The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-08-20
A Plan to Surround the Earth's Axis for
tho Benift of Science.

The Greedy Arctic colony expedition may
be considered to be the outcome Of the labors
Of Count Wilczek and Lieutenant Weyprecht
OF Austria. As result Of Lieutenant Wey-
precht's labors abroad, three International
polar conferences were held, one in Rome In
ISIS, the second in Hamburg in October, lsIs,
and q third at Berne in 1850. \ fourth con-
ference was held al ST. Petersburg 10 August,
1881. At the conference held at Hamburg in
1879, well organized plan of scientific work
was elaborated and agreed on by the repre-
sen,atiyes Of Austria, Holland, Germany, Nor
way, Sweden, Great Britain, Denmark, France
and Russia. Ii was agreed that the expedi-
.ionary forces should be sent out so as to
make one years observations simultaneously
throughout the Arctic circle. Two classes Of
observations were planned, the first to be Oh
ligat1rv Oh each nation agreeing to the plan,
and the second class was 10 be elective. No
nation agreeing to establish station was TO
be held bound until eight stations were prom
ised. 1t was agreed that the observations
should commence July l, 1850, and continue
not less than one year. Russia agreed to
establish one station at the mouth Of the Lena,
and another on New Siberia island; Norway
one at Cape North; Sweden one On Spitzbergen
island; Holland, one at the mouth OF the Gull
Of ODE; Austria on Nova Zembla, and Dem
mark at UppernayIk. The United States was
10 establish a station at Point Barrow, and II
practicable, at some point in the North Amer
lean archipelago. Lady Franklin Bay was the
point finally decided on. Germany was also
asked to establish station on the Island oil
Jan Nayen. As but seven stations were
pledged in 1850, action was deferred until
! 1851, when at Berne the international Polar
/ Conference decided to no longer wait for The
[ United States, but agreed TO establish the sta
tions above named in 1852 About the same
/ time Congress made the appropriation asked
/ for, and the Lady Franklin Bay expedition
/ was the result.
! According to the plan agreed upon by the
] different nations, the work Of observing and
/ recording was begun at all OF tie stations
/ simultaneously, with corresponding instru-
meuts. and on an identical plan, and continued
/ for the thirteen months ending September LIST,
/ 1883 During the whole Of this time conEln-
ual observations were taken at every hour, IN
all branches Of meteorology, magnetism and
astronomy, temperature of air and water, pres
sure and humidity Of atmosphere, velocity and
direction of wind, clouds, rain, snow, aurOras,
etc. On the LIST and 18th of each month, the
so-called term days, magnetic observations
were TO be taken every five minutes from mid
night to midnight, and during one hour at
every twenty seconds, the mean time OF the
Gotingen Observatory having been previously
determined and adopted at all stations. By
international agreement these observations
were also to be carried out on term days at all
meteorological and magnetic observatoues oil
all countries, as well as by their national YES
sells in all parts Of the world. Naturally re-
searches in other branches Of science, as bot
any, zoology, geology and geography, were
prosecuted as much as possible at all the sta
tons