The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-16
sohwatKa OIL his Expedition.

In a late lecture on the scientific results
OF the Arctic journey, Licuten}nt Schwatka
emphasizes the fact that nq drop of
ardent spirit Of any kind wal used in his
sled journey of 3,251 mil#. In short
Journeys and hunting expeditions where
there was ample room for baggage 1t was
considered that alcohol might DC carried,
and 1t used In moderation, WOULD raise the
temperature Of the body slightly, and tend,
as elsewhere, to increased comfort. But
on long journeys ardent spirits could not
be carried in bulk without displacing other
indispensable articles. Alcohol was not
regarded as necessary and was not consid-
cred as good heating agent. The injuri-
GUS effects of intense cold, however, he
sometimes been wrongly ascribcd tot
use of liquor. On shipboard the gener,
use of alcoholic stimulants was considered
bad, and only allowable when every possl-
Die chance OF scurvy was removed by the
character of the food. In regard to
temperature, Lieutenant Schwatka said
that his men had encountered the
most intense heat ever recorded by white
men-seventy- eight deg. Fair, or lo3 deg.
below the freezing point. On that day
the camp was moved ten miles, and no an
usual Inconvenience was felt. 1t was not
the intensity of the cold that was unpleas-
ant. All suffering was caused by the d.
rection and violence Of the wind. With
the thermometer at-sixty deg. Fahr., no
especial trouble was met with, but at a
temperature fifteen degrees higher, with q
wind blowing straight in the faces of the
men, frost bites and great suffering were
common. The while men would freeze
their noses or the exposed portion of their
cheeks. The coldest days were perfectly
calm; Oh warmer days, with the cxcep-
tlon OF few days in mids umnier, the wind
blew constantly. But it was considered
that to men clad IN warm clothing temper
ature was not material, and the longest
Journeys could be undertaken without fear
When the thermometer sank to-seventy-
one deg. Fahr., the sky was Of leadcn
blue, varied with brOwnish red near the
sun. Clouds of vapor rolled from every
thing animal. When the expedition stop
ped it was cnveloped in steam. Musk
oxen and deer could be detected at dis
tance of five or six miles by tho vapor
ABOUT them, and tho Esquimaux claimed to
be able to distinguish the kind of animals
by peculiarities in this vapor Water
poured Oh ice caused cracking like MN
lature fire crackers, ard the surface sheets
OF ice was gray and opaque from the un-
equal expansion. The sound of the run.
ners was like that caused by rosind bow
or tuning-fork, and, heard at distance,
resembled On Holian harp. In the. most
extreme cold the accllmatization Of the
white men proved as perfect as that OF the
natives. At very low temperature the
beard became block of ice, aud the lips
and nostrils were nearly glued together.
Exercise though important, was not 80 es-
sential as has been stated, there meyer be-
ing necessity for exercising to the point
circulation and tendency list Is efsprs st59rs
profusely are desirable. The common
theories regarding the danger in using snow
were al a variance with Lieutenant Schwat-
ka's experience. At-thirty deg. 'Fahr.,
the snow freezes temporarily the mucus
membrance of the mouth, causing burn
ing sensation. Ii this be often and rapidly
repeated it is highly injurious, but snow
and ice taken in moderation at long inter
walls are of great service in quenching thirst.
Drowsincss was not experienced in conncc-
tion with great cold, and it was considered
,as resulting usually from a sudden
change from shlpbOnrd to out Of-door life,
or from an insufficient acclimatization.
Near -sightedness, though attended with
some discomforts, gave certain important
advantages The glasses became readily
covered with congcaled moisture from the
heat, but with the squirting common to
near sighted persons were an efficient pro-
tection against the glare Of the sun upon
the snow. No one who was near sighted
suffered from snow blindness, while the
Esquimaux were troubled with this moro
than the white men. They also suffered
from chronic opthalma and the deposits
caused by cataracts. In very cold weather
the huts were buried two or three feet deep
In snow. 1t was advisable to change these
huts as often as possible, because the con-
slant freezing and thawing make them
mass of translucent ice, and exhalations
from the breath, bodies and fires became
CONCEALED on the walls, continually falling
off and causing little snow-storm in the
interior. The effect produced by the dark
ness OF the long Arctic night upon human
beings was considered to be much more
real than the discomforts occasioned by
loneliness and homesckness. According
to physicians, 1t has been found that dark
ness decreases the respiratory movements
in proportion to its intensity. 1t was there.
fore held that in the long dark Arctic win
ter the respiratory movements would be-
come much retarded, and a consequent IN
furious effect would BIZ exerted, the crcu-
lati0n being slow and the blood impcrfcctly
oxidizcd. TO prevent this, crews should
be exposed as much as possible to the
light. .. .
--$~~----
A Sailor at - vance.