The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-12-26
TnE NORTH POLE.
From the Chicago Tines

| rfom the Shichso iimcA
The recent return of the steamers
Alert and Discovery from a fruitless
mission to the frozen region about the
North pole seems to call to mind how
much treasure has been squandered,
how much suffering has been endured,
and how many lives have been lost in
the vain attempt to penetrate an ocean
which nature closed by impossible bar
riers. Scarcely had Columbus publish
ed his account OF the discovery OF this
continent before John Cabot set about
finding way of reaching Ihdia by sail
ing north of the newly-founded conti-
nent. His first voyage in this direc-
tion was made in 1897, and was attend
ed by severe hardships. During the
following 200 years some 200 voyages
were made by different navigators to
the same frozen sea. Great Britain
took the lead of the commercial ma
tions in undertaking to find north
west passage to the Pacific ocean. A
reward OF $4,000 was offered to the
fortunate individual who would sail
from sea TO sea. Some thirty expedi-
tions have been fitted out by Great
Britain alone for the purpose OF dis
covering q northwest passage. The
same nation sought to encourage ex-
ploration by conferring titles and dis
tinctions on the men who hazaI ded
their lives in the perilous undertaking.
Parry, Franklin, Ross, Book and Rich
ardson were all knighted for the servi-
ces they were supposed to render to
their country by the explorations they
made in the regions about which we
know so little. but of which we know
quite enough, after all.
The expedition which attracted the
most attention was the one commanded
by Sir John Franklin. The two YES
sells, the Erebus and Terror, which con-
veyed his party, left England May "a,
1915, but never returned. The loss OF
the brave men who constituted this
party seemed to stimulate rather than
to discourage the spirit Of adventure.
There were now two things instead Of
one to find-the lost party and the
passage they were to discover. Twen-
ty-one expeditions in all sailed from diff
ferent countries for the purpose OF OBJ
tanning information in regard to the
fate of Sir John Franklin. Great
Britain offered rewards amounting TO
800, 900 for his discovery, and expend
ed $1,000, 900 in the various expedi-
tions sent out. A spirit of rivalry
sprang up among the different nations
to see which would penetrate the vast
frozen sea the greater distance. This
spirit was shared by the people OF the
United States, as was shown by the
expeditions OF Kane, Hayes and
others.
These expeditions resulted in little
else than in demonstrating that there
is no passage available for the purpose
OF navigation, and in obtaining some
evidence that there exists an open sea
about the North pole. The expedition !
just returned to England found the !
best proof against the existence of
such a sea. The party which COM |
posed il found ice varying from so to
$50 feet in thickness, and so broken
and rugged that progress OF only
mile per day could be made over it. |
1t is to be hoped that the day for Arc
tic expeditions has passed. 1t is not |
possible that any benefits to commerce |
can result from them, and it is very |
hard TO see in what science is to be |
benefited by future Arctic voyages.
Had the money that has been spent in |
fruitless expeditions in the direction Of
the North pole been employed in stim-
ulating discoveries in practical science,
the world might have been better auu !
wiser therefor. Half the people in this
country rely on soft coal for fuel, bat
We have not found how to burn il |
without having the best portions OF it
pass into the air in the shape OF SCOT
or unconsumed gas. Botanists inform
us that no use has been found for
thirty Of the plants now
known to them. We are in compara-
tive ignorance to-day of the science Of
making steel, aud still our civilization
largely depends on its manufacture.
With so many things to find out, any
one of which would be of immense |
value to the world, we may as well re-
main awhile in ignorance of some mat
ters pertaining to the polar sea.