The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-11
An Arctic Forecast Fuia,lsa.

tons, so propitious for the poleward adj
vance of the Jeanette. is q striking con-
firmation of the deduction from scientific
data which the HERALD made on the 9th Of
October. The reports OF the whaling barks
Francisco on the 7th and 9Th inst, indi-
Gated Enthusiastically the rapid opening of
the Arctic Ocean in September and the I'M
INSTRUCTED passage of the polar expedi-
ton to the highest latitude of Wrangell
Land, or perhaps further. before the
winter of the far north had fairly set
in. The forecast of the conditions now
announced, which was published edi-
torially last month, was not random
guess, born of sanguins hope, but rigid
deduction based on the thermal data and
the barometric fluctuations which have
been SO abnormal over the northwestern
portions of this continent since August.
Reasoning upon the very clearly ascertained
existence of remarkable area of slow
barometer" which every year forms in north
western British America and also in north
eastern Siberia. the former this year being
of unusually great intensity and dimen-
sions, and both areas drawing heavily upon
the Arctic atmospheres, we concluded, on
the 9th ult., that ''the polar expedition in
it's attempt to reach Wrangell Land en-
countered northerly and northwesterly
winds, sweeping all drifting ice from
the eastern aud southern shores of
Wrangell Land toward the Siberian
or Alaskan coast. and thus opening navi-
gable way for the Jeanette to reach her
destination )" and, further, that these
s.northerly winds were at work in August
and September, clearing the approaches to
Wrangell Land" The fact that such pre-
diction, based on accurate continental OBJ
servations of Arctic research and of the
Signal Service stations in the Northwest
and Pacific districts, could be confidently
made and has been so strikingly verified,
speaks volumes in attestation Of the value
and accuracy of the official barometric and
other meteorological data obtained by our
modern weather reports. That at this dis
tance-nearly four thousand miles from the
such correct calculation of the winds she
was breasting, and OF the consequent ice
conditions she would experience, when not
word Of information had come from the
mysterious sea to guide MS to these conclu.
sions, IN ust be acknowledged triumph Of
patient and comprehensive physical re-
search rarely exceeded.
But since this forecast was made the
Developments of the meteorological condi-
tions on our continent have given new and
corroborative indications of the mid-autumn
weather in the Arctic Ocean near and
northeast of Wrangell Land. Not to null
tiply details, the thermumetric data for
October and the strong westerly winds
which swept over the Pacific States and the
Northwest the first week in November, to-
gether with the prevalence of the equato-
rinl current on the eastern side of the
United States the last few days, point to
the continued prevalence of the great area
upon whose far-reaching physical agency
the original forecast was based. In
other words, it is highly probable that the
vast stationary area Of cyclonic slow
pressure" in northwestern British America,
which, from its northwestern quadrant.
set in motion the northerly winds which
cleared the Jeannette's track OF ice obstruc-
tions in September, is not yet filled up,
but is still exerting very decided influ-
ence over the Arctic surface north Of
Alaska, just rs it is apparently doing from
its southeastern quadrant over Canada and
the northeastern angle of the United States.
If this immense continental agency is not
yet neutralized. but, as the tri-daily
weather reports from the Northwest indi-
cate, continues to dominate the atmospheric
movements north and south Of it, the ice
clearing winds of the Arctic Ocean have
probably been in force sufficient to admit
of the Jeannette's prosecution of her north-
ward advance until late in October.
Had she found clear water opening up
before her along the eastern side of Wrnn-
CELL Land, and that land proved to be- as
many eeographers suppose, Of great extent
stretching far toward the Pole, her COM
mander has doubtless seized the golden OPP
portsnity for making high northerly lati-
tude and found swinter harbor much nearer
the Pole than he had hoped to attain. In
any event, with the propitious Opening of
the ice to the north about the 25th Of Sep
tember." as reported on Saturday by the
whaling barks arriving at San Francisco,
we may safely conclude that the expedition
is now wintering at the highest attainable
point of Wrangell Land, with an excellent
promise for the spring campaign.
they. Beg To BE Excused.
It is reported from Washington that the
Cabinet officers who have bean 40 vary