The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-10
The lecture PiatfOrm-T'he Rev. j. r.
Newman ON tho Polar RegiOns.


The Rev j. P. Newman, D. D., Chap
lain of the United States Senate. iectured
last evening at Association Hall, on
"Greenland's Icy Mountains" The au-
dience was small. owing mainly, as stated,
to neglect to advertise the lecture prop
erly, though undoubtedly the distractions
of the season had their effects also.
The lecturer spoke in an easy, off.hand
manner, with excellent information, and
without notes. His language was apt and
graphic, and some of the descriptions were
exceedingly picturesque. The title. how
ever, served as a mere fgure-head, the lee
ture Astounding principally in accounts of
scientific research, speculations, theories of
glacial formation, and causes of auroral
displays, as well as descriptions of sights
in the polar regions, characteristics and
customs of the Greenlanders, climactic
changes and influences, &c.
His accounts were largely based upon
| observations during his trip to Greenland
| in the summer of 1871, in the United States
steamer Congress, sent out with provis-
ions for Captain Halls expedition, now
busily endeavoring to discover an entrance
to the open sea, which is believed by SCI
entific men to exist about the north pole.
In connection with this subject. DR.,
Newman stated that upward of 100 expe-
ditions had been dispatched to these re-
gions, either to strive to reach the north
pole to search for explorers lost there, or
to gather scientific information and that
at the present time there were six different
expeditions engaged in this undertaking. of
which two are from this country. To the
query as to what was to be gained by
these, he believed the work to be most i'm
portant, as the resolution of problems of
science ever were. In regard to the exis-
tence of an open Polar sea, he considered
the evidence very conclusive.
Hudson, as well as Won Rangle, Penny,
Hayes, and others, saw it, and described it
as boundless, and perfectly clear from ice,
with its waves glstening brightly in the
sunlight. Others again, however, dispute
the notion, and claim that they beheld sim.
ply large water spaces, which abound in
that region. For his part he was satisfied
that such sea did exist, and would in time
be proved beyond doubt.
In support of this belief he spoke of the
two thermal currents, running from the
, tropics-one, the Gulf stream. along the
J, coast of the United States, Labrador
around Greenland, and the other, that from
the Indian Ocean, running through Ben
rings. straits-to the north pole. which
must exert there the same warming influ
ence as upon the British isles.
g There had also been discovered drift-wooC
4 known to be from the West Indies, whales
with harpoons in their bodies, and an aban
doned vessel which had drifted l 900 mile
from the place where she had been left, al
: Of which must have passed through som
Il yet undiscovered passage to reach tn
places where they were found. As com
plements to the warm currents. he spok
also Of two corresponding cold streams
8 one flowing out through Kennedy's channe
e and the other back through Behring'
straits beneath the incoming one.-Ne1
II York Tribune.