The Russellville Democrat., 1883-02-22

Additional details Of the Neptune's
voyage in the direction of Lieutenant
Greely's Arctic colony has been fur
nished by our special correspondent.
The barrier of ice in Smith Sound was
found in the latitude where DIR. Kane
and DR. Hayes were forced to winter.
AS it has been passed four times in
twelve wears. by the Polaris in 1871, by
the Alert and Discovery in 1878 and
again on the return voyage. and finally
by the Proteus in 1881, there is fair
chance OF successful cruise to Discovery
colonists may secure passage home
ward. The failure Of this seasons re-
lief expedition is especially to be re-
GREETED since Lieutenant Greely's party
have already been exposed to an I'M
usually cold Arctic winter and may have
been greatly enfeebled and in pressing
need Of the additional force of observ-
ers carried north by the Neptune. They
are stationed at the entrance of Lady
Franklin Sound, where the Discovery
wintered in 1S75-'76, while her compan-
ion ship outstripped Captain Halls
farthest point and sent sledging parties
within four hundred miles OF the Pole.
That winter was one of the coolest ever
recorded. and the men were so exhaust
ed by it that Sir George Mares was
forced to return during the following
summer, whereas if he could have re-
manned another year extended explora-
tons might have been practicable. 1t
must not be forgotten, however, that
the expedition had not taken adequate
precautions against scurvy, and that the
men were enfeebled by laborious sledg-
ing journeys. Lieutenant Greely's men
have had no sledging journeys to make
and they have beea well housed. Even
if their own supply of fuel runs short,
there is seam Of coal at Discovery Har-
Dor, which can be opened in an emer-
gencv There is, therefore, no cause
for serious apprehension in regard to
the health and safety of the colonists,
provided the conditions OF the ice are
more favorable another summer so that
they ca re rea he'd and taken off by
ship.
The Neptune is the only Lrctic
steamer whose course was obstructed
by lie ice during August. The
Di, i,hna, commanded by Lieuten-
ant Hovgaard, of the Danish navy,
sailed from Copenhagen on July Is, for
Cape Chelyuskin, the northernmost
headland of Asia, where he expected to
winter His ultimate design was to
strike northward from that point and
to ascertain whether the cond tions Of
The currents and ice favor exploration
in that quarter, and whether the coast OF
Franz Josef Land trends as far east
ward as that meridian. The vessel was
sighted on August "A by the Nordcns-
kiold, steamer owned by the Swedish
trader Sibiriakoff. She had been BE-
lated in her voyage and was then strug-
Cling to find an opening in the ice south
of Novaia Zemlia. The Louise, an Arc
tic yacht, which subsequently arrived in
England reported that the Kara Sea
was filed with ice and that Lieutenant
Hovgaards vessel was still detained
eighty miles east of Waigatz Island on
September %. 1t was SO late in the
season that the attempt to make Cape
Chelyuskin seemed utterly hopeless,
although the mouth of the Yenisei
might be reached If the ice barrier in
the Kara Sea could be broken through.
The Dijmphna is not equipped for an
extended voyage of exploration, as she
is only prov;sioned for twenty-seven
months. 1t is probable that the expe-
diton will remain ice-bound in the Kara
Sea IN T. Tribune.