The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-07
Lieutenant Julius Payers Views on lha' English
North Pole Expedition
WHY THE EXPEDITION FAILED.
Has the Limit of the Attainable
Been Already Reached?
HINTS FOR FUTURE EXPEDITIONS.

We present below translation Of tho nrst OF two
highly interesting communications sent US from
Franktort-on- Main by the famous commander OF
tho Austro- North Pole expedition, Lieuten-
ant Julius Payer
THE ENGLISH NORTH POLE EXPEDITION OF lS75-lS76
FRASKPoGr-oS-rME-MAIS,A April l, 1871
To THE EDITOR or THE HsRALD:-
ANY one who takes up the map of Baiin's Bay must
feel admiration at the rapdy With which ITS northern
tcrminusi e., the distance from tho 18th to tho $50
degree north lattude-was discovered. Five great
expeditions to the North Pole havo been engaged in
this gigantic task. TO the reader who familiar with
Polar literature all the which he on that
map will be monuments OF praiscworthy endurance
ana hcrocally borne sunerings We VIII only recall
Ingle6eld kanes two years. soJourn In Rensselaer,
Harbor, Astounding trying ordeas. and his desperate
retreat Hayes heroic achievement In accomplishing
the passage through Smith Sound aud the tragic end
OF Hall.
Great were the obstructions which the three last
mentioned expeditions had TO overcome and bitter
were the disappointmcnts which followed In their
wake, those who returned undoubtedly supposed with
increasing confidence that they had really passed
the limit OF all difficulties on the way to the Pole and
had been In the immediate vicinity Of navgable Polar
sea.
Tho comparative success OF tho American expedi-
tions through Smith Sound lod experienced men to
believe that this path, however narrow, the
practicable for reaching the Pole England became tho
representative Of this IDEA, and expedition on
grand scale was planned. II was hoped to reach, IL
tho Pole, at least latitude considerably hghcr
that that attained by Eal Isl deg. 10 min. by tho
changing water channels found amid pack Ice
and then to accomplish the remainder of the journey
by sledges
WHY THE EXPEDITION FAILED.
This plan prcsupposcd the existence Of u northerly
coast ships only proceed for any extended dis
TANGO in the coast waters and the progress OF
sledgcs - dependent upon the stretch OF solid and
TO DO found along tho coast. These conditions
were realized in Smith Sound tar latitude SO dog
north and beyond. Tho American expedition had sus-
pected the existence OF land beyond latitude 81 deg
north PRESIDENTS Land Tho British Admirulty,s
instructions warned the expedition against useless
moss OF trying to force passage througl the puck
with heavy equipment. There doubt tha. IL
was supposed either Grant Land or Greenland ex-
tended for considerable distance In q mcridianal
direction.
These conditions oil tho undertaking wrought its
failure Should tho expedition reach latitude So deg
81 deg north in ships along the coast and lind no
land beyond then the sedges could not the Polo
These difficulties probably forcseen, ana the ex-
petition regarded tho reaching OF the Pole only IN
ideal goal.
GOOD nEGiySIYG.
The plan carried out with great energy and en-
trio sacrifice to tho object In view. Captain Mares
who already familiar with the Polar world, was in
trusted with the command OF tho expedition and 70.
called BY telegraph from Yokohama Tho selection Of
tho officers and crew and tho equipment OF the Alert
and Discovery were evidences OF unprecedented care
For instance, tho Austrian expedition only eight
dogs Tor Its slcdgo journey, while tho English shipped
more than one hundred from Greenland. Besides,
everything was done to secure tho expedition against
disastcr and tho Discovery was left to winter
southcrly latitude that she might the explorers
on tho Alert as safe harbor OF retreat
Tho enterprise seemed to moet with great good for
tuno Bafln's Bay and tho northern channels whose
masses had often proved fatal TO ships, were
passed without meeting ice. Compared with tho cx.
pericnces Of kane and Hayes In this respect tho ex-
petition exceptionally fortunate The battles with
the did not begin until 10 deg north latitude and they
safely won, so that the nam ship, the Alert
abo to proceed 240 miles through tho Ice. The Dis
covcry remained further south, in 81 deg. a. min.
north latitude.
AS far as the land extended to the north the Alert
had found open passage Though IL was attended
with many diicuties) along The west coast of Smith
sound but when tho lnnds limit WAS apparently
reached, at s2 deg, the impossibiiiy OF proceeding
further north became manifest No land was vlsple TO
tho North-nothing but closed mass oil pack Toe
PASSING AN ARCTIC WINTER.
Under the protection OF great stranded Of cc
right under tho northeast the Grant coast tho
Alert wintcrcd. Despite tho high latitude aud the
severity OF tho climaic--1l2 days without sunlight
both SHIPS passed tho winter satisfactorily though
they were unable, IN consequence OF the breaking up
OF tho coast ice, to open communication with each
other. Tho winter was scvcrcr one than had ever
been known before, both 10 temperature and In length.
For whole month the quicksilver board the Alert
ed frozcn-a sign that there was no open water
pointed to this. As Is usually the In Arctic waters
but ltc snow fell, new confirmation OF the theory
that the region OF mighty winterIy snowIals lies
further south.
A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT.
Tho bardshps OF tho Polar winter wcro rendered
poignant by tho depressing effect OF great dis.
appointmcnt-Damcly, the failure 10 lind "a northcry
extending Coast. THIS circumstance made II impossi-
bic Tor sledges 10 reach even the vicinity OF the goal
IN the spring Of 1876. IL successfully bafcd tho
siedgcs rs It had formerly palcd tho ships Markham,
the leader OF the great scdgc journey to the NORTH
had already reconnorcd the ground IN the fall Of 1874
lie found that he coui follow the land only for short
distance. and would then have to leave himself TO the
mcrces Of tho mountain-high pack Ice. This result
must Lave convinced him that the task OF tho expc-
diton was hopeless one from the start Markham's
spring journey lasted seventy-two days On the l2'h
OF May no reached SO deg. 20 min. north latitude.
Hence he surpassed both Parry and Hall and ali his
predecessors. The long duration Of this journey, the
use Of preserved ood Tor SO great period aud the tor
rbe hardshps MS men had suffered account Tor their
complete exhaustion upon their return.
Under FAR more suspicious circumstances Lieutenant
cecdcd along the north coast OF Grant Lanu IN west
ery direction was owing to this direction that tho
distance accomplished by him four times greater
shan that madc By Markham. Here also the bardships
were very great Equally successful In point OF geo.
graphical discoveries was Bcauinonts scdgc journey
rom the Discovery 10 the northeast Tor the cx-
porntion oil The coast OF Greenland HIS suffered
even more than did the other two dctachmcnts Beau
mont had TO several great bays hence no he'd
TO leave the vicinity OF The safe coast ana to battle
with the chaos Of tho remote pack Ice. Even Under
the coast he ound uicu paths, for the northwestern
winds had pressed together the leo fields.
SUCCESSFUL RETREAT.
In view OF these conditions Of leo and the
lcssness OF further sacrifices II was natural that
Captain Mares, alter tho return of all the sledgc
pcdtions startod on tho homcward journey. Already
on July 81 the Alert was able to start-an unusualy
ortuuatc circumstance considering the high latitude
Ia which she had wintcred. Tho Discovery remained
somewhat longer ccbound, but after cfcctlpg juno
ton they started for England TINS twoiold passage
through tho narrow smith sound channel is Of the
most brilliant achievements IN the domain of Polar
travel Mares bon times proceeded ao0g the western
coast, here conqucring difficulties ana there again
patiently waiting Tor better conditions OF the ice. Of
ll