The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-27

far beyond the Polar limit of its drift; so that
long alter its tepid volume has been lost
In the expanse of Arctic waters the
vapor-be' ring winds from its broad
bosom continue to diffuse it's warmth
III the direction of the Pole. .'The
intense winter colds in the high lati-
tudes, Sir John Richardson observed, ''are
In great measure owing to the active noe
turnal radiation into the clear blue sky"
But this process of chilling on the vapor-
mantled sea and littoral surfaces is very
| sluggish. Although the mean air tempera-
ture on the Arctic shores near Fort Conf
dence in December, 1920 was 30 degrees
below zero, Back one of Franklin's explor-
ing party, recorded the remarkable fact
that running river water remained open
in the severest weather" at a temperature of
32 degrees to the close of that month. And
Captain Howgate, in his recently published
memoir of the cruise OF the Florence, men
tions November 10, 1877, as the date Of her
being frozen in at Cumberland Gulf. In
the light of such data there can be but
little if any ground to fear that the jean
nette in August was repulsed by ice in
her attempt to land at her desired
harbor.
But, happily, we have surer indication
of the ice conditions prevailing near
Wrangell Land in August than any afforded
by physical analogy or by Arctic expe-
rience. The barometric pressure over the
northwestern and Arctic slopes of the
Anna int 1o 90 A ,ct
must be held to exert dominant meteor
illogical influence over the seas north Of
Behring Strait and far beyond them in
a poleward direction. Now, we know that
every year as the summer sun heats up the
northern part of the continent terrestrial
radiation produces great rarefaction of the
dir, and consequently an immense area Of
slow barometer" is formed in the high
American attitudes. McClure's barometric
means at Mercy Bay for July and August
were 1914 and 29SI inches, while his
September mean was even lower than
that Of August, and Richardson's
thermal midday means for the Yukon
Valley in August and September were
respectively 70 degrees and 60 degrees,
Fahrenheit. But, decided as this baro-
metric depression over Arctic America
is every year. there is reason to believe that
during the past summer it was abnormally
deep and protracted. The Signal Service
''Review" of the August conditions stated
that ''the barometric pressure as compared
with the means of the seven preceding
years shows that the mean Of the entire
country has been abnormally low" mo
areas of high barometer of particular energy
passed over the country during the month, :"
and, accordingly, we find "an excess Of
temperature" reported from the plateau dis
tricts, the North Rocky Mountain slope
and the Pacific coast-conditions all point
ing, as with unerring finger, to q control
ling slow pressure" area of great intensity
and vast dimensions lying over the ex-
IRENE northwest Of the continent. The
inevitable conclusion forced upon u.s.
in its attempt to reach Wrangell Land en-
countered northerly and northwesterly
winds, sweeping all drifting ice from the
eastern and southern shores Of Wrangell
Land toward the Siberian or Alaskan
coast, and thus opening a navigable
way tor the Jeannette to reach her des-
tination. If to the continental agency in
Dictated we add that of a permanent" sum-
mer area of low barometer in Northern and
Northeastern Siberia, as Asiatio observa-
tions show exists, we have double reason to
conclude that northerly winds were at
work in August and September clearing
the approaches to Wrangell Land.
Such, at least, seems to be the conclu-
| sion to which the best deductions of mod
ern research and physical science would
lead US. AS the dark Arctic winter settles
down upon the little band of explorers we
may, therefore, cherish the hope that they
have escaped the battle of the icy sea and
are now in their winter shelter.