Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-10-13
VALUE OFARCTIC EXPLORA.
TION.

Many intelligent persons are una
ware of the real value to the world of
Arctic explorations. Some of US, in
fact, who should know better, find in
the almost countless expeditions which
within the last three hundred years
have penetrated the far Northern seas
barrenness of results corresponding
with the steriity of the cheerless field
of research itself The presumed alb
sence of substantial gains to mankind
in the investigations thus far made in
that direction is regarded as holding
out no promise of important discovery
in the future. To not few the whole
thing looks like an enormous waste of
time, money and life in the pursuit of
chimeras 1t may be well, therefore, to
state few of the results of Arctic
voyages, to the end of showing that,
even if they have not adequately COM
pensated their cost. they are not alto
gether unfruitful of advantage The
mystery of the North Pole remains
unsolved, but the magnetic pole has
been found, and facts of no small inn
portance have been ascertained in as
tronomy, geography, geology, geodesy,
mineralogy, botany, zoology, meteorol-
ogy and the science of ocean currents.
These are all of practical character,
and they constitute valuable contri-
button to human knowledge. CONNER
cially the results obtained even by the
earlier maritime adventures were of
immense consequence. The voyages
of Hudson upward of 200 years ago
opened out the whale fishery in the
Spitzenbergen seas. The sealing in
dustries and the fur trade are largely
indebted to the Arctic navigators
The great quest of a Northwest pas
sage for shipping from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, which inspired so much
hardy and heroic effort, has indeed
proved unavailing but it was the
means of much Incidental discovery
that has been utilized. The Northern
passage, however, has actually been
found, and would be of the highest
commercial value 20 the world at large
were it not for the Suez Canal The
opening of this canal gives to general
commerce that short route to India
which was the dream of navigators
before Columbus, but the Importance
of Nordenskjold's route lies in the out
let which it affords to the northern
coast of Europe and Asia. The great
Siberian rivers run north into the |
Arctic Sea. These mighty streams
traverse forest lands and districts Of
great agricultural value The lands they
drain have but slight access to the
outside world The previous routes |
thither are so difficult that no COM
merce with them has been possible. !
The Importance, therefore, Of water
communication between the mouths !
of the Obi, the Yenesea and the Lena
with the Atlantic on the one hand and |
the Pacific on the other can scarcely be |
overestimated.
This single achievement of Arctic |
exploration opens half of one of the
great divisions of the globe to COM
merce, and renders practicable the ex-
portaton from vast regions heretofore
almost Theoretically closed, but remark
able for their fertility, of agricultural,
domestic and forest products, thereby |
giving to their inhabitants the means
of exchanging the productions of their
soil for the industrial products Of Eu-
rope and America. The inhabitants of
this immense area are thus offered con-
ditions of comfort and convenience
which the poorest European and Amer
lean regards as indispensable. BY the
route now opened it will be possible to
introduce on large scale into the very
heart of Siberia and Asia heavy ma
chinery, agricultural engines, steam
boats, and other appliances which con-
stitute nowadays the very levers of
the civilization of a country.
How many a fond mother while
combing her boys head has repeated
the famous command of Joshua
The circulation of American news
papers in Europe is increasing. Last