Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-07-02
NUMBER Is.
Arctic Explorations.


ject considerations of ethnology bearing
directly upon the history of NAH, and es-
pecially important in determining the
character of the earliest inhabitants Of our
western world. 1t is now well ascer-
tanned that long before the discovery of
America by Columbus and Cabot portions
of our coast were known to the old Morse
sea-kings, who established colonies on the
coast of Greenland and pursued their fish
cries even as far as Barrow's Strait In
the year 1000 a Norwegian and crew of
Icelanders pushed their way up Batfin's
Bay and into Lancaster Sound. These
were the first Arctic discoveries of whom
we have authentic word. In 1890 two We
netfan navigat0rs attempted to explore
this unknown region, but without success.
In 1897 John and Sebastian Cabot pene-
trated as far as 81 80 north, in hope of ex-
tending their voyage along the northern
shore of the continent and discovering the
famous northwest passage. Next were
the brothers Cotereal, who reached go deg.
north, their expedition, however, result
ing only in disaster. Then followed the
first English expedition in search of the
northwest passage, with which the names
of Hudson, Frobisher and Willoughby
are identified. Next followed GOSSIP
Greenland and discovered the straitwhich
bears his name. Stimulated by these efforts
other expeditions were prepared by the
Danes, French and Dutch, who amid
great suffering, and even at the sacrifice
of life, in vain endeavored to find the de-
sired passage to Cathay. In 1907 Hud-
son set out under instructions to steer di-
rectly for the North Pole. He passed
latitude so deg, and having steered be-
tween Greenland and Spitzbergen, returned
withou success. Three other expeditions
followed under the direction of Hudson,
still with unfavorable results, though the
new country discovered by him, and the
bay which takes his name, greatly extend
ed the field of Arctic exploration. During
the next thirty years many expeditions
were accomplished, the only important re-
suit being the observation of the extreme
variation of the magnetic needle. la 1741
Behring set sail from Kamtchatka and dis
covered the sea named for him, though he
failed to pass to the eastward as he antic-
ipated. His sufferings and death are but
an episode in the disasters which attended
The explorations of these hardy navigators.
1t being supposed that a western outlet
existed, connecting Hudson Bay with the
Pacific Ocean, the British Parliament in
1743 offered a reward of $50, 900 for its dis
covery. This served to increase the inter-
est in explorations both by sea and land,
and expeditions followed in rapid sue
cession, among the most noteworthy being
that of Capt Cook in 1776, in which he
reached latitude 10 :45. In 1918 two eXpedi-
tons, with which the names of Ross, Parry
and Sir John Franklin are forever associat-
ed, were fitted out, one of them to seek the
4l,a tINnf ~
Franklin, designed for purely scientific
purposes. They reached latitude 0:34, but,
finding no outlet to Lancaster Inlet, returned
to England. Parry however, speedily
set sail again, and in a successful voyage
passed the 10th meridian. Several land
JOURNEYS were now undertaken, with va
ried success, the explorers travelling $500
miles in the course of three years. The
correction of the variation in the magnetic
needle is perhaps the most important re-
suit of the expeditions Of this period. In
1921, 1923 and 1924 new explorations en-
sued, chiefly under Franklin, and in the
following years no expense was spared in
equipping numerous expeditions, the last
of the ilustrious navigator being that
which sailed May 10, 1915, in which, as was
known long afterward, he succeeded in the
practical discovery of the northwest pas
sage. Then ca1.e repeated searches after
the lost explorers, and in 1850 the first
American expedition, under Lieut.. De
Haven, set sail from New York, having
been fitted out by Mr. Henry Grinnell.
Of the courage and endurance of this Of
ficer we may cite the sobriquet of :" the
Mad Yankee applied to him by the En-
glish who accompanied him, he leading
the way wherever they could go. The
voyages of DR.. Kane and their Invaluable
results are too familiar to us to require
detailed mention. Those Of Mcclure and
McClintock, undertaken about the same
time, though in some respects less pro-
ductive of results than those of our country
man, were also of great importance to eX.
plorers. It was reserved for Dr. Hayes,
on May 18, 1861, to reach the highest lat
itude attained by any Arctic explorer
After travelling for several days he
passed the eighty-irst parallel, and
from a summit in latitude 81 30
saw what he supposed to be an
open polar sea, though at that season
it was filled with soft ice and foes. The
subsequent expedition of the unfortunate
Capt. Hall is still fresh in our recollec-
ton. His explortions confirm the belief
that Franklin was the discoyerer of the
northwest passages and have added much
to our knowledge of the Esquimaux
dwelling in the region visited by him. In
all these expeditions the greatest trial and
privation have not availed to diminish the
ardor of their commanders. Their his
tory is full of exploits whose daring fills
us with wonder. Amid fields of eternal
ice and snow, where the silence is so OPP
pressive that imagination shrinks from
realizing it, these brave adventures have
never forgotten the ties that bound them
to the green earth of home The story OF
Franklin's sufferings is an epic written
upon the SHOWS that closed over him, and
in the narrative of Kane every page is
alive with patience and heroism rarely
surpassed in the annals of fame the
advantages accruing from these sacrl1lces
are not within the scope OF the popular
mind. A distinguished naturalist has
truly said: "There is no such thing as
science for the million" So in our real
istic age we are prone to question the
utiIity Of many noble endeavor in the
direction of scientific investigations ardu-
Gus and prolonged labors that have ended
only in practical good to mankind. The
greatest philosopher of modern times
perhaps the profoundest the world has
seen--has well remarked that Il the human
mind thirsts for knowledge then knoWl-
edge becomes its legitimate quest ana we
obey our highest duty in satisfying that
thirsty. Y. Graphic.
A FOND parent who bought a COW fer
his summer residence in anticipation OF
the delight that the product would cause
I zer1.f SOM axx-ha q