New-York tribune., 1874-09-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
ARCTIC ExPLORATIoN-A CARD FROM COL
Upton

ARCTIC ExPLORATI0N-A CARD FROM COL
LUPTON. ,..
HIGHEST LATrTUDEs REACHED BY DETERRENT Ex-
ptoREas-rHg WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY THE
poLARIs EXPEDITION.
TO the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: Permit me, for the truth OF history
even in small matters. TO correct slight Inaccuracies In
paragraph OF yesterdays TRIBUNE 0th insLl reiaVe 70
Arctic travel and tho highest northing ever yet az
tanned. .
The Iamented Capt. C. f. Hall. on his last voyage
reached the very high latitude OF go 6ony ii geo
graphical miles the North Pole-with his vessel
the good little ship Poaris and all on board-not As The
TRIBUNE hasit, Travelled by sedges to S2 i0 "a most
important difference. all students OF Arctic ekpiofa
uon Will appreciate. Again The TRIBUNE says: Nor
ton the supposed open Polar Sea- In LATITUDE
s7o az" Morton. VINO. by the way, was likewise wiz
Capt Hail. trusted and faithful, he had been to the
heroic Kane before hm-Morton's objective point In
1854 was tho icefoot OF Cape Constitution 10
| latitude 80 2Y "a wide diference), he having
travelled there by dogsedges from Rensselaer, Harbor
latitude 7so 81 the winterquarters Of Dr. Kane. 1t
alleged as THE TRIBUNE says that Dr. Hayes In 1861
got as far as latitude so 3y tof doubtful verhcaon-
but 1t must be in mind that Dr. Hayes Travelled
by dogsedges from his Wnterquarters at Port Fouke
latitude 7So IT, lower than Mortons starting place
aud that until Capt Halls voyage in the Polars no ship
had ever penetrated on the American, or Greenland
ide higher up than the respective Winterquarters OF
Kane and Hayes.
On the spitzbergen sde as THE TRIBUNE correctly
says the gallant pioneer, Sir Edward Parry 30 long ago
as IS97 went north go this wonder
full achievement was IN open boats on sedge-ruhners
and drawn over the with incredible hardshps oy
Parry,s men, his ship, the Hecla, having been lett In
Winterduarters latitude 80 81 little higher north
ing as will be observed than had been reached oy any
ship In American waters, until the memorable voyage
Of the PClaris The heroic Austrian explorers fdyee
and Weyprecht whose safe return gladdens all hearts,
were first reported by cable dispatches to nave aaea
anorthng of 800 only but subsequently KeWlse te'e-
graphed) to have reached the SD parallel 3 but THIS
important modification Will require TO be verified IL Is
rather likely to prove when the exact facts are known
that the Austrian Expedition lost or aDahdopea '"e
shin in about latitude 800 and then made their highest
norhng whatever that may have been by siedgetraV-
cling, finally coming back 70 civilization oy weary
Journey on sedges Of 700 miles All hohor 70 'no
brave Austrans who like our own heroes OF the roas
Expedltion In the cause OF science aud geographical
discovery have dared and suffered 80 mnch' country
men Of Kane and Hall can afford TO be magnanimous
and greet them and their discoveries with hearty rec9g
nltion and congratulations. So too I'D tne .'euum{ III
rivalry of all tho naOnaltes, DddlDg sOuSpeeu 70 an
who are earnestly cooperating determine ths last
great remaining problem OF geographical ecieH'e"
solve the mystery Of the ages. -.
