The New York herald., 1879-12-08

Novel Plan OF Polar Observatories.
The International Geographical Congress
which met at Hamburg in October have
given fresh impulse TO Arctic exploration
by their efforts to plant Gordon of physical
observatories around the polar circle.
This is a large and bold undertaking. but
the Congress urge all the great Powers
to cooperate in executing it. Eight per-
manent stations are proposed and named
as select centres of physical research in the
Arctic Basin, and the United States Is asked
to establish two of these-one ut Lady
Franklin Bay and the other at Point Bar
row. This Is an age in which science
is extending its outposts to the out
most bounds of the globe and to its
loftiest SUBMITS. France has recently
occupied one of her high mountains for
a physical observatory, the Italian govern
ment is about building similar structure
on the fiery breast OF Etna, more than nine
thousand feet above the sea. and the United
States has already its weather station on
Pixies Peak, over fourteen thousand feet
high. But the proposal to grid the Arctic
regions with observational stations is an ad-
vance upon oil former scientific schemes,
demanding high order of observers to
make it effective and involving long ex-
posure to the perils OF the frozen seas.
Grave difficulties confront polar explora-
tion, and the rigors OF polar climate are
deadly; yet it cannot be doubted that
within the icy area are to be witness3
phenomena upon the accurate and compre-
hensive Investigation of which depends the
solution of many of the most important
problems connected with the physics OF the
globe. There the winds Of the globe begin
and end their circuit; there the life-giving
currents of the sea make their round in
the great system of oceanic circulation;
there the auroral and magnetic phe-
nomena are studied in their richest
developments, and there, too. as Com
mander Maury said, ''in the mazes OF that
mystic circle terrestrial forces of occult
being of man are continually at work" It
is .circle of mysteries" into which the
restless spirit Of an age bent on solving the
highest physical problems increasingly
presses; and, aside from the question of
reaching the Pole itself, it cannot be denied
that the most valuable contributions which
terrestrial physics has received since
Columbus discovered the westerly move
ment of the equatorial waters have been
the fruit of Arctic research. If the extern
sive scientific work now conducted by the
various governments asked to cooperate in
the Hamburg scheme of polar observations
is to be successfully prosecuted, and the
great meteorological questions affecting
every interest of ocean commerce and home
industry are to be cleared up, systematic
research in the high ATTITUDES, such as this
scheme proposes, seems indispensable.
One of the polar stations which our gov
ernment is solicited to establish is on Lady
Franklin Bay. north of Kennedy Channel.
in about LATITUDE 81 deg. 40 min. This
point was selected by Captain Mares,
in 1875, as s'a secure harbor" for the
Discovery. The English officers who win
tered there represent it as too shallow
to admit of the larger ice masses
entering it and crushing ship, and
as being s'well stocked with game" but,
above all. having considerable seam Of
good coal, easy of access and suitable for
fuel. The English expedition encoun-
tered there as low temperature as seventy
degrees below zero; but it is now pro-
posed to utilize the natural advantages
of the place, with improved artificial ap-
pliances, to secure the observers Q meas
ure of comfort during the horrors of the
long Arctic night. Certainly if polar ex-
plorations are to 60 on, as judging BY the
history Of the last two centuries they as
suredly will, and if the science work now
prosecuted by all the civilized nations is
to be developed by observations necessary
to adapt it to their highest practical wants.
the plan of the Hamburg Congress deserves
the most favorable consideration.