Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-20
Arctic Explorations.

the twenty-five gallant men VINO composer
| the GHEELY party, coming as II did while
the terrible details Of the Jeanette disaster
were fresh in the public mind, has brought
| forth a series OF indignant protests against
the further sacrifice OF life In ex.
| ploratlons which some OF our contem'
poraries do not hesitate to declare
shave resulted and cn result In
no eood.v No one can recall the CHASTITY
picture OF the DE LoSa tragedy or dwell
upon the terrible scenes that marked the
closing months of GREELY's experience
without being thrilled with horror. The
idea Of so many human beings perishlng oil
starvation after the victory had been ai-
most won over wind and wave aud the Ice
demon is appalling. 1t istherefore natural
that at first blush the press should cry,
.sUaye done with it," and that the pubic
should echo the cry. The sympathetic
chord Of human nature has been touched,
and for the time being only that chord VI
brates.
As matter OF fact, however, nothing Is
further from the truth than the statement
that Arctic explorations shave resulted
and can result In no good" Theie has
hardly been an expedition from the time OF
the earliest efforts to discover northwest
passage to the present that has not contri-
buted something OF value to science, and
consequently 10 civilization. There Is not a
civilized race on the face OF the globe that Is
not enjoying In one shape or another the
fruits Of Arctic research. On sober second
thought every man who keeps up with the
scientific authorities OF the day must realize
that the knowledge gained by such research
10 indispensable, and that the intellectual adj
ysncement OF the period owes as much to 1t
as II does to research In any other domain.
In the study Of natural phenomena, as in
meteorology, including electricity and mag
nesism, and geology, navigation, astron-
omy, and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES which
are becoming more important and practical
In their bearing upon everyday life as CIV
ilixstion develops-we have derived bene'
fits from Arctic research that could not
have been obtained in ary other way.
What does MAURY say! Listen:
"Voyages OF discovery, with their fasci-
nations and their charms, have led many
a noble champion both into the torrld and
frigid zones; and notwithstanding the
hardships, sufferings, and disasters to
which northern parties have found them
selves exposed, sea-faring men, as science
has advanced, have looked with deeper and
deeper longings towards the mystic cir
cles OF the Polar regions. There iceberg'
are framed and glaciers launched. There
the tides have their cradle; the whales
their nursery. There the winds complete
their circuits, and the currents OF the sea
their round in the wonderful system OF
oceanic circulation. There the aurora
boreais is lighted up, and the trembling
needle brought to rest, aud there, too, In
the mazes Of that mystic circle. ter.
restrial forces Of occult power and OF
vast influence upon the well-being OF
man are continually at play. Within
the Arctic circle Is the pole OF the winds
and the poles OF the cold, the pole OF
the earth and OF the magnet. 1t is a
circle OF mysteries; and the desire to enter !
il, to explore Its untrodden wastes md |
secret chambers, aud to study its physical |
aspects, has grown into longing. Noble !
daring has made Arctic Ice aud waters |
classic ground. II is no feyerish excite |
ment nor vain ambition that leads man |
there. II Is q higher feeling, hoier mo- |
tive-a desire TO look upon the works OF |
creation, to comprehend the economy OF |
our planet, and to grow wiser and better
by the knowledge"
Every word Of this Is true. And Just
here 1t may be remarked that one OF the
discoveries Of the GREEDY party estab-
fishes the correctness Of one OF MAURY's |
most important theories. We allude to ais
theory OF an open Polar sea, and empha-
Size 1t as important because, starting upon |
that theory, be was enabled to give the
world information that has proved an ines
unable boon to humanity. 1t will be
that MARES and MARKHAM
we're fully satisfied that the Polar ba-
lin was sea OF ancient, immoyable,
everlasting Ice. AS those explorers had
reached "farthest north Latitude $50
,O>-and snatched the laurel from HALLS
yraye at Thank-God Harbor, there were
none to challenge their convictions, and
heir Palnocrystic Sea" became can
accepted fact" However, GREELY's sledg-
ne party not only reached n high
n latitude, but PAvY, following MARK
IAM's northern track, found the So
allied immovabe. everlasting ice to be
constantly IN motion, and was driven by
broad lanes Of open water to push back to
and. while LOCKWOOD discovered in the
,ame neighborhood-in the s0-called Spa
eocrystic Sea "-powerful currents sweep
ne northward, and broad stretches OF
,pen water, which, under more favorable
might prove nayigable,
Again, some OF our contemporaries are a
title too fast when they speak Of the terri
DE mortality attending Arctic expeditions.
Il Is a matter Of record that. comparatively
the loss Of lie IN such eXpedi-
ions has been very small. 1t is stated
IN good authority that the number OF
leaths occurring on all the ships sent
mt for the relief Of Sir JONI FRANKLIN and
N those engaged in Arctic exploration up
o 1878, had not equalled two per
ent. OF the officers and men en-
,loyed. When we remember that the
oss OF life in the GREEDY party occurred
fter ne had retreated some two hundred
nd fifty miles, and that it was due to
lothing that would not have been obyi-
ted il his instructions had been carried
ut and little common sense had been
Exercised at Washington. there is every
hing In the history Of the expedition 10
Emulate rather than discourage efforts to
make the Polar Sea give up Its myS-
cries TO science. He has not only
made important contributions to scientific
nd geographical knowledge in recording
observations relating to temperature. ba-
ometlc pressure, humidity, clouds, winds,
ides, terrestrial magnetism, auroras, and
ther physical phenomena, and in mapping
explorations in territory hitherto un-
nown, but has pointed the way by which
uture Arctic explorations and observations
an be robbed Of many Of their greatest
angers. We thel efore think that when
be whole subject Of Arctic exploration are
ooked over and the res ats of GREELY's
york and the work at the other stations Is
ummed up, there will be adecided change
D public sentiment. We VIII not be at all
urprised il an outcome OF the next Inter-