Iet ns hope however. that own Government, now
that the Poiars Expedition has pointed OUT Deyond a
question the pathway to the Pole ahd tuat IL ne
fnrough American waerslet us hope that THIS great
nation will not let the prize elude s grasp DSt tnas
under s auspices one and the crowning eHOt oo
nade Thar the dear old a." which fell from the strong
band .. n.,, -he. II; nightly soul went up 70 COR
may yet the future by loving hands he earrlea
up aud on aud on past Halls lonely grave ana SUI on
till American hands raise ITS starry folds nrsI OF All tuo
nations, at the North Pole word or Two ior our 4ai
Poaris Expedition, IN which more OF national pride
should be fet-an expedition which, notwithstanding
It's msfortunes accomplished great results %Un S
Dr. Peerman of Gotha, ana Is to-day dr better appre
elated home than abroad. Iae little steamer folir,
| under command of Capt Hall, early In the GUNNER
| OF 1871, after remarkable run from Uperhhbht
in North Greenland, steamed up far past both Kane ana
Uayess Winter quarters, straight through tue mythical
open Polar Sea-ln enlargement or widening OUT .,
Kennedy Channel, making great basin or sound some
6o miles in 9Th by 40 miles in width. now appro-
prately named by the honorable Secretary OF the navy
Halfs Basin-wben the ule ship then floating IN the
highest waters ever reached by man, discovered and
entered entirely new strait, RobesOn CDanne whose
southern cape bold headland OF 200 1000 feet high
! lies In latitude 80 40; and up tins unknown channel
which In It's narrowest part is about 20 miles wde tne
Polaris steamed some "a miles, reaching on tle SCh VI
August, 1871, extraordinary norhing OF 81 TO- Iar
beyond the limits of al previous snip nayigaoh o"ara
the Pole. III re the Poarls was fatally nppeu III .ha
ce and there at tnat season OF the year. no re-
course but to drift back through ana Out oL hoSe
| son Cnannel-which they had explored TOT
| about two-thlrds its length. doubling IT'S south
ern cape, and nnGing winter quarters pnaIs Raw
in N latitude SO 49, where. only few weeks later less
than four months the time the Expedition left tho
United States Hall fell asleep the mag was wrapped
| around him. aud his lonely grave stands a isnu
mark and challenge to pass 0eyondt IL may be added
that the survivors on board ,the Poars wnterlng COM
foraby that extraordinary altitude FAR beyond tne
limited sedge journeys the next Spring exploring Hts
Lapd reached Congress Highland To latitude ol v,
not quite high nortbng, It Will De observed as tho
ship mad made with all on lboard during tue lifetime Oh
the commander That the POlaris Expedition was not
barren results let lts geographic work testy-the
accurate determining of the conditions and extent OF
| what was before supposed to be an open Polar
Channel with another wide expdnse OF water dppar-
emily beyond OF Peterman5 tlord to the Soutn the
correcting of large errors IN tho shore line OF the Wes
coast as laid down by Dr. Hayes accurate surveys OF
the shores Poaris Bay, and incidentally OF cousd-
erabe portion of the coast or Greenland; the mapping
out of many promOntOrles and hea1ldnds, De-
sides the regular charting OF something neat 100 niles
ssyeIy showing knowledge of tue geography OF
Arctic regions has been very largely advanced ana
extended. or the full scientific results OF tho
Polaris expedition have not yet been coated or gwen
TO the public, Ii understood that the Official mar
ratye intrsted by the Hon. Secretary OF the Navy 10
onal Observatory than which selection could nave
been more fitting Is in active course OF prepara-
ton, and to It will be appended carefully
prepared scientific memoirs, sanctioned and re.
yised by the venerable aud eminent President OF
the National Academy of Science Prof Joseph Henry
thai t may DC safely predicted the accuracy and fu
ness these VIII IN good time surprise and gratify the
pubc and bring large and valuable additions 10 tho
domain OF human knowledge. Time, which makes all
things eyen will demonstrate that our American expe
dition toward the North Pole accomplished moro than
an others combined and that the cruise OF the Poars.
so far from being failure was decidedly the most sue
Washtngton. Sept. 8, 1874 JAMES LUTON.
ONE-SIDED EDUCATION
COMMENTS ON DR. CLARKE's RECENT PAPER-DE-