The New York herald., 1876-12-04
THE NORTH POLE.
English Opinion of Dr.. Hayes Letter
to the Herald.
EXCITEMENT IN ARCTIC CIRCLES.

swallow up every other topic, and those who
tired OF the backngs and filings OF diplomacy and Of
following stop by step the evoIutons and develop
mcnts which seem be leading Europe into terrible
disastrous war turn with relief to the interesting
controversy now raging in the columns OF the Daily
Telegraph upon the Arctic expedition. The letter OF
Or. Hayes on tho subject like oil upon the flames
and has brought to the discussion Since
the day when tho Alert arrived at valenta tho expo
dition and what Is didn't do have bcen TO the
Eastern question: tho topic OF the day Tho returning
ships were received In Portsmouth Harbor with man.
ned yards and tho cheers OF assembled thousands
The illustrated papers havc been full OF spcnddly
woodcu,s representing the vessels and their
crews In every phase Of the voyage Officers and men
made the pets Of the country and tho Com
mandcr himself basked in the sunshine OF royalty
1t would bo too much, perhaps, to say that
a change has taken place in public feeling on
the question: but there is doubt that that the
first flush OF delight is past impartial observers
beginning 10 think that after all, there not quito
much done there might have been, and that glad
the country is to know that the explorers. saving
four whom they left behind icy graves, safe and
sound there would not have been any very terrible
anxiety on their behalf had they remained unheard OF
for another year
EXPEDITION AND
The discussion the subject has been, and s being
st0utly malntnnod on ootn Siucs. Tho principal
champion OF tho expedition is gentleman who signs
himself IAN Old Arctic" while the malcontcnts havo
been represented by "Arcturus," "Polars" the vee-
ran Arctic traveller John Rae last lbut not least
Dr. Hayes himself The questions brought into the
debate before the last powerful opponent threw
his sword tho SCALE tho extraordinary out
break OF scurvy which crippled the expedition, the
sedges which used, the temperature recorded by
tho explorers and in general sense tho entire result
OF the expedition stated In Captain Narcs' own
famous telegram "Pole impraoticabc;" tho two
unfortunate words which at tho very first
disappointed the country and called forth growl
| IRON "My Lords" OF the Admiralty. Sailed pcmmi-
can, preserved potatoes, grog, musk oxen, mustard
| and cross, pickes-al these have been squabbed
The range Of the thermomctcrl at Great Bear
Lake, at Yakutsk in Siberia, in Montreal, has been
| adduccd to show that the cold experienced in tho
''Paleocrysttc Sea" 1--WE to have song
with that alluring refrain before long, was not
traordinnry after all And then tho scdges there has
been battle royal over the suggestion that tho SIM
pie tabogans used by the Hudson Bay Company's
factors would have answered the purpose better than
tho huge conveyanccs especially made for the exped
tion. Rae, tho Arctic traveller who ought to know
wrltcs:sIf thcro is any difference, such alleged
between scdgc and taDogan, 1t would be all in
favor OF tho taoogan for tho higher latitude, II It is
truc what wc hear much Of TO the loose and
deep snow with by the late expedition wo should
have had no such ridiculous spectacle that reprc-
scnted-so admirably pictured IN OF the
Graphic's Observation-Disclosures fve strong fellows
are strainng every nerve in hauling and two othcrs
lifting tho bow Of slcdgc out OF snow hole It has
got into after running down slight declivity A
Hudson's Bay sledge from Its form OF construction
would under similar circumstances, havo run
smoothly down and probably half way up tho opposite
asccnt''
THE LETTER OF DIR. HAYES
has acted on tho "Old Arctic like red flag on bull
and that gentleman gone HIM full tilt but tho
best common. upon Or. Hayes communication 10 the
HERALD has appeared in the columns OF the Echo
.sSmith's Sound, y says the writer, is except from
books, acosnifa most Englishmen. II is not
so, however, to Americans. Kane, Hayes and Hall
selected II the OF their Arctic exploits and
wcro much moro familiar with It than any English
navigator. Hall died in Smiths Sound, and Kane OF
broken constitution duo to his hardshps tho same
battling ground. But Dr. Hayes who was not only
the surgeon OF Knno's expedition but tho CON-
mandor OF tho United States expedition in 1861
is still living His criticism has been eagerly
looked for, and in tho NEW York HERALD
OF October 2s IL a letter from him. disscct.
ing Captain Mares results This letter 10 too I'm
portanl bc hastily passed over the effect created
by both in America and on the Continent is already
seriously affecting our reputation. MIX and water
writing has been the weak point Of our trans.
atlantic COUSINS and certainly tho first Of their living
Arctic explorers docs tho s,de OF conceang
his sentiments Reviewing, then, and quoting the
structures Of DR.. Hayes, tho Echo points out that
However they are they only founded on
the telegram OF Captain Mares In his Official report
no deliberately, with, we think, doubtful taste,
attacks Kano, Hayes and Hall and rather tries TO
deprccatc the results achieved by them. When this
document is received in New York 1t will no doubt DO
greeted with such tornado of abuse as probably no
document emanating from the British Admiralty ever
was"
THE RET0Rr COURTEOUS
Now lot us SEQ what "An Old Arctic" has TO say TO
the criticisms OF the author OF "Tho Open Polar Sea
Dealing first with his other opponents above men,
toned upon the subject OF tho "Sea OF Ancient Ice:
The Palcocrystic Sea-, no maintains that only Collin
son. Mcclure, Allen Young the officers OF the lao
expedition competent judges as to whether It is
practicable for extended journey. 'sArcturus he
goes say, "quotcs DR.. Hayes Arctic author
y. consider lthat writer's statements TO be utterly
worthless II the Arctic expedition returned had
done nothing else it would done good service in
thoroughly exposing the worthlessness OF Dr. Hayes
work and the 'unrcliabilty' of his statement have
seen the dsgraceul letter OF this Americas sArctic
authority, and tho admirable reply to IT, said bc
from the pen OF Mr.. Lawrence Ophant will now
only point OF his many contradictions.
"In his letter to the NEW YORK HERALD he cooliy
asserts that hc crossed and explored Lady Franklin
Bay In mis- book he tells that he did not GROSS Il,
much less explore It. Tho truth Is that he never was
near It. AS rulc his attitudes are thirty to forty
miles out, the Of being in placing them
too far north The absurd theories Of DR.. Hayes arc
based on worthless data / say this advsediy and
with tho means Of proving IT.. There Is not much
water in this milk, either; in act Is pretty strong
DOSE and tho s'Old Arctic'' will no doubt hear from
the Doctor In due course.
A SUPPORTER OF HAYES.
Meanwhile, however, "Arcturus" returns 10 the
charge lotter in the next days Daily Telegraph,
and makes telling remarks upon tho Pasoorystie
Sea, with regard to which he says;-"ws soc how