The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-08

Franklin party might be alive. He
again made the voyage in 1864. .
cruise of four years, and his last at
tempt to solve the mystery of the leo
realm was made in 1871, during which
he died. In 1879, Lieutenant Schwat-
ka, United States Army. made sledge
journey with good results, and IN the
same year the disastrous De Long ex-
petition was begun. The sad story OF
this adventure, with Danenhower and
Melville's search, is too new in tho
public mind, through the recent re-
turn of the bodies Of the unfortunate
party, to form other than . quick pre-
lude to the Greedy disaster now SO live
an interest.
One OF the most notable cruises was
that made under command of Sir George
Mares, in 1876, for the reason that, on
the day of May II. he touched the
highest point of north latitude that had
ever been reached. 80 deg. "a min. The
results of this expedition were regarded
as being of great value and importance,
and it is not unconsoling now to think
that, in spite of the lamentable mis-
chances of the Greedy expedition, Amer
lean enterprise carried exploration four
miles to the north of this point, and de-
termined the mooted question of the
extent of Greenland. From this cursory
review of some of the more conspicuous
voyages, it will appear that the charm
and fascination of discovery have led
many noble champions to dare dangers
that cannot be properly conceived by
those whose fortune Is within the COM
pretended limits of ordinary expert
ence. The longing of science to look
INTO the mystic possession of the close
locked secrets of the north has inspired
an enthusiastic disregard of the perils
and intense sufferings entailed by these
apparently improvident missions; and
though there has been . strong element
of conservative opposition to this haz-
ardous course, where there has not been
q public spirit to sanction this purpose
of legitimate inquiry private enterprise
has furnished the means Reviewing
these exploits of research, and perceiv-
ing how much larger is the proportion
of disaster to the good obtained, it is
no wonder many are strenuously re-
solved against sympathy with move
ments that appear so foolhardy if not
criminal in their risks of life, and re-
fuse to consider the nobler ends and
aims, the holier impulses and desires
that rise above the mere love of adven-
ture and take the force of an heroic
devotion to the broad interests of man
kind
These voyages are not romances with
. I, 10 hnr ho-
yond the interest in the exciting contest
with the unknown and undetermined
there is practical value in these cou-
rageous attempts to demonstrate and
explain certain vital physical phenom-
ena. At such time IS this there is the
Inspiration of applause and commenda-
ton to shut out from thought the in
clination to censure and condemn In
the presence of these i've men who
have come back from the most fruitful
achievement of all the daring endeavors
to pierce to the polar sea, laden with
information that will greedily be re-
ceived by men who are more interested
in ascertaining the governing facts and
walton of a few lives, there should be
only reyerent admiration. While there
is something to be learned, the only
means by which that knowledge may
be acquired must be unsentimentauy
seized upon. Science Is selfish, sacri.
fetal, ruinous in its methods, perhaps,
but it il so necessarily. In the sub
jugation of nature the elements of
nature must be understood, and the
great region of seemingly useless waste
in ice and snow has q relation to the
balance of the earth that science should
understand, and though scores of years
are lost and hundreds of lives sacrificed
in the endeavor to gain this under
standing, the cost will not be too CREST
if the domain of civilization and COM
merce may by that means be increased
or benefited. The extension and cor
rection of geographical knowledge are
matters of incalculable National impor-
lance, and through exploration alone
may be obtained the material and facts
for such changes as have revolutionized
in few centuries the practical world.
After two centuries of futile explora-
tions and appalling disasters the i'm
agined northeast passage was finally
discovered, and triumphant Scan;
dinavian opened water gate 70
strengthen commerce. 1t does not BE-
come a country of the magnitude and
unsurpassed grandeur of the United
States to be behind the world in reach
ing out to aid and foster science, and
we can not afford to give advantages to
other countries in matters of such
gravity as exploration. Indeed, the
resolute energy, unwayering bravery
and shrewd, clear, judicial character Of
the American people fit them for the
foremost place in such enterprises, and
it is not at all unlikely that the secret
of the Arctic will yet be snatched from
its ice-floes and chilling desolstion to
the honor of American discovery. But
whether the idea of arctic exploration
is to be condemned or not, these heroes
of the frozen zone are as deserving OF
popular laurels as men who storm q
deadly breach in wars commotion, and
serve as admirable purpose in the
general plan of civilization. Greedy
and his companions have been rescued
by men whose -esolute singleness Of
purpose is as well worth remembering
as anything that has occurred in the
arctic seas.-Chic1go Inter Ocean.
An Early Writing-Paper.
Many centuries before Christ, Numa
left writings upon the papyruS, whence