The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-22
ARCTIC EXPLORATION.
New ORLEANS. February qo. laao

-. ARCTIC EXPLORATION.
New ORrRAns February 40. 1870.
70 the Editor of The Democrat.
i9is-Tha subject of Arctic exploration Ia so
az TO prompt lue to ask Of you a
ANAL amount oi your space In which to explain
more fully than | was altle to do nj the last
Meeting OF the Academy If HeIeneea as re-.
pn,iea In yesterdays UHM1aRATl the ol,iane
anu mehoda that muat guide ua In future es
p,ora'ions In The North Polar regions.
The Iolarls espediton sent out hy The United
Htaiea government undar rart Hall In 1871
and the Btltah expedition. under Hir Geo
Mares, In 1878 -7s have satisfactorily demon
etrated that with a proretly built and manned
steamship. u latitude of eighty one degrees
north. and pose,hly higher can he attained
yearly every summer by the smiths found or
Weat ureenlaud. route This would bring an
aspaditiun Within six hundred miles of the
pole. Uaipe this point eighty one Diagrams
nor,h-as q basa at operattops. exploring tar
tiaa could start out during the suee. alins sum.
mer. and with the prospect Of galnitg eoustu
erahle Information ~ . anieptlna and prae.
Heal character, Any expedition. that
aeea beyond the r. 'et,nn"us OF eae9
adds certain amount of Information to the
general selent,1o fund; Maasuled hv this
standard. both the folar's and the EnRliah ex.
had gone beyond any ol hls predeeessoIa. The
expedition OF FIR aeorgs Mares attained. both
hv ship and sled0e, an altindelhat had not I'M
III then been reached. the eyac latitude being
m lrgrees 40 minutes and 20 aecouda
The eoleu,tc observations made by the Eng
lleh expedition are of exceedingly great ,lna
The additions to our geographical knowleage
were very considerable. In addition ~ their
mere Topographic value theae geographical re-
suits have an important bearing upon meteor
plogy and the ayatamH Of ocn an currents. Al
though The researches of Manry. garpenter
and uroll have taught ns o"nsiderab,e about
atream yet sll theories OF ocean currents must
remain ineomple,s until our knowledse Of the
psn y 'he ~ p1e, eai" 's moo more
Observations on the tidae. tho wind an 4 neean
currents. aud the direction taken by noeting
| number 1T stations Within the Arctic circle and
CON Ia ned for several ysara al leaat. The eEab-
| ltahment of such aerlas ot stations hns heen
urged by scientists both In this country aud
| abroad for n numbar oi veara paat and now tho
project seems near fnlnllment. Az the lntsrna.
ons bic VI Which h.@
monlous action on the part nf various nnfions
lu the work Of Arctic .xploration. 1t was 10
solved to urge upon the different governments
| represented the establishment OF a series of
permanent stations OF ghasrvation at points
within the Arctic circle. The following govern.
mantaln atationa at tho places set oppnalte
| their nRmeE:
aermany. station 10 Eastern Greenland
Holland ono on Jan Mayen Island. Norway.
ono ut Finnmarken. Rweden. Que on North
Hpltzbergen Austria, ono on Nova Ismha
.sss at the mouth a. o. N" sas ty9g n W,
ern Greenland, and the Uplted Htetea two ata-
tiona. one on the ehoros Of Lady franklin Bay
| latitude ri dsRrasa 40 minutes tho site of tho
winter quarters OF one of the veaaels gf tho
Epgliph expedition Of l875 and tho other at
Point barrow the most Northern point OF tho
Ths atatlon on Lady franklin BAY is In many
respects tho most inportnnt OF all those pro
posed to be- establishad. 1t Ia sitnated ut Tho
| rt,tit, 1n,u frnt 10
travelled. and can he resehed with steam ves
sol without much trouble, overv yenr No
farther than two 9T h1e" miles Is ,r1 in, 'as pr" o.
ronl, easily worked, which was dtaaoversd by
tho English expedition Of 1916. This vein 4
coal furnishing an abundant supply of .uel
would remove ono Of the. areatest difficulties
heretofore In the way Of Arctic explorations
Tho geographical and geological suryeyF
been pretty Thoroughly mnde by both tho
Amerlqpn and English expeditions. leaving
little to do In that regard. II ia proposed TINT a
magnetic and tidal obeer vatlona shall bs made
~ ut the other stations Of tho chain, md ia nd
dltion that from thia station attsmpts should bs
phars tho North Pole. The, plan ls one
ha naa sntss army the IT
OF which nro to establish "A station Of hardy
resolnte and Intelligent mon Mt some favorable
point on or near the borders Of the Polar son.
| nud providing 1t with all modern nppl lnncea
for overcoming the phypicnl obstacles III the
way to the polo. and for resisting tho ef1eets ol
hunger. cold md OF sickneea
| Facts already on record appear to snow tbh
| Within tho Arctic circle tho seaaons vnry hf
marke dly as In more temperate southern ia'l
tudss. and that tho ICY barriers to the pole ar,
| sonetimes broken up by favOrinR Winds ana
temperature. To got further north, or to reach
/ tha pole prompt advantages must be taken rf
! such favorng circumstances. and 70 do thif
with the greatest csrtalnty and tho least ex
pendIture Of tIme. money and human ltfe II II
| essential that the exploring party be on the
| ground ut the very time tho les gives way and
| opens the gateway TO tho long-sought pr.ze
1t is proposed that the permanent colony
shall consisl OF fifty men: properly offieered
aud eauipped. nnder perfect discipline. and
drilled In their work until they become sxper'
IA the memhers OF tho Life Saving Services are
! A portion Of this force Is to be competent &c
make all the seentific obaervatloDs necessary
The members are also to be competent t. con
municate with each other or between diHsren
/ telegraph. The circumstance that balloons
would probably form part OF the o1uipmen
necsssitntea one or more aeronautB to accom-
II IL proposed that these men be regulnrl.
enrolled In the military seEvice OF the Uni.et
States In order to secure that strictness OF dis
cIplins which Ia an absolute necessity TO sue
cess iE such an undertaking..
Capt. Howgate offers to the government {
steam vessel flor the transportation OF this sol
ony to their base OF operations IN Lady Frank
lin Bay and such other service In connection
with the expidition as may he necessary. mere mere
alterations In the vessel as would render he
suitable for {. voyage through fields Of lee. 1
bill Is now before Congress authorizing th
President to aeeapt this vessel from Capt. 10"
gaze for the purpose epacihed. and to dea
such officers or persons In the public servic
. as may be neee -sary. and who may voluntee
). for the purpose.
The present advanced position Of this eoqn
try In science lis past history In counectln
with arctic exploration and discovery and To
? adventurous spirit OF It's people; az dfman t.
that for the honor and glory OF the Unite
States the work Of Kane. Hayes and Hali sna
3 be continued until success finally crowns To
efforts Of our explorers. ,on,au ,crr