The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-11-20

Al sShsaILHis:E1psHtsas Of ~ De,
EBees BsISSSZeHs

sentsd By Lieut.. ~SehSatkA, at q recent
meeting in New York Of the Academy
Of Sciences. Beginning with the use Of
alcohol, Lieutenant schSatka emPhasi-
zes the fact that not a drop Of ardent
spirit Of any kind was used in his sled
journey Of 3251 miles. In short journ-
neys and hunting expeditions, where
there was ample room for baggage, it
was considered hat alcohol might be
carried, and If used in moderation,
would raise the temperature Of the body
slightly, and tend, as elsewhere, TO in
creased comfort. But on long Journeys
ardent spirits could not be carried in
bulk, without dlsplacing other indispen-
sible articles. Alcohol was not regard
ed as necessary and was not considered
q good heating agent. The injurious
effects of intense cold, however, had
sometimes been wrongly ascribed to the
use Of liquors. On shipboard the general
use Of alcoholic stimulants was consid-
cred bad, and only allowable when every
possible chance Of seuryy was removed
by the character Of the food. In regard
10 temperature, Lieutenant Schwatka
said that he had encountered the most
intense cold yer recorded by white men,
below zero, "A or los below the freez-
ing point. On.that day the camp was
moved ten miles, and no unusual incon-
yenience was felt. IL was
NoT THE INTENSITY or hi COLD
that wa unpleasant. All suffering
was caused by the direction of the ,rind.
With the thermometer at 80 below zero
no especial trouble was met with, but at
a temperature 10 higher. with a wind
blowing straight into the faces Of the
men, frost bites and great suffering
were common. The white men would
freeze their nose or the exposed por-
tons Of their cheeks. The coolest days
were perfectly calm; OF warmer days
in midsummer, the wind blew constant
~. But IL was considered that b men
clad in warm clothing temperature was
not material, and the longest journeys
could be undertaken without fear.
When the Thermometer sank to III be-
low zero, the sky was Of "A leaden hue,
varied with brownish red near the hor-
izon Clouds OF vapor rolled from eve-
| rything animal. When the expedition
stopped IL was developed in steam.
Musk oxen. and deer could be detected
l a a. .ltaf.... - tv. 80. ~ - ..aI.a lao fAa
yapor about them, and the Esquimaux
claimed TO he able TO distinguish the
kind OF animals by peculiarities in this
vapor. Water poured on leo caused a
cracking like miniature ~ire-crackors,
and the surface OF sheets Of Ice WAS gray
and opaque from the unequal expansion.
The sound of the runners was like that
caused by a rosined bow or tuning fork
and heard ut n distance, resembled an
Eolian harp. In the most extreme
cold the acclimation of the white men
proved rs perfect rs That OF the natives.
At a very low temperature the beard
became n block Of Ice, and the lips and
nostrils were very nearly glued togeth-
er. Exercise though important, was
not 80 essential rs has been stated,
there never being u necessity for excer-
cising TO the point of fatigue. For
Arctic explorers n strong circulation
and n tendency MOTTO perspire profuse-
ly ARE desirable. The common theo-
rles regarding
THE DANGER ~ USING SNOW
were Mt n variance with Lieutenant
S~chwatka's experience. AT so below
zero the snow.freczes temporarily, the
mucous membrane OF the mouth, caus-
inga burning sensation. II this DO Of
ten and rapidly repeated it is highly
injurious, but snow and ice taken in
moderation ut long intervals are OF
great service in quenching thirst.
Drowsiness was not experienced in con-
nectlon with a great degree Of cold, and
IL was considered rs resulting usually
from a sudden change from shipboard
TO out-of-door life, or from an INSULT
cient acclimation.
Near-sightedn ess, though attended
with some discomforts, gave certain
important nd vantages. The glasses be-
came readily covered with CONCEALED
moisture from the heat, but with the
squirting common to near-sighted per
sons was a sufficient pr election against
the glare Of the sun upon the snow. No
one who was near-sighted suffered from
snow-blindncss, while the Esquimaux
were troubled with this moro than the
white men. They also suffered with
chronic opthamia and the deposits on
the eye caused by cataracts. In very
cold weather the huts were buried two
or three feet deep in snow. 1t was I'D
visable 10 change these huts as often
us possible, because the constant freez-
ing and thawing make them a mass of
translucent ice, and exhalations from
the breath, bodies and fires became con
gealed on the walls, continually falling
OF and casting Il little snow storm in
the interior.
The effect produced by
TIE DARKNESS oF III LONG ARCTIC
NIGHT
upon human beings wa considered
| To be much more real than the discom-