The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-27

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gfoN. think tho Nursh sPoasears
be reached. provided those fhtefested
in the matter will only goaabeut, Ns
| systematically, as men 20 about any
(pther business. In order to build
railroads. capital. labor and deliberate
preparation arc uecesaary; aud Why in
the prosecution OF q great scientific
enterprise the same system should not
prevail, would be difficult to under
stand. Let the nations concerned siuk
their individual ambitions aud post.
pone until q given time the execution
OF their plans. The English have
taken the lead durisg she past few
months, with the idea OF sending out
an expedition by the way Of Smiths
Sound during the coming summer. II
they would put off the completion OF
their preparations another year, we
have no doubt that Germany, Austria
and America would be ready to Join
with them, and thus the moro GER
tainly insure SUCCESS. THE, as we
stated q few days ago. has been &c.
riou'ly proposed in England, and g
powerful aud concentrated effort is
necessary. But, while all this is dis
cossed by scientific societies and in
the newspapers, people are cont
nually throwing cold water upon the
project by declaring that, even If i'm
porssnt results are to be achieved, the
dangers to human life are SO great tia
no justification can be given for tho
risk. Thus highly important exploru.
tions are needlessly embarrassed by
mere fancy. It 10 we'll known by
tho experienced that the dangers
OF Arctic travel are not greater
than those encountered in other
parts OF the world, and are incom para.
bly, less than travel in Africa. The
history of Arctic explorations, from
tho beginning to the present time.
preients comparatively little of dis.
aster. Lives have been occasionally
lost. it is true, but the proportion has
been surprisingly small, when We con-
! slider the great losses which have at
tended like enterprises in the tropical
regions. The fate of Sir John Frank
lin and his two ships companies Of
l26 souls. is fresh in the minds OF the
public; but this is entirely exceptional,
no similar event ever having occurred,
except In the case of Sir Hugh Will
'oughby. who, in 1868, was lost, with
his ships crow. on the coast of Lap
land. Barentz. in 1896. passed a ter
rible winter in the Northeastern point
of Nova Zsmbla; but his party escaped
after the wreck OF the ship in open
boats, with the loss OF three men, in
Guiding the sturdy commander. This
case is paralleled only by that OF DR..
Kane, who escaped in like manner, in
open boats. from his ice beleaguered
vessel. the Advance. with the loss of
only three OF his party, two of whom
died from causes incident to exposure
without sufficient protection. Sourvy
has always been regarded as tho great
acourge OF Arctic voyagers. and Kene's
party, like many others, suffered
from that dreadful malady. caused
by eating salt food. But DR.. Hayes
subsequently wintered in the same
locality. without having among his
crew single trace of the disease. Game
WAS there in abundance, and the ship
was bountifully supplied with canned
and dried fresh meats and vegetables.
Tho eourvy did not make it's appear
ance In Captain Halls expedition, and
no serious consequences resulted to
anybody. even although half the ship .
company drifted on an ice rift, after
the Polaris was wrecked, 1,6OO miles,
and the other half lived in miserable
hut through the winter. Captain Hall
himself was the only victim; and his
death was probably in no way attribu.
table to the climate, and resulted On.
tlrely from natural causes. Ship
wrecks. it is true. nrs common, but not
more so in proportion to the number
of vessels engaged in Arctic navigation
than in any other quarter, while the
risks to life after shIpwreck are ordi-
narily much less, vessels being rarely
wrecked except by being crushed
among tho ice fields, where opportu-
nifty is always offered for escape and
for the saving of clothing. provisions
aud boats. In the dangerous naviga.
tion Of Bafin's Bay hundreds of ships
crews have, without difficulty, escaped
to the South, ae did DR.. Kane in 1866.
In truth, Arctic service has been popu.
lar, not only among the whalemen of
Hull and Aberdeen and New Bedford,
but is peculiarly attractive to the
1 s.,Ix