The New York herald., 1874-11-13

The following is translation or a valuable
article on the recent Ausrro-Hungarian ex-
pediton to the North Pole, published by DR.. Peter
mann, the celebrated German geogra pher-proba-
Dly the greatest living. The admirable comments
81 the German scholar ana his profound de.
auctions from the scientific results OF this highly
important expedition wall be read with especial
interest.
Tne Austro-Hungarfnn North Pole Ex-
pedition, Under Weyprecht and Payer,
1s72.74.
"Was remit das yolk, was wAzt s!ch dort die
1angen Gassen orausend fort - t'sWhy run the
crowd ? What means the tnron9 that rushes Iast
the street along2 The opening lines of Scnlller's
''Fight with the Dragon'') might the poets have
recently sung Of the returning Austrian voy-
ayers OF the North and their receptions No gen.
eral returning VIGOROUSLY with his army from
the battle could have been received and welcomed
in grander or more enthusiastic manner
than were THIS little band OF twenty-five
men. And yet they had only returned
from North Pole expedition. Although the
nation could not have been as familiar with
the dangers OF such an expedition as with those OF
battle, 1t felt, nevertheless. instinctvely, that
the achievement or the Tegethod's expedition was
heroic deed. To win battle hecatombs OF
precious human lives must be sacrificed, perhaps
al OF them harmless men, who had done nothing
20 create the strie but here they all returned in
good health with tie exception OF one, who already
carried within him the germ OF death at his depar-
tHre. And uoes q battle require more manly
courage When the command for the attack is
given even the timorous are carried away, and
Rs quickly as the action began, SO quickly does 1t
generally close. Toe struggle OF the Tegethon
crew lasted two years.
A TRIBUTE TO HEROISN.
People think OF the times OF Colum mbus and vasco
da Cana, Of their discoveries and return to Palos
snd Lissabon. They left with three and four ships
and 12o and 16O men, and discovered worlds.
Their return and reception at one point, at their
native port may have been grand; but 1t was no
such trumphal march from the North Cape to
Vienna, and these men discovered but q portion
Of the Polar Sea and piece or land or ice.
The people, whatever language they may speak.
were right in welcoming the Austrian voyagers or
the North as they did. Be 1T only that they wished
10 maintain the propriety OF such work Of peace.
Or be 1t that they desired to do honor to manly
valor, 1t was generally felt that those sturdy men
should be received IN just this manner.
In what does the her0ism ofa Columbus o vasco
DC CANA, Magalhaens consist? In their being
the first to launch into an unknown sea, who pos
BesSed the courage, the interest, the devotion and
endurance necessary to the task. II was not the
FAULT Of the Austrian expedition that II did not
discover an America or an India Greater de eds,
from human point OF view, could not even
Columbus ana other great dlscoverers have
achieved than Weyprecht and Payer accomplished
Before Columbus, people thought that the sea
toward the west was not navigabie because OF
thick fogs and darkness. The sea which the
Austrian expedition determined to explore
was equally dreaded, and with far more reason.
Nm of fba frct w Arctic rnpOna
Scorespy had only in 1920 drawn line In his
celebrated work. across the entire sea from Bear
Island (ahout IAN deg. north latitude) to Nova
Zembla, and said decisivsly, "Here is the ice
border and here Is the limit OF all navigation"
WHAT THE AUsTRIANs DID.
Seafarers regarded this line and the unknown
mysterious region beyond 1t with holy horror.
The Austrian expedition has torn the veil from 1t
mp to SO deg. north latitude, hence over eight
degrees to the north, considerable distance,
considering the few portions Of the earth YET
remaining unknown.
Those great discoverers achieved great and
difncut things, although to-day trip to the
West Indies, East Indies or round the world ap-
pears to us a mere bagatelle. But their ventures
paved the way for US. Magalhaens, for instance,
lost his life on the way and Pigatetta,
his blographer who prepared the report Of
this nrst trip round the world, expressed
his firm conviction that, owing to the great dan
gers and multitudinous difficulties, such voyage
would never again be undertaken. Scarcely any
BODY could have accomplished greater things In
this line than the Austrian expedition. In the
hrst place they had to pass four weeks in pene-
trating; before Nova Zembla, and ior distance Of
at least 240 nautical miles, through the thick ice
before they even reached Cape Nassau. which was
only regarded by the leaders as tAe starting point
OF the expedition. There they suffered the most
terrible calamity which Polar expedition can en-
counter. They were caught in the ice stream and
driven TO and fro in the Siberian Polar Sea for
fourteen months by the pack Ice, being constantly
In danger OF being crushed to death. For four
teen months they were in constant peril never Q
moment sale from the crush Of the ice, and yet
they did not ninch, although the northern coast Of
Nova ZemDla was near enough TO afford them
chance OF escape-a g., by leaving the ship
md saving themselves on terrd H,ntd. Find
ing at last In the open Ice t0lerably calm
ind safe place tor passing the second
winter the crew accomplished the heroic feat OF
parting from one another. so that the newly dis
covered land might be more closely explored,
thus exposing themselves to the danger OF total
destruction OF both divisions, in case the ship was
lost or Grlited away. ana at last they heroicaly
undertook to return sleighs and boats, battling
continually against powerful ice stream.
Truly, the people had right to give these men
such o reception.
AFRICA AND THE NORTH POLE.
The English valued their Arctic expeditions
mainly for the reason that they trained their
naval heroes, and have frequently pointed out
that Nelson served as cadet in the Pnipps expe-
dition north Of Spltzpergen, and particularly dis
tingnisned himself. The Tegetnon men have
shewn themselves worthy OF their prototype, and
rank properly with Ross (Doth uncle and nephew.
Parry, McCiintock. Kane, Hayes and Hall, and
whatever all their names may be.
As far al the results Of the expedition are con-
cerned II Is selfevldent that all the problems
which have TO be solved in the Polar zone are not
yet cleared up. II You win compare it in this
respect with another celebrated problem Of geo.
sTheir battle with the Ice reminds one also in