Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-14
The Howgate Memorial.

The Proposed New Expedition for the
 Haven Memorial i'm 1SsS-A Review
 of ths Proposed P1an-Its Importance
 and the Probabilities.
 In February, 1877, the Chamber of Oom-
 merce of this city adopted resolutions, in com.
 mon with many similar boards in the United
 States, expressive of deep interest in the Polal explorations already made by our own coun. trymen, as also by those of other nations, and expressing confidence that the plan of Gap tain Howgate for the locating of colony far northward in the Arctic regions is the most feasible of any heretofore projected for the successful exploration of these regions and for the discovery of the North Pole, 50 long thd ambition of 80 many expeditions. In accord ance with this sentiment the Chamber coin- cided in hearty approval of Captain Howgate'a plan and of proposed appropriation oi $50, 900 by the general government in aid oi the expedition. It will be remembered that there were several spirited addresses at the time made before the Chamber by various gentlemen, among them one by Prof. Brewer, of Yale. The Howgate expedition sailed from New London on the schooner Florence In June, 1877. The following on the subject ot the proposed new expedition, which, as is
 known, is being agitated before Congress, is
 from the pen of signalservice Officer Wright, of this station, formerly of Washington, D. O., prepared from recently published information on the subject, including Howgate's memorial l to Congress:
 One of the bills now before Congress, and | which, be it known, is not in the pecuniary | interest of any individual or plethoric corpor. ation, merits more than passing glance. Il | is bill to authorize and equip an expedition | to the Arctic seas and to establish @ temporary station at or near the shore of Lady Franklin Bay, between the parallels of 81 and 82 de- | grees north latitude; to detail such officers ol | other persons of the public service, not ex- ceeding fifty (50) in number, as may be neces. ! sary to establish the colony and who are will \ ing to enlist for the purpose to use any pub. | lie vessels to transport the members of the ! same and their necessary supplies, and to au thorize the President to accept from Captair 4 H. W. Howgate, of the United States army, the ! steamer Gulnare for the use of the expedition ! Stripped of all parliamentary wording, suct ! Is the bill
 Congress Is not asked to make direct ap. propriation of money for this expedition the materials necessary for equipment are al | on hand in the navy yards, the public vessel can be used with perfect safety to transpor the members of the expedition and all thei \ necessary supplies to the proposed site, ani \ for further exploration the steamer Gulnare ii \ rendered, free of cost and it is even provided that the United States shall not be liable tt \ any claim for compensation in case of loss ol ! damage of said vessel The proposed loca tion of the main colony, to be more exact | is upon the shore of Lady Franklin Bay, il
 north lat, s1 degrees, 40 minutes, and neal the winter quarters of the ship Discovery oi | Capt. Mares English expedition of 1875-6. \ fine supply of coal exists at this point | thus removing one of the greatest difficulties hitherto experienced in Arctic exploration.
 From Lady Franklin Bay 1t is proposed tc establish subsidiary colony at Cape Uniac ' in latitude S2 degrees, 20 minutes. From thi | point Captain Howgate's plan to reach ths \ Pole itself is as follows:
 The expedition from the colony to the Pole \ may consist of eight sledges, with six men tc ' each sledge, the distance to be travelled some \ thing over 400 miles, being divided into eigh ! stages of 50 miles each.
 At the end of the first stage one sledge could | be sent back. A portion of the provisions | which it originally contained would have beer ! consumed, and the rest would be deposited ir a s0c1e in the ice, secured from Arctic ani mals.
 At the end of the second stage the second sledge would be sent back. At the close O | the third stage the third sledge would take ul \ it's homeward journey, and following out thi | plan only single sledge would remain. The last sledge, with it's full complement ! would have the most important work of all t, perform. It would press forward, reach tn \ Pole, make the necessary observations ant | then return. Upon it's homeward journey il | would follow the route already made in thu forward journey, finding provisions at escl \ successive cGcls1.
 W Fonh ctation q fn ha konk iv1 unio | ton with the main depot by telegraph, copper \ wire laid on the snow and ice being used fo this purpose.
 The severity of the climate on Lady Frank
 lin Bay, and in the neighboring regions ha \ been much exaggerated. To parties unde summit of Mount Washington and Pike' Peak, at both of which places the signal corp observers remain the year round. The plal has the hearty endorsement of such eminen men as Professor Elias Loomis of Yale Col | lege, Admiral Porter of the navy, Dr. Isaat
 I. Hayes and Dr. John Rae, the well knowr Arctic explorers, M. de Quartefages and de ls Ronciere, le Noury of the Geographical So \ ciety of Paris, the Bremen Geographical So | ciety and many others, whose names are ia | miliar to science.
 But science is not the only object to b'
 benefited by these explorations. Man. ' problems, the results of which enter into tht ! most ordinary affairs of every day life, are tc I be solved perfect knowledge of the wind | which wait the commerce of nations over tn, | seas, and of the tides of the ocean, cannot bl | obtained without observations taken at tn, | Pole A more perfect knowledge of the sizt
 and shape of our earth can also be obtained We want to know the cause of the wild bliz yards which every little while sweep dowr from these ice bound regions, and in order tt do this their path must be traced from thu | fountain head. Besides, who can tell what | other valuable secrets of science may be un- | locked, what seeming mysteries may be ex plained, which would rebound to the enlght | enment and happiness of all mankind. Nev ! whaling grounds may be discovered for thos,
 "huntsmen of the sea-" of which the State O. Connecticut has furnished so goodly num- | Der, to gather bountiful harvest in.
 That the flag of the United States can be | planted at the North Pole itself there can b,
 but little doubt, provided the proper suppor
 is given to those who have the patience ana \ determination to pursue this plan, viz: tc
 fight it out on this line, not only if it takes al
 winter, but as many winters as may be neces \ sary. Other foreign nations are moving wig orously towards this end.
 The International Geographical Congress
 which convened in Hamburg in October last | met for the purpose of securing harmoniou
 action on the part of the government
 and geographical societies of Europ ! in the work of Arctic explora- tion, and as result of their de Alterations, Lady Franklin Bay was as signed to the United States as permanent \ station of observation.
 | One of the chief causes of the failure by for mer expeditions to achieve the conquest O the Pole has been their inability to take ad vantage of favorable seasons, to push on tt the Pole whenever practicable, connectin
 each party as it proceeds farther and farthe
 north by telegraph with the main colony. ant thus gradually, step by step, approach the wished-for goal, until the flag of our countr, is planted on the very spot where the meri | dians meet.
 ' Truly this is . consummation devoutly to b. | wished.
 !