St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-08-28
Arctic Explorations.

Lieutenant Greedy has given to the
Associated Press the first complete ac-
count of his work in the north. His
meteorological observations are of par
ticular interest. He found that, con
trary to the report of Mares, the aurora
east il distinct shadow and was accom-
panied by no cracking sound. He
was surprised at obtaining no result
from his electro meter, but the mag
netic needle was never quiet except
during storms. The lowest tempera-
ture was Go below, ut which point the
mercury frOze and remained solid 10
days in February. The highest tenn
perature was so above. The bar0m-
eter showed great variation and extra
ordinary range. The tides mt the sta
ton came from the north, and Were
two degrees warmer and not so high
its the southern tides at Cape Sabine.
The average temperature of the water
WAS several degrees below the freezing
point. Wolves, foxes and some other
animals were found about the station,
but sea fish are very scarce. Only two
or three were taken. One of the most
remarkable events of the s0iOurn was
the taking of four-pound salmon
from il fresh water lake near by. Veg
citation ut Lady Franklin bay and ut
the farthest point reached by Lock
wood consisted of messy linchens,
willow and saxifrage. Lieutenant
Greedy thinks the north pole can be
reached only under the most favorable
circumstances and by way of Franz
Josef Land, north from Nova Zembla
and Western Siberia. He gives up the
West Greenland route and the Jean
nette route as impracticablc. He be-
lieveS the existence of an open polar
sea- is proved 10y the northward drift of
the ice pack. These facts and obser-
vatiOns added to the geographical dis
coveries already reported are interest
ing and valuable, but they have been
obtained at very high cost. 1t is
possible that the secret of the polar
ocean will he discovered and the pole
gained before the end of the century
The terrible experience of the Greedy
party will not discourage Adventures
and scientific enthusiasts. But it is
the turn of some other country now.
If polar exploration must continue, let
some of the Europeans take Greely's
hint and try that route on their own
side of the globe which he considers
most practicable.
Rufus Porter, aged 93 years, who
died ut the New Haven hospital, was
an inventor and the founder of the Sci
entitic American.
A barque from the Arctic at Phila-
delphia reports the finding of tent
4 Al.
Jeanette expedition.
1t is rumOred that weekly illus
trated paper, something after the pat
tern of Puck, is to be started in Bos-
ton. devoted to the interests of Blaine
and Logan.
One of the most remarkable tele-
graphic feats on record was the recent
delivery of n message from Melbourne
to London in 23 minutes. The mes
sage went by land and sea over I3,30S
miles of wire.
Dora Buck, sister of the late Private
Henry, of the Greedy party, has au-
thorized Coroner Robinson, of Long
Island City, n. Y, to exhume the re-
mains of her brother and make a
thorough investigation as to the cause
of his death.
Gen. Hazen, chief signal officer, has
secured the consent of the postmaster
general to hoist the cold wave flag on
postoffice buildings throughout the
country to signal for the benefit of
farmers and others the approach of
cold waves. The flag is of white with
a black centre. 1t will remain in posi-
ton twenty-four hours after being
hOisted.
Mary Clemmer Mrs. Hudson) died
at her residence in Washington last
week of hemorrhage of the brain.
She had been too i'll and feeble for sew
eral months to continue her usual lit
erary work, but it was not until the
previous Wednesday that the rupture
of blood vessel in her brain prOduc-
ed complete prOstration, ending finally
in death.
In addition to the $4,000 which Mr..
Bonner is reported to have paid for
Maud S. he already had a big fortune
invested in fast horses, his first pur-
chase being that of Lantern and Light,
in 1859, for $4,000. He paid $40. 900
for PocahOntas, $4,000 for Dexter.
100000 for Edward Everett, 800. 900
for Startle, $4,000 for Edwin Forrest
and $37 600 for Rarus.