Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-25

seen here IN the same way, might be
discerned. The moon would remain
in sight for from IL to II days at
time, and she was much appreciated.
The thermometer registered on June
30, 1882, the highest temperature at
Lady Franklin bay which we knew
during our stay. It was 50 degrees
above zero. The lowest was Febru-
airy, 1888, and was sc degrees below
zero. In this February our mercury
froze, and remained solid for Is days,
so intense was the cold. The mer-
curry in the thermometer invariably
rose during storms or high winds.
The highest barometer was slightly
above 81 inches and the lowest slight
below 20 inches, showing a great
range. The greatest variations were
in the winter. Our electrometer, an
instrument used to ascertain presence
of electricity was set up, but, to the
astonishment of Lieut.. Greely, not
the slightest results were obtained.
The displays of aurora were very good
but not to be compared with those
seen at Disco island or Upernavik." :"
AS far as Lieut.. Greely could observe,
no cracking sound accompanied the
displays and the general shape was
that of ribbon. The south western
horizon was the quarter in which the
brightest displays were seen. Sir
George Mares reported in 1876 that
no shadow was cast by the aurora,
but Lieut.. Greely says that he dis
tinctly observed his shadow cast by
it. There were no electrical disturb
ances, save those manifested by
rumbling, distant thunder heard twice
far away to the north. In course of
the tidal observations made a very
interesting fact was discovered, viz,
that the tides at Lady Franklin bay
come from the north, while those at
Melville bay and Cape Sabine come
from the south. The temperature of
this north tide is two degrees warmer
than that of the southern tide at Cape
Sabine. Why this was, Lieut.. Gree
iy would not venture to state For
the first time, Lieut.. Greely used in
measuring ebb and flow of tides at
Lady Franklin bay a fixed gauge, an
iron rod planted in the mud. The
average rise of spring tides at Lady
franklin bay was found to be eight
feet. At Cape Sabin the highest
tides rise II feet. Surf was only
observed twice during the two years.
At Lady Franklin bay the average
temperature of the water was 20 de-
grees above zero, or 3 degrees below
freezing point. Wolves weighing
80 pounds were killed around Fort
Conger, and there are foxes and other
animals. Of fish there is a wonder
full scarcity. Perhaps the greatest
surprise of the expedition was the
taking from Lake Alexander, fresh
water Jake $50 feet above the sea level,
a four-pound salmon. From the bay
or sea only two very small fish were
taken during the entire two years,
and very few are to be found north
of Cape Sabine. Snow storms are of
course most frequent, and rain falls
very rarely. The highest velocity of
the wind was registered during ter
rife snow storm, and it was 20 miles
per hour. Lockwood's trips to the
north in 1882 and 1888 were product
i've of the most valuable results.
Standing on May 19 in each year
where DIR. Hayes had formerly stood
at about the same day, Lockwood,
from an elevation of 2O00 feet, using
his strongest glass upon Halls basin
and Robinson's channel, could discern
nothing but ice packs.
Here it was that DR.. Hayes claimed
to have seen his open polar sea. On
the trip of 1882, Lockwood reached
the highest latitude ever attained,
that of 83 deg. 25 min. This was
800 miles directly north of Lady
Franklin bay, but to get there he
travelled over 1000 miles, the open
water and broken packs frequently
causing him to retrace his steps so
miles. Lockwood sounded the sea
both years between Cape Bryant and
Cape Britannia but could not touch
bottom with 135 fathoms of line.
Martham a few years before, about
100 miles to the west, got bottom at
~ fathoms. Lockwood found at his
farthest north about the same vege-
tation as at Lady Franklin bay, but
no signs Of polar current or open
polar sea. In 1883 he was stopped
near Cape Bryant, 125 miles from
Lady Franklin bay, by an open cban-
mel, extending west to the coast of
Grinnell land. The width of this
channel varied from 200 yards to five
miles but on the north the ice packs
extended as far as could be seen with
a glass. With his supply of provis-
ions, the failure of which had caused
his return the year before, Lockwood
was confident that he could have
reached So deg. north, if this open
channel had not barred his way. No
fossil remains were discovered on this
trip and the only ones found were
trunks of trees on the southwest coast
of Grinnell land. The only sea ami
mails seen by Lockwood at 80 deg. %
mir, vroro fbo xuaIr11c and Soa1 and