The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-04
HOW TO REACH THE POLE.

AN OLD SALT PROPOSES A PLAN OF STORE
HOUSES ALONG SMITH SOUND.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The public mind is exercised q. present about
the quickest and surest route to the North Pole.
Men who take an interest in these matters have
in most instances, an opinion oil their own which
they would like to see carried out If possible. My
opinion may not be worth much but may as well
give IL. My plan Is to make q depot at Port
FoulKe, at the entrance OF Smith Sound, build
house for stores and accommodations for the men
engaged for the expedition, and to be used as
base OF operations for placing depots or stores far
Their north. Between Port Foulke and latitude 50
deg. north propose to nave as many stations as
will insure the safety Of the men engaged. 1t IS
well known that the land extends as far north as
reached. This point would make the
base Of future operations lurther north
either for land or boat expedition If required. A
wooden store house can be constructed at Port
Foulke, the intermediate stations to consist Of
canvas tents, which VIII stand the weather and
protect the stores from the snow. The eighty
second degree OF latitude appears to be the point
at which all former expeditions have given up.
DR.. Hayes reached SO deg. as min. /; Captain
Parry, so deg. As min.; Mr.. Scoresby, 81 deg IL
min. Captain Hall, 50 deg. Is min. The former
three were reacHel Dy Snlall uetacHIueHts OI tue
crews OF ships without loss, which proves that the
stations can easily be made with picked crews.
Sir John Ross travelled $50 miles In thlrty-one
days over a very rough country, dragging his
heavy English boats with him. This was done
with broken down crew, the ships being shut up
In the ice Tor two years, and the crew lived two
years In canvas tents st Fury Beach before they
were rescued. This shows that men can trans
port boats and live in canvas tents in the Arctic
regions. DR.. Hayes mas probably travelled
1000 miles in the Arctic without loss. and Is
that all that 1. propose can 90 done
II it Is placed in competent hands. with strong,
healthy men TO do the work. mere Is one advan.
tage The crews have under the arrangement Ipro.
pose, and that Is as they 90 north they are sure
they have plenty OF stores TO fall back on IN case
oil disaster. THIS gives them courage to WORK ana
20 ahead without lear.
Tee expedition talked OF now for the North Pole
soand. This viii be found great m,ssaKe, ano
there are great doubts about an expedition ike
the one proposed ever getting there. IL never
Will be done by ships Ia one season, THIS Is
proved by former voyages to the same region.
thinx the government that sends out ships to &C
compllsh IL makes great mistake. III II cannoC
be done by land ana boat expeditions, after ialr
trial. then propose 10 nave powerful steam
open ai there Is onel, no odds how much dam.
age she GETS as she Will noat long enough TO reach
on their stores Let her then SINK, or remain
there as a monument for tu.ure navgators 70
look at when they 90 the same route.
The time 10 carry out this expedition would take
not less, and probably more, tnan two years. aud
may take three years. Well, what II II taxes
three yearsY so long as they make JOB OF II and
have IL done WELL 1t Is better tnan TO send SUI .
after ship TO no purpose, and have the North Pole
as lar OF as ever WHAT we do let 1t be done, so
as not to pat the lives OF our best ocers and men
In danger. Many men condemn Captain Budding'
ton lor not going Iarther north With the PolArs,
but II they had been In mis- place they would nave
thought very differently. lie had Judameht
enough 10 know mat II he went any farther ne
would never get back. The sequel proved that lie
was rlght, Tor his ship sunk before ne could retrace
his steps. Now, mad he known that plenty oil
stores were In the vicinity OF where ne wanted 10
20 ne would have been the last man to say 20
back. But the idea OF going ahead, with cnolce
oil drowning, reeziug or starving to death " NOT
| pleasant OLD SA1Ts