Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-02-16

The NOrthvvest and she Northeast Pas
Bagess

but unsuccessful effort to reach the
eastern coast of Asia from Europe,
bv passing north of either hem-
sphere and through Behring Straits,
IS one of the most singular episodes
in the history of the world. The
motive which animated Columbus,
and endowed him with so much en-
thusiasm and perseverance, was a
desire to find a way to India entire
ly by sea, and from his time down
to the year 1850 the idea was never
lost sight of. Even the discovery
that Africa was only peninsula did
not cause much abatement of the
desire to reach India and China by
sailing toward the setting sun, for
the voyage round the Cape of Good
Hope was found to be both long and
dangerous. When America was
found to be long unbroken conti-
nent, through which the most ardu-
Gus and interchangeable search failed
to discover a passage to the sea be-
yond, part of the enterprise and en-
ergy of Europe was spent in the ex-
ploration and settlement of the
country, and part in trying to dis
cover a passage, either north or
or south, of the continent which
would open up a way from the At
lantic to the Pacific. The discovery
of Cape Horn did little more than
that of the Cape of Good Hope to
dampen enthusiasm, or impose a
check on voyages of exploration.
But it did do something to change
their direction and destination.
Thenceforth the efforts of naviga-
tors were directed toward finding a
passage through the Arctic Ocean
from Greenland westward along the
northern coast of North America
and from Behring Straits eastward
over the same route. Many vessels
and lives were lost in the vain search,
and participation in which has i'm
mOrtalized the names of Hudson,
Davis, Bafin, Behring, the two
Rosses, Parry, Franklin, Kane, and
a number of others only less famous
than they. 1t seems strange that
the discovery of a route which the
vain efforts of hundreds of naviga-
tors, extending over more than two
centuries, had shown to be impracti-
cable, if not impossible, should have
continued down to a comparatively
late period to be a matter of such
intense interest to the nations of
Europe and America. Long after
all utilitarian calculations respect
ing it had been cast aside as worth
less speculations. the scientific spirit
continued to promt further attempts,
amongst others the ill-fated one of
Sir John Franklin in ls45, the loss
of which was the moving cause of
a host of Others being fitted out,
partly for the purpose of trying for
the long-talked-Of northwest passage.
In 1850, Mcclure entered the Arctic
Ocean through Behring Straits, and
sailed eastward till his vessels be-
came completely ice-bound, in which
condition he was discovered by Bel
cher, who had entered from Bafin's
Bay, and returned by the same route,
thus conferring on Mcclure the
honor of being the first voyager
who actually passed through the
Arctic Ocean along the north coast
of America. The discovery of
Franklin's real fate, and the certain
ity that while there was such a
thing as the Northwest Passage it
could never be utilized, led to anoth-
er change in the direction of these
expeditions. The great object then
was to reach the North Pole by
passing through Bafin's Bay along
the coast of Greenland. Gradually
it came to be believed that there
was such phenomenon as an open
Polar Sea which could be navigated
if it were only reached. Expedition
after expedition made the attempt,
but, though higher latitude was
reached from time to time, the open
sea never seemed to come nearer.
The most successful attempt up to
last year was that made by Captain
Hall in the Polaris, the singular fate
of which created so much interest
few years ago. Captain Hall died
and was buried in the far northern
latitudes, which he penetrated fur
ther than they had ever been pene-
trated before, and the party led by
him after numerous adventures and
almost miraculous escapes, made its
way in a disorganized condition
back to civilization.
There can be no doubt that the
voyage of Captain Hall led directly
to the fitting up of the expedition
which returned to England a few
days ago, and which has definitely
settled the only remaining problem
of the Northwest-the accessibility
of the North Pole. Two steamers
were fitted up by the British Gov
ernment with every appliance which
scientific ingenuity could suggest,
and, well oficered and manned, set
out in July, 1875, to go as far as it
was possible to 60. The Alert and
Discovery kept company as far as
Lady Franklin Bay, which is situat-
ed some distance north of the 8Oth
parallel. There the Discovery
wintered, the Alert pushing on and
reaching the limit of navigation on.
the shore of the Polar Sea, which
was found to be not open, but COW
cred with ice, in many places $50
feet thick. As the passage from
Bafin's Bay to the Polar Sea is
somewhat narrow, and as favorable
for navigation as could be expected
under the circumstances, tbs highly
improbable that any higher latitude
than 80 deg. 81 min, the most
northerly point reached by the Alert,
will ever be gained by sea. From
that point two sledging expeditions
were sent out, one to the north and
the other for the purpose of making
lateral explorations. The former
was absent for seventy days, and only
succeeded in making an additional
degree of latitude when it lad to