The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-22


The Use OF Arctic Exploration.
The question is often asked and a. often
remains unanswered. "What good purpose is
to be gained by any further attempts to reach
the North Pole or to accomplish northwest
passage?" just as cogently might be in
quired, "What good is there in any attempt
at discovery" There is. in fact, scarcely
successful industry at the present time
that did not begin in the brain of some
patient man who had no idea whatever of the
good to come from his investigations. The
printing press, the spinning jenny, the mag
netic telegraph, had their origin in the small
est beginnings, and without conception
of the complications which must be
overcome before great results could be
achieved. The same may be said of
maritime discovery since man first sought
upon the sea new highways for his ambition.
Columbus had no idea of discovering o new
world when he set out from Palos in his three
frail vessels. He merely wished to reach
Asia by sailing to the west, and, to his dying
dry, he believed that he had reached the ter
ritories of the famous Tartar ruler Kublai-
Khan. Magellan was very much surprised
when the Pacific opened before him, and so
was Balboa when he looked out over the same
great ocean from the mountains of Darien.
What was true then is true now. For long
while geographical discovery, for immediate,
practical gain, was the cause of rivalry among
h. H.
ration Of the earth became known, the out
lines of the continents and oceans were de-
lineated upon charts and globes, and along
with this came information, by o new class of
Investigators, as to the currents of the sea
and air and Of the changes in magnetic varia-
ton. Vague congratulations were formed
by mariners themselves, and to these were
soon afterward added, by the genius of
such Investigators as Maury, positive rules for
the guidance of the navigator. not only from
port to port, but over his courses during
particular periods of the year, for at certain
seasons the winds veer methodically;
the currents Of the sea vary, and even
the magnet cannot always be said to point
the moral of ''steady as the needle to the
pole" As commerce increased the value
of additional knowledge was more and
more appreciated. Time became money, and
short passages were attempted by every means.
Men like Red6eld and Henry were consulted.
Bache, with his Gulf Stream surveys, became
an oracle, and the cry was for discovery every
whore. If chemist should fail through lack
Of knowledge to perfect his analysis the
most serious consequences might result. Is it
less true in maritime affairs? So long as there
is single portion of the earth's surface from
which We fail to have accurate observations
we cannot claim perfection in that which Is
of the utmost importance to mankind-the
perfect navigation of the seas. Nor is it less
important on the land. Witness the vast
utility Of the Signal Bureau. Go into any
farmhouse of the country and you will see
how carefully they observe the predictions of
the weather for the day. All these predictions
require the perfection of knowledge, and can
this be said to be perfect so long as any part
OF the earth has not contributed from its
storehouse of facts? Therefore it is that the
HERALD has always encouraged the most
thorough system of exploration, and we
have not been any more unmipdful
of the Arctic regions than we have
of Africa. Let by all means the
suggestion be carried out of sending expedi-
tons from various countries to take part in
this great work. The Germans propose the
route by the east coast OF Greenland; the
English, inspired by the success of our own
explorers, are to take the American route
through Smith Sound, where the Polaris
reached nearer the Pole than any ship had
ever gone before, so far as known. Why not
let somebody try the promising route by way
of Behring Strait, from the Pacific The
Austrian discoveries of Francis Joseph Land,
eastward OF Spitzbergen, announce their IN
belief in an open Polar SEQ, which the Ameri-
con explorers claim. But to prove the one
thing or the other is equally important We
do not want anybody to be specially glorifed
by a discovery merely want TO know and
know we will, so long as man is inspired by
the "divine curiosity" which leads to inquiry
or selfish interest which governs the use of
knowledge. By all means let us have CO.
operation. There is no nationality in science,
and about Gods truths there is never jealousy
when once proven. We want somebody with
q barometer, thermometer, compass, q
sounding line and IN eye to see ct the North
Pole.