The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-17

Lieutenant Storey, another Alaskan ex-
plorer, reports the discovery OF another
great river lying within the Arctic circle.
His time for tracing the river toward its
rise was limited. At its mouth he saw
such huge pieces of floating timber as to
convince him that the stream must be of
immense size. The Indians told him
that they had traversed the river dis.
lance of fifteen hundred miles, and that it
extended still further inland. The report
in detail of these wandering lleutenants
will be awaited with interest. 1t is not
probable that tropical fruits were found
growing in wild luxuriance along these
mighty streams or that herds of elk and
deer were seen grazing on their verdurous
banks, but it is reported that green fields
and blooming f)wers were discovered,
and that the popular conception of bar
rem, icy waste is not the real condition of
the interior of Alaska. A languid curl.
osity to know more of these mighty tor
rents has been suddenly chilled by sug.
gestion that they may be added to the
already ruinously long list of streams
for the Improvement of which $780,,
100000 annually are required.
Lieutenant Rays two years. hiberna-
ton at Point Barrow has results of a
practical, as we'll as a scientific, charac.
ter. The lieutenant found the schooner
Leo, which was dispatched northward
during the summer, an unwelcome visit
ant in that it conveyed to him an order to
pack up and come home a year sooner than
his original instructions contemplated.
He went prepared to stay three years.
He had passed two years comfortably and
contentedly, aud reluctantly obeyed or.
ders to break camp and come south. His
premature recall had been made necessary
by the failure or reduction of the signal
service appropriation last winter-a fail
ure which closed up many stations in the
midst of greater commercial risks and &C.
tivities than exist in the Arctic Ocean.
This station in those remote regions of
ice and barrenness seems to be demanded
in the interest of commerce and humanity,
if not of science. Lieutenant Ray re-
CARDS the station as necessity, affording,
as it has and will continue to do, place
of refuge for the crews of whaling vessels
Every year in the Arctic Ocean," the
report says, "there are on an average
forty vessels, worth, with their cargoes
100000, and employing sixteen hun.
bred men. Out of eighty-seven vessels
| fifty have been lost within one hundre
miles of Point Barrow in one year alone
In 1877. twelve we're lost with all on
board. The crews would not abandon
their vessels, knowing there was nothing
on the shore. Had the station then ex
listed, it is probable that all their lives
would have been saved. Since the sta
ton was established, two years ago, owe,
fifty lives have been saved. All the party
lived comfortably and enjoyed COCO
health, the climate being particularly ben
eficial to those suffering from malaria
Besides their regular provisions the party
had seal, walrus and white whale meat
the last being the best, as it was sweetel
and more nutritious. The building.
which they erected were left to the In
dians." These are arguments in favo
of the continuance of this station which
should make it an exception to others
like the Greeley colony, and which should
secure its permanent establishment b,
congress.