Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-03-30
The Objects OF the Howgate Polar Ex-
petition.


Favorable reports relative to Captain
Howgste's plan for exploring the Arc
tic regions have been made IN both
Houses of Congress, and bill provid-
ing for suitable appropriation will
shortly be considered. Captain How
gate has pointed out the cardinal OBJ
jects of his plan with much clearness,
and in way which must go far to salts
fy those who can see no national benefit
to accrue from Polar expeditions, the
ostensible end of which is the empty
glory of showing the flag at the pole,
annexing new territories of ice-felds.
and bringing polar bears and Esquimaux
under the blessings of a Republican
government The fact is, however,
that the benefits to be gained by Captain
Howgate's scheme are really of great
importance; and perhaps most especial
ly so in the addition to our knowledge
of the laws of meteorology which will
be secured. In reducing meteorology
TO an exact science, an experienced Ger
man student and explorer has shown
the necessity of a comprehension of the
conditions existing in the Polar zones.
The general movements of the atmos-
phere arise from the exchange of cold
and warm, of dry and humid air, be-
tween the poles and the equator. H.w
enormous must be the influence OF the
huge masses of polar ice upon the dis
tribution of the earth's heat is obvious.
Greenland and Iceland afford proof how
the movements of ice, driven by winds
and oceanic currents. may affect the
climate of a country, but our knowl-
edge of these movements is very defect
i've. Now it is possible that the ice of
the Polar zones may be the regular
cause of our own climatic conditions,
the origin of many of the furious storms
which sweep destruetively along our
coasts and over our own land. It's
probably not saying too much, adds the
same authority, when we assert that the
Polar regions are the most important
portions of our globe for the study of
the natural sciences.
The extreme conditions under which
the forces of nature act in the vicinity
of the poles produce phenomena which
offer US the best means OF investigating
the nature of the forces themselves. As
in meteorology, so, also, in terrestrial
and electricity, these have
TO do with forces of the most tremendous
often exhibited in destruc-
tive energy, but never yet subdued to
The service of man. So, too, if it is de-
sired to investigate the ocean currents,
and the laws OF the tides upon which de-
pend the safety and success of ocean
influences are found center
ing in the North which must be traced
TO their source. Probably there is not
Dne of the laws which govern the ele-
ments in their movements, better
of which will not result in
benefit to the race in cheapen-
ing the means of supporting life. in in
the sources OF human happi-
ness, or in averting the perils to which
we are now subject.
Captain Howgate's plan is simply that
the explorers shall go as far north as
they can and settle there, building them
selves a suitable habitation. As soon as
fixed good weather or other conditions
indicate the possibility of an advance,
they are again to push forward and
again settle when stopped, and thus it is
believed, by slow, gradual progression,
the adventures, who meanwhile will
become acclimated to the cold and 9TH
er abnormal phenomena, will be enabled
in time to reach the Scientific