The New York herald., 1878-03-11
Tile ORGANIZATION OF THE EXPEDITION.
Facts Accomplished and What Re-
mains for the Future.
FOUR HUNDRED MILES YET TO BE PASSED.
Character of the Colonists and Mode OF
Life in the Colony.
THE GENEROUS RIVALRY OF NATIONS.

WASHINGTON, March 0, 1875.
Tho proposition tor Polar exploration by the plan
OF colonization has met with SO much favor in Con-
gress that the bill to appropriate 100000 Tor the pre-
hTinary expedition has passed the Senate ana has
been fnvorably reported by the House Committee on
Commerce In fact, the idea OF Arctic research Is SO
popular hero that the Senate committee has promptly
and unanimously agreed 10 report favoraoly tho bill
OF Mr. Conkng sanctioning the transfer of the Pan
dora TO the American flag and providing Tor detail Of
American naval officers TO sail tho vessel
Captain Howgate devotes the lew leisure hou be-
tween his service daily at the Signal ONCE and his
rest at home TO the study OF plans Cr the urhorance
Of the Polar colonial enterprise The search for tho
immediate geographical location Of the Pole would be
comparatively simple object but he thinks the inter-
mediate steps in the Undertaking may DO avaca OF
Tor acquiring vast amount OF knowledge about physi
cal science IN the Arctic region. IL during such
Intervals, when the Captain prosecuting his plans
for elaboration Of the project, tnat the HERALD
correspondent cleaned from him the following inor-
nation. Everything tnut he has done he has care
fully compiled in the shape oi running memorandum
80 that IN many the answers TO, the HERALD's
questions quotations and selections from these
notes The following conversation ensued:-
THE PLAN PROPOSED
'Captain Howgale, the HERALD wants history OF
tho undertake iDg which bears your name"
The Captain too modes: talk on the
basis OF any understanding that his name should
figure the cxclus We promoter OF the work. ho ex-
plane that the plan Oi Arct!c exploration ana dis
rovery provided tVr by the bill now before Congress
proposed 10 settle colony OF hardy, resolute al IN
teigent men ut some favorable point on the boriers
OF tue Polar Sea, and TO provide with ali modern
appliances ior overcoming TIE physical obstacles IN
tue pathway 10 the Pole, and ior resisting the ELECTS
oi hunger, OF cold aud OF Sickness to deprive II Of
the means of retreat, except stated periods
Tho location selected the site o tho proposed col
ony is the shore OF Lady Franklin Bay, near the
seam Of coal found by The Discovery, Of the English
expedition Lf 1875
., "Wuat the original suggestion OF such Han
OF OpGrati0nsYo
'Ii sprang OF tho results Of tho last English expe-
ditlon. Besides which modern improvements means
oi locomotion and communication render II possible
to locate further north taan III The earlier days Of
Arctic exploration when SAILING vessels were used"
"Then we may claim thai steam is about TO MAKO
another geographical conquestY"
Steam hus enabled us penetrate with comparA-
two faculty lar 81 degrees north But lac
Serious am Gully be overcone lies beyond that pa
allel- This difficulty We hope to surmornt by tne
colonizati pIan."
"what Is the extent OF the gap TO be thus
comc?''
