Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-02
BEsIEGING THE POLES.
The Plan of the International Expeditions
to the polnf Regions.

world has been absorbed by military
events in the blissful land of the Phar-
oahs, the scientific world has been busy
with the grand undertaking of thor.
ough investigation of the unknown and
polar region. All the
civilized nations of Europe and Amer.
lea take part in the task. Fourteen
stations have been
and the total cost will be
about 100000. Learned men are very
confident that observations and inves-
legations, conducted on such a grand
scale will solve many obscure questions
atmospheric, magnetic and
electric phenomena.
The idea of international polar ex-
petitions belongs to the famous Aus
trian scientist, Karl Veiprecht. He
holds that the polar regions at this day
present the richest field for investiga-
ton in all branches of natural science.
If the former polar expeditions have
not enriched science in proportion to
their cost, the reason, in his opinion, is
that their object was to discover new
lands and new straits, or merely to
reach the pole, while the physical
phenomena of the polar regions were
too little, if at all, studied. He advised
that the programme of future polar
expeditions be entirely different, and
that instead of geographical discovery
scientific investigation should be kept
in view, and that many simultaneous
expeditions should be arranged on
general plan.
Veiprecht's idea was well received.
The first International Polar Confer
ence was held at Hamburg in 1879; the
second at Berne in 1880, and the third
at st. Petersburg in 1881. 1t has been
decided that the following named
stations shall be simultaneously oc-
cupied from August !, 1882. to Sep
TENDER l, 1888. In the North Polar
region, Barrow's Point, in 155 degrees
west longitude and II degrees north
latitude, by the Americans some point
in North America in about lis degrees
west longitude and GA degrees north
latitude, by the English ; Lady Frank
lin Bay, 125 degrees west longitude and
20 degrees north latitude, by the Amer
leans Godthaab Bay, in Greenland, So
degrees west longitude and ga degrees
north latitude, by the Danes Hogarth
Island, in Davis Strait, by the Ger
mans; Ian-Mayen Island, between
Greenland and Norway, by the Aus
TRANS Spitzbergen, by the Swedes !;
Bossecap, in Norway, by the Norwe-
gians 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 re-
gion; Cape Horn, by the French /;
South Georgia Island, 80 degrees west
longitude and IS degrees south latitude,
by the Germans.
At all these stations, during the en-
tire year, there are to be made hourly
magnetic and meteorological observa-
lions. On the LIST and 18th of each
month magnetic observations are to be
made every five minutes simultaneously
at all the stations. The meteorologi.
cal observations are to include the
temperature of the air, the soil, and
the sea-water; barometric pressure ant
humidity to the air; evaporation, di
rection and force of the wind; appear
ance, quantity and direction of clouds
sediments, storms, hail, fog, rime, dew
the aurora borealis, magnetic currents
of the earth, ocean currents; the thick
ness, structure and movement of ice
depth of the sea; physical and chemica
properties of the sea-water; tides, at
j, moshperic electricity and refraction
Collections are to be made of sample
in zoology. botany, mineralogy an
geology.
1t is said that, as the Germans hav
received from their Government
. large sum of money for the undertal
. ing, they intend to establish six add
tional stations in Labrador and tn
), Falk and Islands. Our Lena eXped
- ton left st. Petersburg in December
= 1881, and that for Nova Zembla
- June last. Our Government has al
9. propriated for the Polar expedition
- $4,000 roubles.
70 These expeditions will probably eau
- no sensation, as they involve no dang
u to life; but they will greatly enri'
10 science, and we heartily welcome
Undertaking which will develop amor