The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-06
Polar Exploration.

ure hours between his service daily at
the Signal Office and his rest at home
to the study of plans for the further
ance of the Polar colonial enterprise.
The search for the immediate geograph-
comparatively simple object, but he
thinks the intermediate steps in the I'M
dertaking may be awaited of for acquir-
ing vast amount of knowledge about
physical science in the Arctic region.
1t was during such intervals, when the
Captain was prosecuting his plans for
an elaboration of the object, that the
correspondent cleaned from him the
following information. Everything that
he has done he has carefully compiled
in the shape of running memoran-
dunn, so that in many cases the answer
to the questions were quotations and
selections from these notes. The fol-
lowing conversation ensued:
Capt. Howeate, the Herald wants
history of the undertaking which bears
your name"
The Captain was too modest to desire
to talk on the base of any understand
ing that his name should figure as the
exclusive promoter of the work. He
explained that the plan of Arctic ex-
ploration and discovery provided for
by the bill now before Congress
proposed to settle a colony of hardy,
resolute and intelligent men at some
favorable point on the borders of the
Polar Sea, and to provide it with all
modern appliances for overcoming the
physical obstacles in the pathway to
the Pole, and for resisting the effects of
hunger, of cold and of sickness, when
deprived of the means of retreat except
at stated periods of time. The loca-
ton selected as the site of the proposed
colony is on the shore of Lady Franklin
Bay, near the seem of coal found by
the Discovery, of the English expedition
of 1873.
"What was the original suggestion
of such plan of operations?''
1t sprang of the results of the last
English expedition. Besides which,
modern improvements in means of To-
comotion and communication render it
possible to locate further north than in
the earlier days of Arctic exploration
when sailing vessels were used"
"Then we may claim that steam is
about to make another geographical
conquest?'
Steam has enabled us to penetrate
with comparative facility as far as 81
deg. north. But the serious difficulty
to be overcome lies beyond that par
allel. This difficulty we hope to sur
mount by the colonizing PLAN
hot ill., al L.
thus overcome?''
Parties from the Polaris in 1871,
and the Alert and Discovery in 1875,
have made fair surveys 40 miles north
of the parallel of 81 deg, leaving only
about 400 miles of an unexplored region
between them and the goal of modern
geographers- the Pole.
:" And what is the prospect of explor-
ing this stretch of 400 miles?"
You can surmise from the fact that
when Capt. Hall reached the upper ex-
tremity of Robeson's Channel the look
out ofthe Polaris reported open water in
sight and just beyond the pack which sur
rounded the vessel and impeded further
progress. This open water was after
ward seen from the cape at the north
ern opening of Newman's Bay, and it
was the opinion of the crew of that
Inflated vessel that if she had been but
the fraction of an hour earlier in reach
ing the channel they could have steamed
unobstructed to the Pole itself, or to the
shores of such lands, if any exist. as
may bound the so-called open Polar
Sea. We know that they did not sue
ceed, but were forced to winter almost
in SIGHT of this sea, and snbseouentlv,
disheartened by the loss of their gallant
commander, abandoned the enterprise.
Where this open water was found Capt.
Mares, in 1875 and 1876, found solid,
impenetrable ice, through which no
vessel could force its way, and over
which it was equally impossible for
sledge parties to work. These facts
appear to show that, within the Arctic
Circle, the seasons vary as markedly as
in more temperate Southern latltudes,
and that the icy barriers to the Pole
are sometimes broken up by favoring
winds and temperature. To get further
north, or to reach the Pole, prompt
advantage must be taken of such favor
ing circumstances, and to do this with
the greatest certainty and with the least
expenditure of time, money and human
life, it is essential that the exploring