Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-07-30
GOING TO THE POLE.
The arctic Expeditions of 1872.
Their Countries, and Leaders.
Ausfria,g gsgeden, United states.
Petermann, NOrdenSkioid, Hal
and PGUy.
Is There an OpoIs Polar Sea?


| and PdUy.
! Is There an OpoI, Polar Sea?
For centuries q strange fascination
has possessed the marine and geo
graphical portions of civilized com
munities for North Polar expeditions,
Like the alchemists of old, no failures
i'll, the past damp their ardor in the
present. Though nothing has been
recently discovered to breed new faith
in them, our sanguine contemporaries
appear confident that they are destined
to succeed where all their predecessors
have met with disappointment.
~. . COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
In the past these polar expeditions
| were perennially renewed because
their projectors and supporters bcliev-
| ed in the great commercial advantages
to-be reaped from their successful pros
ecutiOn Then with slight knowledge
of the topography of physical geogra-
| ply of the arctic regions depicted very
graphically-need we say untruly-
| the shortening of routes to and from
American Europe and Asia by sup
posed North West passage. These
chimeras are now all given up. No
| one expects that the slightest good
| would accrue to the commerce Of any
country by such discovery-were it
| possible, which it is not. The most
| that is now expected in this direction
| is the finding of large and accessible
| whale and sea fisheries. Oil and
whalebone are always in demand, and
| many shreWd people have looked for
| ward to an increased supply of them
as the result of these seemingly aim
less aud hopeless expeditions. There
are many reasons for thinking that
these hopes may some day be realized,
| though it is not by any means certain
that if good whale and seal fisheries
are found far to the nOrth-in The
"Open" polar sea--that the cost of q
transportation exceptionally difficult
may not overcome the expected profit.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL PROBLEM.
But while the commercial advanta-
ges to accrue from arctic discoveries
will bc very small in the future, and
arc at present wholly hypothetical,
the supporters and projectors of the
various North Polar expeditions eXpa-
tiatc upon the great geographical dis
coyeries which they expect to be made
through them. Many well-informcd
navigatOrs believe there is an open pO-
lar sea Of great extent, reaching clear
around the world, above about 81 de-
grees of north latitude. Others again
are sure that, that portion of the globe
is a continuous ice-fCld, while some
few arc willing to compromise the
matter by admitting the existence Of
considerable bodies OF water, currents,
&c, in those high ATTITUDES, hut deny
ing al open polar sea extending clear
around the globe. A successful cX-
pedition to that point would settle this
controversy. 1t would define ut least
in its main outlines the northern linz
its of land and icc-if there be any
and the southern limits of open sea
if there be any. The strange meteO-
rOlogical phenomena OF that portion
of that unknown rcgiCn-thc solar
halo, the aurOras, &c.-are besides to
bc observed. There are many reasons
for believing that currents of immense
force find their way from the po.e to
the North Atlantic Occan-currcnts
which it is assumed have caused the
failure of many polar expeditions. A
successful trip TO the pole would settle
this matter also. This bIlCf and inn
perfect statement shows the main OBJ
jects for which geOgraphers, physical
and typographical, prosecute arctic re-
search.
THE AUSTRIAN EXPEDITION.
First, we
have the Austrian expedition, which
started couple of weeks ago. 1t will |
be remembered that this is the same
party whose route last year was in
dOrsed by DR.. Petermann, the editor |
of the 1{ittbcjtIllgCR and the geOgraph- |
iCal autocrat of Germany, and whose |
complete success was proclaimed by |
him when more cautious and less in |
tcrestcd people knew well that what |
ever they had found they had not |
reached the pole. This party did sue
ceCd i'll finding an open sea and the OBJ |
iect OF the present expedition is the |
further navigation of it and the eXplO-
ration if possible Of the Arctic Ocean |
to the north of Siberia-a portion of |
the globe almost entirely unknown. :
Second, we have the long-expected |
90 overland" expedition of the distin-
guishcd Swedish navigator, Captain |
\. +. Nordenskiod, who, as will be
seen from the appended note, does not |
believe III an open polar sea. The Re
Secretary of the American
Society (Dr. e. II. Straz-
nicky) has received a letter from Nor
denskiod, dated Stockholm, June l, in
which, after returning thanks for So
ciety hOnors, he proceeds
In few weeks | start for the Are
tic regions with an expedition intcn-
ding to winter on Seven Islands, SpitZ-
bergen 50 deg. 10 min. north latitude)
and from thence to reach the North
Pole by travelling with sledges on the
ice. You perhaps know that l DO not
believe in an open polar sea.
France, after her struggle with Ger
many, is unable to take part in the
progress to the pole.
Capt. Halls expedition which left
our shores last year, will not probably
be heard from until next summer.
TIE PAVY EXPEDITION.
Three or four weeks before the Aus
trian expedition sailed from the GEL
man Ocean n party of bold explorers
left the Golden Gatc-the first that
ever sailed from itOn such an Grand
10 prosecute 4 SilIii;iI eIltei PRISE. Inc
is a novel one in many res
poets, only two of which We will men,
ion. II is entirely q personal enter
Prise. It's leader has not sought State
lid nor received the least financial as
;istance from any one outside OF his
own family. Whether, therefore, it
succeeds or fails no ones money but
his who directs the operations Will
nave been squandercd. In the second
place. the route which it is proposed
% follow is untried. No expedition TO
he North Pole has ever even Thought
If attempting it. The dangers appear
"a too great aud the chauces too small.
-fe THIS ROUTE
: briefly as follows: 1t was at first the
of Nj. Octave Payy, the Lead
~ If this unYcl exnedilion 10 h.lvc ta-