The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-15
BesIeging the Poles.

While the attention Of the political
world has been absorbed by military
eventss in the blissful land of the
Pharaohs, the scientific world has been
busy With the grand undertaking of a
thorough investigation of the unknown
and inhospitable polar region. Fourteen
International stations have been selected,
and the total cost will be about S40O, ,0Od
Learnea nen are very confident that
OBJ bservassens and investigations con-
dueted an such grand scale will solve
many obscure questions concerning at
1nospherle, magnetic and electric phe-
nomena.
The idea of international polar expe-
i ditions belongs to the famous Austrian
scientist, Kari Veiprecht. He holds thai
the polarfegions at this day present the
richest feid for investigation in all
brancheSof natural science If the
former lnlar expeditions have not en-.
riched science in proportion to their
cost, fl1e reason, in his opinion. is that
tlfeiE ss.ys .is7 to- tlssQYer ne "a lands
and neT Straits, or merely to reach the
pole, Ehile the physical phenomena of
the pdar regions were too little, if at all,
studied He advised that the programme
of future polar expeditions be entirely
differe I, and that instead of geographi-
cal discovery scientific investigation
shoun be kept in view, and that many
simultaneous expeditions should be ar
ranged on general plan
Veipreclits idea was well received.
The first international polar conference
was held at Hamburg in 1879; the sec
ond a Berne in 1880; and the third ut
ST. Petersburg in 1881. 1t has been de
cided that the following named stations
shall be simultaneously occupied from
August /, 1882. to September l, 1888:
In the North Polar region, Barrow 5
Point. in 159 degrees west longitude and
II degrees north latitude, by the Ameri-
cans; some point in North America, in
about II5 degrees west longitude and
81 degrees north latitude, by the English;
Lady Franklin Bay, 125 degrees west
longitude and 20 degrees north latitude,
by the Americans; GodUhaab Bay, in
Greenland, 81 degrees west longitude
and "a degrees north latitude, by the
Danes; Hogarth Island, in Davis Strait,
by the Germans; Ian-Mayen Island, be-
tween Greenland and Norway. by the
Austrians: Spitzbergen by the Swedes;
Bossecap, in Norway, by the Nor
wegians: Sodankulla, in Finland, by the
Firms; Nova Zembla and the mouth of
the Lena by the Russians; Dikson s
Harbor, at the mouth of the Yenisei, by
the Dutch. In the South Polar region:
Cape Horn, by the French; South Geor-
gia Island. 80 degrees west longitude
and 50 degrees south latitude, by the
Germans.
At all these stations during the entire
year there are to be made hourly mag
netic and meteorological observations.
On the 1st and 18th of each month mag
netic observations are TO be made every
five minutes simultaneously at all the sta
tions. The meteorological observations
are to include the temperature of the
air, the soil. and the sea-water; barome-
tric pressure and humidity of the air;
evaporation, direction, and force of the
nd;appearance, quantity, and direction
of clouds; sediments, storms, hail, fog.
rine, "a the aurora bCrealis, magnetic
cuffe zEEt1e earth. ocean currents;
the thicMesS, structure and movement
of ice; depth of the sea; physical and
chemical properties of the sea-water;
tides, atmospheric electricity and refrac-
ton. Collections are 10 be made of
samples IN zoology, botany, mineralogy,
and geology.
II is said that the Germans have re-
ceived from their Government a large
sum of money for the undertaking, they
intend to establish six additional stations
in Labrador and the Falkland Islands
Our Lena expedition left St. Petersburg
in December of 1881, and that for Nova
Zembla in June last. Our Government
has appropriated for the polar expedi-
tions Is 600 rubles.
These expeditions viii probably cause
no sensation, as they involve no danger
to life, but they will greatly enrich
science, and we heartily welcome an un-
dertaking which viii develop among the
nations of the world a better under
standing and closer brotherhood. st.
Petersburg Gotos.