Discovery IN 1875 have made tar surveys l40 miles
north OF the parallel OF 81 degrees leaving only ABOUT
tween them and tho goal OF modern gcographers-the
Pole"
Of 400 milesY"
WHAT CAPTAIN HALL, ACCOMPLISHED
'You can surnisc from tho lact that when Captain
Hall reached the upper extreiaty Of Robesons ChaI
hel the lookout oil tue Pours reported open water
sight ana just beyond tho pack which surrounded
tue vessel and impcded further prOgrc This opin
water was aitcrward seen rom tne cape the norh-
erD opening ol Newman's Bay, and II the opinDn
oi the crew of that iiluteu vessel That IT She lad
been hut the traction OF an hour earlier reaching
the channel they could nave steamed uDobsructeG 10
Inc Po,e lsei 70 The shores oi such lands II my
Polar Sea. We know that they did not
Iucceed, put were folced 10 winter al
most within sight Of tais sea, aud
Qoentiy, dshearcned by the ,ss OF their gallant
mander, abandoned The enterprise. Where TINS open
- -
found SOLID, impenerabe ice through which no vessel
could fOico It's way, anu over wnicn ~ equally
Impossible Tor sledgc parties TO work. These acts
appear to show that, within the Arctic crcle Inc
Seasons vary AS markedly Ds in more tcuprrate
southern Iattudes and tnat the ICY barriers 20 tho
Pole Are sometimes broken up BY iayoring winds
aud temperature. To get further nurtn, to
reach she Poe. prompt advantage must bo
taken OF such iavoring circumstances, and
10 do this with the greatest certainty and
with the Icast expenditure OF me- money ana buman
hie u is essential exploring patty on
ground the very tine gives way and opens
The gateway to the ongsought prIze, iuiy prepared
10 improve every opportunity, nat oilers Hence the
idea having colony OF navgaors al hand ready ut
this opportunity 10 take aavantasc OF II"
"How Will you equip the cxpedItiouP Have you
formed plan Tor iis organ zatonr'
III the Dill passes Congress lne permanent colony
VIII be furnished with provisions and other necessary
supplies or three years, and VIII consist oil at least
hty secctad men. regularly enlisted into the service
-of the Unitea states, three commissioned officers
anu Two surgeons, all TO be selected with we" to
their especial ntncss Tor The work-young, able
bodied, rcsOlute men, VINO can be depended upon to
Instructions To the extreme limit OF human
ruuurdnce. An astronomer anu Two more natural
lists. selected by the National Academy OF
Sciences and to work under Instructions from that
bouy but subject TO such general supervision and J-
from the mead oil the expedition us is custom
ary ~ all posts In charge OF officer oil the United
States, wal accompany the expeditIUD. Onc more
members Of the regular iCrcc will be com pctcnt 10
make meteo oroiogicai oDservatons and to nnuni-
cate ny telegraph ana signals whichever such coniu-
ncation becomes necessary. Au aaLuai visit will
be made 70 the colony TO carry fresh food aud sup
Plies; to keep its members informed oi events oc-
curing IN the outside worid, and bear them news aud
letters rom ANXIOUS relatives 10 prihg BACK news oi
progress made OF private Character TO TRENDS;
a.so, II necessary, 10 bring back nvaiidcd members
oi The expedition ana carry oat fresh co.ohsls TO
take Their places In this way, II Is believed, Tue
morale OF the colony will be maintained ana the
physique of Its members kept constantly at the
maximum aud the Knowledge that TINS annual visit
would be made VIII do mucn 10 alleviate The dscom-
orts OF the long Atctc nigut and the feeling oi lsoa-
lion 50 graphically ucsofiDrd by Arctc explorers"
would there not be dais the extinction OF the
colony from exposure during severe season, from
sudden Arctic storm between these visits -
"Captain Han spent eight years among the Esqui-
maux, and each year i0und nitnsolI better ittcd
Withstand tho severity OF the Arctic Gil Gle, uod the
COLONY would, IL is beiievcd III Ike manner become
ncclimateu and eventually succeed IN accomplishing
the long sought end. Wtn lew sitong, substantial
buildings sucn as can be easily carried snIpboard
the iuenDcrs oI thu coony be maze
ns comioI table and as sale from atmospheric
dangers as are the men OF the Signal Ser
vice stationed the SUBMITS oil Pike's Peak
nnd Mount Washington or employees OF The
Hudsons Bay company, stationed at Fort York, or
ciscwherc where temperature OF Sixty degrees below
zero uncommon. A good supply vi medicines.
u sktui surgeon ana such lrcsh PROVISIONS cou.d
DO found ny hunting parties Win enable them to Keep
OIL scurvy auu maintain as good sanitary condition
us the inhabitants OF Godhavcn, IN Greenland, Game
was iounu iaIr quantities ny tho Poiaris parry
ihc Greenland coast by those from The Aert and
Discovery the mainland to tie west, especially
tho vicinity the named vessel, where hlty iour
musk oxen were killed during Tue season. WIN guam.
Titles OF other and smaller game The coal
uuni BY the DIscovcfy's party VIII render the ques
non OF iueia ight one, aua tnus remove one OF the
greatest dicultics hitherto encountered by Arctic
TOyagors."
''wIth the colony established what Is your pro-
gramfuc tor the rest Oi tho enterpfissy"
." here sccms To be little doubt that Lady Franklin
Bay can be annually reached by steam vessel, as
Captain Ii al went us high Cape Union, bctwoon
iatuue 81 degrees SO degrees with the Poars and
Captain Mares still higher win The Aert IL ~ possible
that the last named poIpt may bu reached win the
vessel In which and provisions could be do
posted there 10 orni secondary base oil operations
The exploring party Ii this latter bo
road 10 the Polo Will be shortened Oy about ninety
niles In Instance and three weeks or moro IN time
IMPORTANT IL suOuld I'M.