New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-04
Americans and the North Pole.

The London Daily Telegraph in a recent
issue says:
Americans seem determined to continue
their friendly rivalry with US in the neutral
field of Arctic exploration. ROus ed by the
structures passed on their Arctic explorers
by Sir George Mares. Hon. Justice DAILY,
president of the Great Transatlantic Geo
graphical Society, white paying the mem.
bers of our recent Arctic expedition many
handsome compliments IN bls inaugural adj
Dress gives their commander a digniied
rebuke on account of his ungeneTOus refer
ences to the researches of his predecessors,
Kane and Hayes. BY way of testing the
work done by the crews Of the Alert and
the Dispatch, it appears that the organiza
ton of an American expedition is now
being proposed to carry on the grand
story of Polar adventure through
Smiths sound. Already bill has Deen
brought into Congress for that puSpOse,
and men like Captain Howgate, Dr.. Hayes,
and Professor LOomis, the eminent meteor
Ologist, and others, are advocating in the
States renewed activity ia the cause of Arc
tic discovery. 1t is gratifying to note that,
in the discussion now going on in the Amer
lean papers with reference to this subject,
it is ad miGted that Sir George Mares has at
least demonstrated the superiority of the
Smi his sound route over every other. I5
appears TO be thought that, as he succeeded
by following this channel 10 sailing ship
nearer the apex Of the earth than any pre-,
viuus navigat or-nearer by far than the
most successful explorers were able to get
by other passRges-the superiority of the
Smiths eound route, long vindicated by
Mr.. C. R. Markham, has been srikingly
verified. The Americans evidently con-
slider that the chief success of the English
expedition lies in showing that by attack.
ing the Arctic mystery via Smiths sound,
the closest base of operations yet diseov-
cred is made available. BY following this
up, by taking a tirmer grasp of the clue
where it fell from the hands of the
British expedition, it is thought that the
coveted glory of planting the Stars and
Stripes al the pole will be achieved. OF
course, all such anticipations are, we now
| know, Over-sanguine. The Americans, how
| ever, reason shire wdly and we'll in arguing
that the channel by which Sir George Mares
succeeded in sailing nearer to the pole than
any of his predecessors must necessarily be
the one that will be most certain to lead
them with the greatest ease to the most val
usble discoveries. Whether it will lead
them to the pole is, of course, another ques'
ton. It ought, however, TO enable them to
achieve what is nesrly as grand feat, that
| is, to determine how the mysterious CONT
nent of Greenland ends-a discovery which
! our explorers were on the verge of making
| when they gave up the glorious quest. We
| have little doubt that the officers of the
| British expedition will be among the first &c
| bid the American expedition God speed,
when it sails away into the 10y North fol
| the purpose of setting at rest all the acrid
| skeptcsm with which Sir George Naref
theory OF "a permanently unnavigablt
Pa'w )crystio sea has been opposed.