News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-10-04

a GREAr scIENTIEIc cA,tpAIGN.
What is Being Done in the WAY of Dis
cOvcry in the Extreme Northwest
From the New York Tribr1ncI

" hsiA - DUNG i'bht HI the W nv OF Dis
cOvcry ia the Extreme Northwest.
From the New York Tribunc.l
The past week brought to a close the
most remarkable scientific campaign OF
modern times. During the last twelve
months Il ring of observing stations has
been Mt work between the sixtieth and
eighty-second parallels of north latitude
the temperature of mir and water, the
pressure and humidity of the atmOs-
phere, the velocity of the wind and the
occurrence and duration of rain and
snow and the variations of terrestrial
magnetism have been systematically
noted at each station; there have been
hourly magnetical and meteorological
observations, and ON two days III eacl
month magnetic readings have beer
made every five minutes; and there has
been a series OF optional observations
relating to the aurora, the tides, the
thickness and structure of ice, solar III.
diation, galvanic earth currents anG
many other physical phenomena. Dur
ing the same period Il corresponding Sc.
ries of observations has been made al
twelve scientific centres outside the
Arctic area, and two stations have beer
occupied in the southern hemisphere il
conjunction with systematic readings OF
meteorological and astronomical obscr
vations Mt Cape Town and Melbourne
This series of simultaneous observations
has been conducted in accordance Will
the scheme devised by Lieutenant Wey.
precht and sanctioned by the Tnterna,
tional Polar Conferences. The work
was begun during August of last ycm
and has now been completed. When
the summaries shall have been tabuIatcG
by the International Polar Commission
materials for comparison of the physical
phenomena of the lands and seas lying
in the Arctic basin will be supplied; and
corre9pondcnccs and Emergencies be,
tween the Arctic md Antarctic worlds,
and also between the Polar stations auG
various permanent OUservatories i'll the
Temperate and Torrid Zones Will also be
included in the general survey.
The Arctic work comprised a circuit
of twelve or thirteen stations around the
North Pole. OF these the northyrnmost
WAS at Discovery Harbor in Lady Frank
lin Bay, latitude 81 degrees, 20 minutes,
manned by officers and mon of the
United States Army connected with the
Signal Service. The colony was founded
in 1881; an unsuccessful attempt to
reach it was made last year; and two
steamers, the PrOteus and the Yantic,
have been sent out this season to rescue
the Observers. The second station i'll
the order of importance is in Spitzber-
gen, few minutes south of the eightieth
parallel. 1t is occupied by Il party of
Swedish observers, who entered upon
their labOrs on August Is, 1882. The
distinguished arctic navigator, Captain
Palauder, is to take them off this month.
Between the SEVENTEEN and the seventy
third parallels five and possibly six par
ties OF observers have been Mt work.
The Russians have a station in the Lena
delta, not fa" from the spot where the
Inflated De Long landed; and it is pos
sible that a branch observatory has been
Ill operation in Nova Xcmbla, although
we have not seen any authentic state
ment that that portion of the work as
signed to them had been actually under
taken. Simultaneous Observations are
also to he made ut seven points in Sibc-
ria. The Austrian party landed at Jan
Mayen Island on July -, and has al
ready returned to the Adriatic, having
its work. The United States
station ut Port Barrow, Alaska, has been
in successful operation for two years,
and observations have been systematic
ally made at Bossckop, on the coast of
Norway. The Dutch explorers failed to
reach Port Dickson, at the mouth of the
Jenissci, the Narna being caught in the
Kara Sea near Waigatz Island in August,
1882, and broken up when the ice began
to move in July following. The scien-
-itic corps were probably able, however,
to make regular observations during the
greater part of the year, and these will
be of great value if the Russian branch
station has not been established on
Nova-Icmbla.
Between the sixtieth and SEVENTEEN
parallels four stations have been occu-
pied during the last year. 0ne of these
is ut SodnbyIa, Finland, and another at
.tothaab, Greenland. The German col
my landed ON the shores OF Cumberland
Sound in August, 1882, and made az
for thorough series of III
trumental readings. Some additional
work has also been undertaken by DR..
Koch in Labrador in connection with
he AIOravian settlements. The British
md Canadian expedition reached Fort
Rae, on the northern arm OF the Great
Slave Lake, ON the last day Of August,
year ago, after an arduous journey up
he Saskatchewan, and probably have
llrcady set out on their homeward Jour
ley. The Antarctic work has been CON
lucted by French and German parties
It Cape Horn and South Georgia. The
Italian corps of observers under Lieu
eumt Dove was wrecked off the coast of
Patagonia and dcbarred from co-opera-
ion in the scientific work in that quar-
CT. OF the fifteen parties sent out, only
Wo failed to reach their destinations,
ma one OF these was proftably employed
Turing the entire season. OF the re-
naming thirteen, only one, the Austrian,
las returned, but the good fortune
which has attended It's work is a favora-
lie augury for the success of this cx-
raordinary scientific campaign.