The New York herald., 1879-07-12
THE AMERICAN POLAR EXPEDITION.
THE USTRIED PATHWAY.

THE USTRIED PATHWAY.
From the Philadelphia Ledger July III
The Jeanette expedition. now fairly on its way.
will excite peculiar interest the first attempt to
reach the North Pole through Behring Strait
little century ago. in August. l77s the great
explorer. Captain Cook. penetrated the sea lying
north this strait SEVENTEEN parallel but
with no definite purpose of getting to the Pole
Fifty years later Beechy. following in Cooks track
made still higher latitude. and ls4s 1853 the
icy north of British America was diligently
examined by the various expeditions sent out in
search of Franklin 1t remained. however. for the
present expedition. under Captain DeLong. to
make the first formal effort to reach the highest
latitude by this heretofore untried pathway
This circumstance and the intense desire
az ,ssosrsp;nefs anu scientists lists to Learn
part OF the circumpolar may warrant little
speculation to the probable future OF the
Strait the Pole are few and i'll detned but
this gateway has undisputed merit that it is
to steam. The Kuro siwo-the chief warm current
of the Pacifc--answering to the Gulf Stream of the
Atlantic. unquestionably exerts decided influence
in the Arctic Ocean. Though the narrowness OF the
inlet through which tho Kuro Siwo pours its warm
volume into the cold ocean prevents that stream
from liqueyng tho formations the north OF
British America to the degree with which the Gulf
Stream acts in the SEA north OF Europe the kuro
Siwo is up to given latitude. a potential agent.
In 1850 Mcclure found that he could sail his ship of
tho west coast of Banks Land in open water, max
ing 800 miles Of northing in single day. while to
the east OF that land ne almost icebound. Simi-
larly the east coast OF Wrangel Land washed by the
western ohshoot OF the warm current, is kept trce
from ce ana was found by Kollett, Long and others.
distinguished by iniss and fogs. US is Newfoundland
where the Gulf Stream approaches it, The climatic
effect of the kuro siwo, within the Arctic basin.
most probably extends very far northwardly
beyond the flow OF its warm water through Behring
Strait. Long after the Gulf Stream has been SO
thnned out thai 1t is no longer dstiiguishable
current. its e0ectS as climatic moderator con-
tinued and carried ON to the northeasward. that
the German expedition Witnessed them in the waters
around Nova Zembla. Likewise the Kuro Slwo,
though its northeasterly flow Is greatly reduced by
Behring Strait. and Its enormous Of tropical
heat cannot be freely transported in large drift of
water poleward, nevertheless u reservoir OF
warm vspor which is borne northwsrd by summer
winds and spread over the circumpolar sea.
. THE KURo slwo CURRENT.
Another fact deducible from the observations OF
Kellett Collinson. Mcclure McClntock and Long. is
that the warm branch OF the Kuro Siwo. which
wedges It's way through Behring Strait the Polar
seas. combines with easterly current which
sweeps the seventyfft parallel through Banks
Strait, Melville Sound and Lancaster Sound into
Bafiin's bay. This easterly current moves through
Banks Strait according to Berghaus at the rate OF
sixty-hve miles in twenty-four hours. In 1883 Nc
Clure after having wintered on his ship. the Inves
tigator, at Mercy Bay. on the northern coast Of
Banks Land, was compelled to abandon her and
complete his Northwest passage foot; but
the Investigator subsequently by
oceSn. S The Resoate, smother A sSandonea do % ship
also subsequently drifted eastward and was found
floating in Davis Strait current which could dis
lodge two such ships from their icy moorings and
bear them hundreds of miles, nearly to Baffins Bay
can be unimportant actor in the navigation Of the
frozen ocean. 1t seems TO be part OF general cir
culatory movement OF water around the Pole itself,
due to the combined influx OF the Gulf Stream water
between Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, and Of the
Kuro Siwo through. Behring Strait. The physical
phenomena observed by Mcclure. McClintock, Os-
borne and Long. certainly afford strong presump-
tive evidence that, In midsummer in u favorable
year. latitudes high Hall reached in the
Polars may be reached by the Jeannette in her at
tempt to pass between the l30th and 10th meridi
ans toward the Pole The close study OF recent
Arctic researches leaves little ground for the theory
OF any extensive periodical "open soa' in the high
north which is easily navigable; but it nowise
tains the idea that the Polar basin is covered with
Ice the year round. The truth lies. doubtless, be-
tween these two extremes. And We may conclude,
In the words OF Lieutenant Payer. 1.-The hope OF
finding navIsable in latitudes not hitherto at
tanned Is not yet extinct, and is most likely be
realized by hugging the coast. but depeiIs large
measure upon . favorable year."