New-York tribune., 1881-12-24
TEF PH1NTOu QUEST.


An old map Illustrating WraHgcll's cypc-
difions on the Siberian coast in lS2O-23 is
curious commentary on the iutility of Arctic
explorations. The highest latitude reached in the
course Of his slcdgng journey was 7G' 35' at
point directly north of the largest of the 81
bcrian Islands In longitude 100 east, his
latitude was TO- -, against IL - attained
by the Jeanette in longitude 157, cast.
With a slight expenditure, and without pro-
tracted delay or painful effort, hc attained
latitude nearly as high as that from
which De Long and his companions
were forced to retreat, and was not far
behind them on The same meridian. Yet the
Jcanncttc set ont on her evcutful voyage
sixty years after Wmngcl's last sicd2ing cN-
cursiou, and was equipped for her cruise with
all the modern appliances known 10 science
in an era of steam and cloctrirlt~. She did
not even succeed in reaching Wmugcll Land,
| which was the first appointed stage in her
journey Here, too, the meagre results Of
Arctic exploration are apparent On the old
chart to which we have referred Wmnycll
Land is outlined a. a small island in the Yer,
quarter where Lieutenant Berry has officially
located it during the present year. Wnngcil
| had not seen this island, although he had
made q special journey in search OF it, and
without knowing where it was had closely
approached IT, He was convinced OF il, exist
cncc. as natives had told him that snow
! covered mountains could be deserted on clear
summers day at q great distance 10 the north,
| and accordingly he marked on his chart noun
famous island opposite Cape Jochan. Accepting
Petermann's theory that this WAS the southern
edge of an Arctic continent similar to Greenland.
| or, at least of an archipelago stretching lar
to the north, gcographers have extended
the lines Of this unknown coast until on the
most recent Mercator's projections it was traced
| as high as latitude 74'. The surveys made by
! the Rodgers have reduced the island TO the
proportions assigned to it by Wrangcl sixt,
years ago, and have located it not far from
| the quarter where lac expected 20 find it,
Assuming that the Jeanette was crushed in
her winter quarters in the pack, and that the
scene of the wreck marks the highest atitude
reached by her, one is forced TO confess that
sixty years OF modern progress have done little
to enlarge the horizon of human knowledge in
that quarter of the world. Wangcil knew
as much about the island which bear. his
name as De Long has learned and had pushed
as far north as the Jcannelte has been able to
winter Taking a still wider prospect of the
barren field of Arctic discovery, one finds that
Parry in an ordinary sailing vessel made prac-
tcally as close an approach 10 the Pole in
1927 as has been recorded during the half
century which has witnessed the substitution
of steam for canvas and of iron and steel for
wooden walls on the sea- Hi. furthcst point,
$50 A., has been slightly exceeded by
Mares i'm 1876 and DOSshlv bv thr dis
coycrers OF Franz Josef Land, and has been
closely approached by Hall, Hayes and
Kane in the upper waters Of Smiths Sound.
The Northern American Archipelago has been
thoroughly explored by the various cxpedi.
tons in search Of Sir John franklin: the
Northwestern Passage has been demonstrated
by a ships company, if not 10y vessel; the
Open Polar Sea has been searched for i'm vain
beyond Smiths Sound; new archipelago has
been discovered beyond Noyaia Zema and the
Barcutz Sea- aud the Northeast Passage
around Northern Europe and Siberia has
been accomplished. These have been great
achievements, but toward the main goal
IN the northern seas no material progress has
been made. The Alliance has reached this
year Latitude sO2 lC', but Scoresby, with his
od-fashionCd sailing irgltC, made latitude 80
30 in 1917. A colony was planted for polar
observation last summer in latitude so, bat
Parry was as near the Pole IN 1927. The
half century has witnessed in The Far North
many a shipWrcck and some OF the most ag-
onzing struggles recorded in human history
The fate of the Jeanette and Che suilcrings
Of her crew give fresh force to the long series