New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
Discovery forbor as it did also at Point Bar

Discovery farbor IA IL did also NJ Pont DIT :
row and the other stations IN The interna'loliai
series The little band of soldiers cncainpru ~
Fort Conger were in greater security thlh 'he Va .
| fatcdJeanncttecrcw and were able To accomplish
work vastly more important In the interest "
| science. Their experience proves thht IL 'no
labors of Arctic exploration are ever 10 De
renewed, hap hazard voyages mt the mercy VI
Polar currents and the trcacherous lee PACKS
must be abandoned, and the system OF lahu
! : ions with an accessible base OF supplies anu
| fixed lines of retreat must be adopted.
Durinc the last fifteen years mans powers OF
nhvsical endurance have been frequently plttcd
AGAINST thc terrors of the Arctic climate, and IN
only two instances have there been fatal disas-
TORS The Austrians returned in safety over
the ice from Franz Josef Land; the two POlaris
parties were rescued, one OF them after a pro-
tractcd drift with the foe the Mares Expedition,
debilitatcd by scurvy due to an unscicniiic
regimen, entered Plymouth harbor in triumph !;
the Rodgers crew in st. Lawrence Bay, the
Dutch coonsts in the Kara Sea- and Leigh
Smith andthe crew of the Ezra at Cape Flora
lost their ships but survived the privations OF
the Arctic winter and the scientific observers
who returned from twelve stations last year
were in excellent health and spirits The two
instances in which there have been cataStropheS
are the retreat from the Jeanette and the en-
campmcnt at Cape Sabine and on each occa-
sion disaster was caused by an absolute lack oi
food. If recent experience proves any
thing il is the ability of man to endure
extremes of temperature and all the hardships
and pcIils of life in the far North. Let him
have food and fuel, and he can safely defy the
| mystic king whose potent spell has lurcd 50
many daring souls into the realm OF eternal zee.
Life i'm high ATTITUDES offers few dangers
when there is a secure base of supplies; and on
this account the system of land stations is to
be advocated as the only practicable mode
of exploration. If the various ma
| tions cooperating in the recent scheme
| of meteorological observation were to com
| binc in manning series OF stations
in q direct line a hundred miles apart and con-
Meeting with an accessible base of supplies,
close approach could be made to the Pole, and
the limits of geographical knowledge could be
greatly extended. The coloniss, If comfortably
| lodged and adequately supplied with fuel and
provisions. could keep the line of coumunica-
| tions opcn and the nollhcrnm0,t station could
send ont scntincls far beyond Lockwood l-land'
which now marks the limit of exploration.
! This suggestion may seem impmcticablc bat II
| cannot Er denied that permanent colonies
! oulm tn be- established i'm high ATTITUDES
| for the benefit of the whaling and scaling fleets.
! At Point Blfiow several ship-vrockrd crews
| wore rescued los Lieutenant Ray while hr was
engaged in tine meteorological work oI last
year; aud il would Zoe a phautmopr "'tcr-
prise toh aycn permanent colony There. The
British Government iu like manner would do
ull to establish station at APE York loi th"
hrnrH of tine Dundee lloot and the Norwegian
and Dutch Goy'wmcula similar colonies oi On.
! ,1rp Of thr Eutl 3rb.