New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-26
DIR. HAYES ON ARCTIC DISCOVERY.

AcA IN THAT AMERICANS HAVE FOUND LAND HIGHER
MOTH THAN THE AUsTRIANs-sMrTH SOUND AS
A PATHWAY TO THE PoLE-PRosPECT OF NEW
ExPEDn IONS.
TO IAs Rdit,or Of TIE Trtbuna
SIR: In comh1 renting to-day upon the Austro-
Hungarian Polar Discoveries, you observe that "These
discoveries lend new Significance TO the value Of the
pathway toward the PoLs selected by American discOv
showing that II 1T Is to be reached by water
Smith Sound ia the most II not the only available
route :" and am grathed with this advocacy OF a
plan which have many times discussed during the past
10 years that refrain from asking leave now to
add few words.
The route TO the Pole by way OF Smith Sound was
first tried by Dr. Kane. and its practcability was first
demonstrated by myself. Crossing Smith Sound with
dogsledges over the Ice from Dr. Kanes winter quar-
tiers, discovered and reached Grnnell Land, finding
everywhere near 1t smooth belt OF ice OF
the last winters freezing, proving that while the
center and eastern sides OF the Sound choked with
heavy and almost impossible hummocks the west coast
was entirely free when the previous Winter had set n
This fact reported to Dr. Kane aud upon my return TO
the United States from that expedition published the
opinion that by huggng the west coast free passage
could be had through the Sound Upon the strength OF
this argument my expedition Of 1860 was organized;
but not having (by OF lack Of means) the steam
power which desired unable to reach the west
coast In the teeth OF heavy gales and drifting iceeds
and forced into Winter quarters with myf little
schooner badly crippled, the east side In latitude
$50 IT. In this respect my fortune exactly that OF
DR.. Kane, neither OF us having steam power. From
winter quarters Travelled north with dogsledges over
tho Ice nearly 800 miles, measured the flies until
was arrested by open water little below latitude
s2, my highest determined position by solar altitude
being 80 81, Grnnen Land. Beyond this
made good pull northward, but having no solar
altitude I could not fix my position beyond
80 81 with accuracy. Capt. Hall traversed Smith
Sound In the steamer Polaris without difficulty as
had long before predicted could be DONE and passing
over the route which I had passed over with dog
sedges he reached the open water which had sighted
His highest latitude was s2o lG-some Is or 80 miles
nearer the Pole than mine. But he there in
August, most open month, while was there In
May, before thawing had fairly set In. He was in
ship. in q dog-sledge; but the open sea was to
both our eyes the same and as believe In both cases
mable, here and there INSTRUCTED by loose
drifting fields Of ice The highway to the Pole was, 1
believe. open to Capt Hall, and had he lived believe
he would have reached IL. believe the same thing
could have been done by my old commander, Dr. Kane,
In August 1885, and by myself in 1860 had either of us
been blessed with steam; and believe, as have
repeatedly asserted publicly. that tho Sound can be
navigaed with steampower any year and in proof Of
this may cite the fact that Capt Hall experienced
difficulty whatever in the Poaris, which,
as II 1t were but pleasure voyage, steamed
in days from Upernavk to the highest point ever
reached any vessel and the land he sighted be-
yond must think have been something further north
than lat. S3 which to have been the northern
most poin-Cape Venna-seen by the gallant officers OF
the Tegetthof For 1861 traced the outline Of the
land. which named Cape Union, the west side Qm-
perfectly traced 1t Is true owing to the great difficulties
Of the situaon to lat. $50, 45 and Capt. Hall must
have seen land beyond this.
50 must think the American Grinnell Land must
Joseph Land Of Messrs. Payer and Weyprecht. take
pride in thinking this it not only American
discovery but my and has been trayersed by no
other white man except my one companion In 1854 and
my three companions in 1861 think may STILL there
FORE claim the discovery OF the most northern known
body OF land on the globe, for on the Greenland side
Capt Hall did not extend the surveys OF DR.. Kaue
(wnch terminated about lat 80 50) far north as he
sighted beyond my own surveys on the opposite side
said this much IN order that might show some
grounds for asserting my belief with you that Smiths
sound only, available route to the Pole
This have asserted and again. in print and
on tho platform, these many years; and when, some
ago, the subject extensively discussed fur
Their the between Spzbergen and No
vaZemba was impractcable because believed extern
sye islands would be found there blocking the passage
by gathering the ice This prediction more or less sus
tanned by subsequent experiences now confirmed by
the most splendid discoveries of the AusroIungarian
served:
pressure brought the English Government
expedition for discovery and the endesVor to
eahs norhernmos surface vii pfooAoy
be American has stepped forward
explorations the Of the Posr and the
competitor Tor tue frozen
will not long be wanting IN this county,
Concerning neither OF which declarations can there be
any question The English have accepted my arguments
and experiences (Which may say have been uniformly
sustained by the President OF tho American Geograph-
cal Society," Chief Justice c. p Daly) with reluctance
and 1t was not until Capt Hall had met with his un-
paraeed that they thought favoraby Of Smith
Sound. now after having recently convorsed with
several Arctic explorers in London, feel almost sure
they will succeed In out their desire for an ex-
petition In direction AS for Americans there are
plenty willing and competent. The navy has several
whom anybody might name, conspicuous among whom
is Lieut. Commander White, who gained experience and
proved we'll his ability his gallantry in the Tgress
expedition search OF the Polaris. AS for myself, my
going back the Of my old contests has been, as
those Interested Arctic exploration we'll know, merely
a question of money. That forthcoming. shall lose
no time in leading expedition into Smith
Sound. l. HAYES.
New York, Sept. %, 1874.
DpnDIDTp rUthnH IN HuTCAGTG FIRE