The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-10-28
An Alleged Arctic Discovery.


Mr.. Frank Reynolds, late chief engineer
of the stem whaler North Star, which was
crushed by the ice off Point Barrow, in
July last, has furnished some information
in San Francisco in respect to the loss of
the Jeanette, and also the wreck of the
Rogers in the ice pack, where she was soon
afterwards destroyed by fire. According
to Mr.. Reynolds, the mistake of both ex-
peditions was that they started from San
Francisco too late The last of the New
Bedford whaling feet was leaving the Arc
tie waters when they saw the Jeanette at
Herald Island. If she had started at the
proper time, as whalers do she might have
got to the north of Herald Island and win
tered possibly in open waters. Mr.. Rey-
nolds added the remarkable statement that
not only would the Jeanette have found
open water north of the ice field which lies
between Point Barrow and Herald Island,
but "would have discovered an unknown
land that is there, and might have explored
it in part" On being asked to explain the
grounds of his belief in the existence of land
in that direction, Mr.. Reynolds, referring
to chart, said: "Right in here, north
west of Point Barrow, there is an ocean Of
ice It never shifts it position. Now
something must hold it in place, because if
it were not anchored to the shore the force
of wind and current would move it, But
it never moves 1t is always there, no
matter what the character of the season
may be- Land must necessarily hold this
ice. The Japan stream, which sets through
Behring Strait, divides, one part passing
Herald Island, the other passing Point Bar
row. These currents have no influence up
on this field of ice; but if it were not shore
anchored it would move" This reasoning
seems plausible enough from an Arctic
whaleman's point of view, although it would
be quite possible to ascribe the immovabili-
ty of the ice in question to other causes.
But assuming that Mr.. Reynold is trust
worthy, and he is said to be a maj of pro-
bity and intelligence, there can be no doubt
of the existence of land in the quarter to
which he refers, since he declares that he
saw it. The way in which the opportunity
was offered him was this: After the North
Star was crushed in the ice the officers and
crew, numbering forty men all told, took to
their boats, and at the end of four days
reached the United States geodetic survey
station on Cape Smith, only about twelve
miles distant from Point Barrow. From
Lieut.. Rae, in charge Of the observatory, the
shipwrecked seamen received every atten-
ton, and in return assisted in building
permanent columns for observation and IN
adjusting the instruments. From this sta
ton Engineer Reynolds and Lieut.. Rae,
while exploring the ice field with glass,
saw several times the mirage that with Arc
tic navigators alwas indicates open water
and the presence of land, and "upon one
occasion" says Mr.. Reynolds, "we watched
it with our glasses for four hours, and pick
ed up the hills with spots of snow on them
as plain as you can see the hills back OF
Oakland from San Francisco with your
naked eye" The land appeared to bevery
extensive and the mountains high, and SO
satisfied was Lieut. Rae Of its existence that
he expressed his intention, as soon as the
ice would permit, of fitting out an expedi-
ton for the purpose of exploring it. Fl
That both the Jeanette and the Rogers
incurred extra danger by entering the ice
field Just as the more experienced whaling
parties we're about leaving it may probably
be accepted as true. But the fact that the
steam whaler North Star, on which Mr..
Reynolds was chief engineer, was herself
caught between the shore ice and an ice
foe off Point Barrow, almost at the entrance
of the Arctic ocean, and "ground into the
smallest splinters," is proof that neither
steamship nor long experience can guard
against the perils that beset Arctic naviga-
ton at all times. The story told by Mr..
Reynolds of a great body Of unknown land
northwest of the ice field beyond Point
Barrow, to be plainly seen through teles-
copes from the United States geodetic sta
ton at Cape Smith, only few miles from
Point Barrow, is certainly remarkable one,
and it would be stranger still, considering
the various exploring expeditions that have
passed through Behring's Straits and touch
ed at Point Barrow, if Lieut.. Rae, who is
simply engaged in scientific work and has
nothing to do with Arctic exploration,
should be the first to discover and reach
land which SO many great and distinguishes d
explorers have been SO close to, and yet
have never seen-Bdltinsore Sua.i