The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-08
A TRIP TO THE POLE.

How to Accomplish What Has SO OFTEN
Been Tried in Vain--A Vessel Capable
Of Sailing on lee. Well in Open
Water.
A correspondent, writing to the Engineering and
Mining Journal, gives the following views on a
trip to the North Pole:-
The recent arrival OF portion OF Captain Halls
polar expedition, with the information OF the late OF
Captain Hall himself and the doubt in regard to that
OF his vessel, raises once more the question, Cut
bono? as referring to these expeditions. In truth,
careful balancing OF the arguments on 10th
sides shows record OF misery and waste OF lie,
on the one hand far outweighlng the increase OF
happiness or any material good to either the ex-
piOrers themselves, or the public in general, on the
other. In the language OF the day, the Pole Is
largely in arrears in It's account with humanity.
The case admits OIL no argument all OF the knowl-
edge obtained as yet would be dearly paid for by
the grief OF one woman. But Lady Franklin's case
is one oil hundreds except in the favor which for
tune mas shown TO her IN other parts OF the word.
SO the case stands at present, and now the ques-
disposed to sit down and acknowledge themselves
deleated; more men will take the risk; more
women VIII grleve and the Pole Will be visited in
due time. Two questions, however must be con-
sidered, and should be settled definitely before the
expedition starts. The first OF these as mentioned
before. as the chi bono the object to be attained;
the otner, the means and method of attaining it.
OF the obec them Is it to be like the discovery OF
the Northwest passage barren 81 dtd it, or
some one man, otherwise scarcely heard or Is it
to be lew meteorological notes, estab-
lishment OF the tides where no clans grow
would never pay the debt already accrued. A mere
definite and palpable increase OF happiness to man
must be located there before the polar game shall
be worth the candle. In plain terms, what Is the
Pole good for? la the way OF useful material per-
paps some oil, whaebone, or iur; but that list Is
now flied up by the whaer just as far as MS pres
ent methods and means can make 1t pay. The
discovery OF regions that he cannot afford to visit
would be only another Northwest passage 10 him.
neither saving ms fleets nor increasing their Weld.
VINO then is 10 be benefited, and how, since for It's
own sake the problem Is not worth solving? But
give men an object. motive, say for example, to
locate a route Ior summer tourists, watering
place. with Its attractions and eXcitements; then
men, and, what is OF more consequence, women,
will take an interest In the work; 1t VIII be done
and
TRIP TO THE NORTH POLE
will become Summers pleasure, A Summers
pleasure, Tor the real distance IRON New York to the
Pole the great circle is not than three thou
sand nies being less than that to Paris. Nsr need
more than four thousand miles be trayersed on the
passage This, at an average speed OF six knots
per hour would require only about twenty-eight
say thirty DAYS going and thirty days returning,
leaving OF the summers pleasure thirty DAYS for
dancing around the Pole; and of this distance
three-lourths may be made in open water at an
average speed OF ten knots per hour thus recurring
about twelve days, leaving eighteen days In which
to traverse thousand miles OF water Ice or snow
may be. This demands an advance OF only the
average rate OF titysix miles per day, or two and
a quarter knots per hour.
Havi thus defined the requirements OF the
voyage the next thing to be considered is the
means and manner OF fulfilling them, and this de-
mands careful examination OF the obstacles TO be
forward Is the climate-the intense cold That
cold, however, is not deadly but, on the contrary
IL IL healthy, and these same survivors of former
expeditions have lived In It, year In and year out
and that on food that would nave poisoned them
III any warmer place. Our programme requires it
TO be endured FOR no more than eighty or ninety
days, and that at the chosen season. The next
difficulty Is the trouble OF 1nding the way where
tue compass fails; but navigation makes the value
OF the compass, not the compass that OF naviQa-
ton. And no good navigator IN any region trusts
his compass without from time TO time proving lt
by reference to gudons far removed rom earthly
influence: and in the Arctic the same methods are
open TO him-the sky IL clear, and Gods lipht-
houses are well attended. The currents viii be
mentioned but the current that drilted men at the
average rate OF about eight miles per dav is not an
insurmOuntabIe obstacle to ableboded seamen
This brings us To the great stumbling block:
LUMP OF ICE, A FIELD OF SNOW,
These are 10 be overcome. Mark the wOrd In times
past men thought the water an obstacle TO be gone
through, and went through 1t inst as far as they
could wade Since then the water has been sur
mounted-gOne over. Even now the railway en-
gineer, being compelled TO keep his track TO grade
his train to TRACK, finds that hills-wbether of
earth or OF ice and sn0w-must be gone through
which the Canadian, with icebOat and sleigh goes
gay over. Even the steamboat OF the Mississippl
crawls over the sandbar. In general water is the
great lnbricator, and IN moving heavy weights
upon the iace OF the c:b 1t has no eapa while zee