this summer, it /
to be hoped that the merits of the riva
,, routes will be decided soon, it being NOR
than probable that Captain Hall is al
ready sending out his sledgeparties owe
the ice of Smiths Sound.
; In this brief article the writer has en-
, deavored, without showing any marked
! prediection for either route, to give
| brief resume of what has been accomplish
ed in late years toward the discovery O
: this hoped-for "open sea" which is nc
! only dream of the past, but also tn
= most important geographical problem II