The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-07-29
THE NORTH POLE.
wi the Interesting Problem of an Open
Polar sen Ever be Solved 2


Polar sen Ever be Solved
A portion of the globe fifteen hundred
thousand square miles in extent more
than thirty times rs largeas England and
nearly one-half as large as the United
States, exclusive of Alaska-embracing
both sea and land, is unknown to man
kind. All attempts to penetrate it have
failed. 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 the time of
Sir John Franklin, who lost his life in
the reign of the good Victoria. 1t was
the dream of Cabot to find short road
to India through the Arctic seas-a
dream cherished by the mariners of that
time with unvaryil G faith. This was
more than three centuries ago, when the
world was wondering over the discovery
of America, and English daring would
not patiently rest under the 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 immortalizes 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 seamen in an open boat. We
have the Frenchmen endeavoring to
work their way north from Canada, in
the time of Charles H., but without re-
corded success. The Russians also, un-
der their great Gar Peter, were to renew
the 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 the Arctic regions have rested
upon the English. One hundred years
ago we had Lord Mulgrave seeking the
way to India, stimulated by large re-
ward. Among those who sailed with
come the mighty admiral. About this
time Captain Cook, who was to meet his
fate in the Sandwich islands and to be-
come one of the most interesting and
romantic names in our literature, strenu-
ously sought to open the passage to In
dia. 1t was Cook who discovered the
proximity of the Asiatic and American
continents.
SO many failures, says the Herald,
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 more than fifty
years since Parry made his famous ex
pedition, 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 in
structions were to endeavor to find {
passage from Baffin's bay to Behring
strait, and on July 26, 1916, he was las
seen entering Baffin's bay. He was tc
die two years later victim to his in
trepid devotion to duty. 1t is twenty
years since DR.. Kane commanded his
expedition and solved some important
problems. We have the record of the
Polaris, so we'll known to ourreaders the
valuable expeditions of DIR. Hayes, ant
the achievements of the Austrians under
Lieutenant Payer. The problem of the
north pole was never SO interesting as
now Austrians, Germans, English ant
Americans are alike striving to solve it
There have been many misfortunes ant
disasters, many sacrifices that we mourn
But every explorer goes out guided by
new experience. The difficulties that at
tend the attempt are extraordinary ant
disheartening. But in the end courage
and patience will win. The nineteenth
century, which has seen so many won
ders, bids fair to realize the dream
of every mariner since the time of Cabo
the dream of Arctic discovery, and o.
making the north pole as familiar as the
equator