The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-13
Tho Ice-Bound Kara Soc.

BARON NORDENsKJOLD's THEORIES CONTRo-
vERTRD by A vARNA SURVIVOR.
The loss OF the Dutch steamer Varna,
which was noted in these columns some
time since in telegram from Vard6e, IN
Lapland, that miserable little fishing vii
lagc on the shores Of the Arctic ocean
which was first to extend the great hospitali-
" OF its limited civilization TO such famous
ice-sailors as Weyprecht and Payer, Leigh
Smith. and Nielsen, was the demonstration
OF theory held by many geographerS
against that announced by Baron NordcnSk-
i0ld in his famous book recounting the pas
sage Of the Vega from the Atlantic around
the top Of Europe and Asia to the
Pacific. In his book the Baron declares
that the passage was undertaken for the
purpose Of provin. or denying a theory
he long held, 10 the effect that there existed
along the shore q the Arctic an open or
ice-free channel, through which, with or
dnary caution, strong ship might make
way any year when the previous winter
had not been of exceptional severity. The
Baron'S success for q time Sllenced his
critics, but the loss OF the Varna and the
Imprisonment OF the Diimphna. with the
expedition 0f Lieutenant HOvgaard on
board. near the site OF this disaster. has
again stimulated their activity. When
the Nordenskj0ld expedition returned
many OF the geographical savans declared
that the Vega expedition had found pc
culiarlv fortunate condition Of affairs in the
Arctic, and that in one hundred years such
another trip would in all probability be i'm
possible. The Baron responded that the
way rs far as Port Dickson, on the mouth
OF the Yencsei. and in fact aS far as Cape
Chelyuskin, was always open in summer.
So when the Dutch Government sent out
its meteorological expedition to complete
the international chain OF circumpolar
stations, il opened communication with
Baron NOrdenSki0ld, who was at the
time busy preparing the Sophia for
the Greenland trip which he has
lust successfully concluded. II stated,
as the Baron was already informed,
that il intended to send a corps OF OBJ
servers to Port Dickson, and asked him il,
in his opinion, il would be safe to send it
ria the Kara Sea instead Of through Rus
sia and down the Yenesei. He responded
so Mr.. Rust, one Of the survivors OF the
Varna wreck, says-that the Kara Sea was
always nayigable in summer time. This
answer, Dlr. Rust continues, settled the
question, and the expedition was sent, with
what result has already been told.
THE KARA GATE BLOCKED.
The efforts Of the Narna to enter the
Kara Sea have not yet been heard OF on
this side of the Atlantic, but Mr. Rust
gives them very graphically. He says that
according TO instructions the first attempt
TO reach the Kara Sea was made through
the Kara Gate, but it was found to be SO
cboked with ice that the effort was aban-
doned. and the Varna made north on the
west side OF NOvaya Zemlya as far Is Ma.
toschkin Shar, and endeavored TO make
into the sea through that strait. 1t was
found 10 be blocked full OF ice, and the
ship was put south again. Again the
strait OF Kara was found to be blocked
with ice. the prevailing wind being from
the westward. When NOrdenskj0ld went
through, and when previous and subse'
duent naygators found their way from the
westward through the Kara Gate, the wind
had been from the eastward for a long
time. The prevailing winds here are from
the westward, and when the wind is in
this point the ice banks upon the east shore
of Novaya Zemlya. finding her lee, an(
Miin IOtlluE w ipiNt IL NNb NAiANN-h Wv
Matoschkin Shar or the Kara Strait it re
mains there in jam to the perfect impedl
ment OF navigation.
ECCENTRIC CURRENTS.
The currents here are very eccentric
| An arm OF the Gull Stream-that Is, q dy
mamie arm Of that stream--sweeps through
| the Kara Strait into the Kara Sea, where Il
! is met by the flow Of the Obi and Ienese
rivers, and these striking the littoral cur
rent made by the Gulf Stream at an angle
defect it off shore, and by further contact
with the current running from the east
ward around Cape Chelyuskin whirlpool
motion is induced, Of which the Kara Sea L
the theatre This beng the case. all the ic'
/ in the sea which gets out j. wind-driyen
and when the wind Is from the west II re
mains in the sea, and when from the eas
il finds its way out through the shar anC
the gate. In the opinion Of Mr.. Rust, get
ting through either OF these passages int
the Kara Sea is purely a matter Of luck
dependent on the prevailing winds, anC
Port Dickson, rs an annually attainabt
place, is failure, one might be able 10
three years hand-running to reach it, ant
! for the next twenty years il might be un