The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-10-19

Tic scientific tlai,is'cs OF the recent
Franklin Search Expedition were pre-
scented by Lieut.. Schwasi.a, mt the meet
ing OF the New York Academy Of Sci
ences. Beginning with the use Of .alco-
hol, Lieut. Schwatsa emphasizes the fact
that not o crop OF ardent spiTat Of any
hind was used III his sled Journey of
3,251 miles. In short journeys and
hunting expeditions, where there was
ample room for hagg 'se, ii was consid-
cred that alcohol might be carried, and,
II used in mosleratiol, would raise the
temperature of the body slightly, and
tend, MS clse@,,,rss to Increased CON-
fort. But, on l.ng lruil,y IS, ardent
spirits coria not F}stapfss! ii, 's,llk with
ont disphc,ng cti.er i3igsth.l sable arti-
cles. Alcohol was NOT regarded as
necessary and we not considered II
good heating agent. The injurious ef-
fects Of intense cod, however, had
sometimes been wronriy ascriIied to the
use OF liquor. On eill ,boarG the gene
raj use OF alcoho s:ilnuialiis was cofisid-
cred bad, AID ni!v allowable when
every possible c..alia5 ,oi sc,irvy was re-
moved by the clrr.lcter Of the food.
In regard to Temperature, Lieut..
Schwatka said that MS party had en-
countered the most intense cold ever re-
corded by white men II degrees
Fahrenheit, or 103 degrees below the
freezing poiut. On that day the camp
was moved tea mil, 8, and Io unusual in
convenience was felt. 1t was not the in
tensity of the cold that was unpleasant.
All suffering was caused by the direction
and violence Of the wind. With the
thermometer at 60 degrees Fahren-
heit, no especial trouble was met with,
but at temperature fifteen degrees
higher, with wind blowing straight in
the face of the men, frost-bitcs and great
suffering were common. The white men
would freeze their noses or the exposed
portions of their cheeks. The coolest |
days were perfectly calm on warmer
days, with the exception of few days
in midsummer, the wind blew constant !
ly. But it was considered that to men
clad in warm clothing temp raturc was |
not material, and the longest journeys |
could be undertaken without fear. When |
the thermometer sank to I'll degrees !
Fahrenheit, the sky was of leaden hue,
varied with brownish red near the sun. |
Clouds of yapor rolled from every thing
animal. When the expedition stopped |
it was enveloped Ill steam. Musk oxen
and deer could be detected at distance |
Of five or six miles by the vapor about
them, and the Esquimaux claimed to be
able to distinguish the kind of animals
by peculiarities in this vapor. Water
poured ON ice caused a cracking like
miniature fire-crackeIs, and the sarface
OF sheets OF ice was gay and Opaque
from the unequal expansion. The
sound of the runners was like that /
caused by resined bow or tuning-fork,
and, heard at a distance, resembled an
Eolean harp. In the most extreme
cold the acclimatization of the white
men proved as perfect as that of the ma
tives. At very low temperature the
beard became Ilock of ice, and the
lips and nostrils were nearly glued to-
gether. Drowsincss was not expert
enced in connection with great cold, and
it was considered as resulting usually
from a sudden change from ship-board
to out-ofd door life, or from an insufficient
acclimatization.
In very cold weather the huts were
buried two or three feet deep in snow.
If was advisable 10 change these huts as
often as possible, because the constant
freezing and thawiua made them mass
Of translucent ice, ;i4ia rAh.siittions flcnl
the breath, bodies .4i.d fire., b,.caAie con
gealed upon the wall, and, cultlansiiy |
falling Oft, caused little snow-stolm IN
the interior.