Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-07-02
ALand Untrodden by Man.

In one of his voyages, while Captain
Tripp was master of the bark Arctic, he
reached as high as latitude 75 degrees. In
1870 Wrangel's Land was clear of ice, and
in 1871 his ship was within mile OF the
shore of that land, which no human being
has ever stepped upon, so far as history
tells. This desolate island lies to the north
west of Behring's Straits, and nearly in
latitude "A degrees and west longitude $50
degrees. II may be as large as Cuba, or
far larger: but, unlike that tropic island, it
is given over to ICY desolation-and posi-
bly to seals and polar bears. Parry, in
1927, working northward away to the east
of this unknown land, made his way about
s degrees farther north; and Kane went up,
on the Greenland side, to about 80 degrees;
but. though the Pacific side is evidently the
right way for voyage TO the Pole, this
latitude of so degrees has never been
achieved i'm the neighborhoOd of Wrangel's
Land, unless by whalers, who could not
land. OF this unknown land Captain Trip
saw something, in that favorable ice season
of 1871. With the aid of a splendid glass,
he got good view of the land, but was
unable to see any human habitations, or
evidence thereof. No animal life was visi-
BILE save sea-birds, that fitted in mid Lair
along the shore. The earth was green, no
snow being visible anywhere. a coast
range is visible from the ocean, which re-
sembles the coast regions along our Pacific
shore. Shrubs were plainly visible, but
Captain Trip was unable to discover any
large trees or forests. Wrangel's Land
] .,,l Far nv
tends indefinitely into regions never pene-
trated by man, unless it be the EsquimauX.
The Indians inhabting that portion Of Alas
ka bordering on the North Pole have no
traditions that any people have ever been
seen on Wrangel's Land, though they state
that deer OF variety unknown to Alaska
have been found on Herald Island, in the
| heart of the Arctic, and from which the
land named can he distinctly seen. II is
supposed that the animals made their way
across the ice from the mainland of Wran-
| gel to the island No canoes, clothing or
relics of any kind have drifted from Wran-
gels Land to Alaska, as an indication that
another race of human beings existed in the
unexplOrcd regions of the Arctic. Still, it
| is believed by those sea captains who have
taken close observations that the mysterious
country alluded to is habitable The fact
that no snow was TO be seen, that vegeta-
/ tion looked green and vigorous, and that
mountains loOmed up in the distance, as
I sheltering fortresses for the valleys, are 50
many proofs that humanity could find a
/ foOihold there 1t seems that no whaling
captains have ever attempted TO land on
/ Wrangel's Land, but it must be remembered
I that they visit the arctic regions as business
men, and not as explorers. Captain Trip
saws that if the North Pole is ever to be
discovered the discovery will be made from
the Pacific side, as navigators can reach
many degrees farther north on the Pacific
without suffering the inconvenience from
climatic rigors that beset explorers on the
Atlantic At kotzebue Sound, at the
mouth Of Buckland river, Captain Trip
saw land 200 feet high, beneath which a
stratum of ice was distinctly visible. At
Point Barron the land is only six feet above
the ice, all beneath being a stratum of con-
gealed water. How deep this stratum is,
remains unknown, but it is certain that the
earth has gradually formed itself on the
/ ice There is reason TO believe that Wran-
gels Land is of like formation, at least
along the shore. There is no telling how
far the ice body extends inland aS a sub
stratum