The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-08-02
THE NORTH POLE.
WEI the Interesting Problem of mn Open
Pulur sea Ever be solved Z

WEI the Interesting Problem Oi nm Open
PulHr sen Errr be solved
A portion OF the globe fifteen hundred
thousand square miles in extent. more
than thirty times rs largcas England and
nearly onc-half MS large MS the United
States, exclusive OF AlNska-ombracing
both sea and land, is unknown to man
kind. All attempts to penetrate it have
fnilCd. There are no rOmances more
thrilling than those which tell of these
efforts from the time Of John Cabot, who
sailed under Henry VII, to tho time OF
Sir John franklin, who lost his life i'll
the reign of the good Victoria. 1t was
the dream of Cabot to find short road
to India through the Arctic scas-a
dream cherished by the mariners OF that
time with unvaryh 6 faith. This was
more than three centuries ago, when the
world WIS wondering over the discovery
of America, and English daring would
not patiently rest under tho honors
achieved by the Spanish, the Portuguese
and the Dutch. These three centuries
have been marked by persistent efforts
to redeem the failures OF Cabot. We
have our own Henry Hudson, to whom
We owe the discovery of New York and
the river which immortalizcs his name
urging his small vessel toward the pole
in 1907. In one of these adventures
he was to die dismal death, abandoned
by his scamen in M open boat. We
have the Frcnchmcu Gndeavoring to
work their way north from Canada, in
the time Of Charles H., but without re-
corded success. The Russians also, ln-
der their great Gar Peter, were to renew
tho effort in more recent times, under
Behring, the Dane, who was to discover
the strait which divides Asia from
America. The burden OF the efforts to
penetrate tho Arctic regions have rested
upon the English. One hundred years
ago We had Lord Mulgrave seeking the
way to India, stimulated bya large re-
ward. Among those who sailed with
him was young Nelson, Nfterward to be-
como the mighty admiral. About this
time Captain Cook, who was to meet his
fate in tho Sandwich islands and to be-
come ono OF the most interesting and
romantic names in our literature, strenu.
ously sought 10 open the passage to In
din. 1t was Cook who discovered the
proximity of the Asiatic and American
continents.
So many failures, says the Ucrnid,
have only stimulated renewed effort.
The nineteenth century has seen many
expeditions. Rewards were offered by
the English to whalers to press into
high latitudes. 1t is moro than fifty
years since Parry made his famous cx-
pcdition, when Franklin went over the
land for five thousand five hundred miles
to mark its geography. Thirty years
have gone by since Franklin went out
with the Erebus and Terror. His i'll.
structions were to cndcavor to find q
passage from Bailin's bay to Behring
strait, and on July 2G, 1876, he WIS last
seen entering Bailiu's bay. He was to
die two years later n victim TO his i'll.
trepid devotion to duty. 1t is twenty
years since DR.. Kane commanded his
expedition ard solved some important
problems. We have the record of the
Polnris, so wcllknowr to ourrcaders the
valuable expeditions of DIR. Hayes, and
the achievements OF the Austrians under
Lieutenant Payer. The problem of the
north pole was never so interesting rs
now; Austriaus. Germans, English aud
6cricans are alike striving to solve it.
There have been many misforttlncs and
disasters, many sacrifices that we mourn.
But every explorer goes cut guided by
new experience. The difficulties that at.
tend the attempt are extraordinary and
disleartening. But in the end courage
and patience will win. The nineteenth
century, which has seen 50 many Won
dcrs, bids fair to realize the dream
OF every mariner since the time of Cabot
the dream of Arctic discovery, and Of
making tho north pole as familiar as the
equator.