New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-19

months NJ the fcmalnlng SthJioHS Hhu "iS" "'
various obseryaories in both bcmispheres.
There would have been ample compensation
for the sacrifice of human life involved in the
expedition if Lieutenant Grcely had returned
with his scientific records alone. But he brings
with him in addition To these valuable exhibits
of physical phenomena important additions TO
geographical knowledge. The little colony
has made great discoveries In every direction
from its post of observation, following success
fully in the track of the English slcdglng par
ties and carrying the American flag nearer to
the Pole than the explorers of any other Ma
ton have ever gone. Through the pluck ol
these gallant soldiers the United states now
has the place of honor IN Arctic exploration.
Kane and Hayes, while making great dis
covctics in the upper waters OF Smith sound
did not go beyond the latitude reached ny
Parry. the English explorer, IN 1871 lllll' ~
his last voyage ouietrppcd the limit, mixing
the closest approach 20 The Pole IN hobr'"h
Channel on August ~. 1871. llls grave ut
Thank God llnrbor WIS challenge - English
explorers. II VIVA speedily accepted. The ot-
pcdItion headed by Sir George Mares LEFT one
shin In Discovery lInrbOr and carried the other
beyond Halls grave and Cape Union to Cape
Sheridan. From tho two winter qunrtefs
sledgng parties were sent ont east west ana
north the coasts of Greenland and Grant Ian"
were followed long distance and the furtheSt
point ever reached by man was gained on May
II, 1876 in latitude $50 2O. Greedy ana his
companions from Discovery Bay "A base OF
operations also went east, west and south
and outstrippcd their competitors. In
the west they have surveyed the interior OF
Grant Land, discovering rivers, lakes ana
mountain ranges, and demonstrating that the
coast trends southwark from Lieutenant AL
drich's furthest point and that Grant Land is
separated from Grinncll Land by broad hords
east and west In the east they have gone iar
beyond Lieutenant Beaumonts frrthest point,
in latitude $40 2O' reaching Cape Britannia,
which was the most distant promontory defined
by him, and tracing the Greenland coast as far
as Cape Robert Lincoln, latitude $50 3d. lon
gitude $50. The furthest point north actually
reached was Cape Lockwood, latitude $50 "a,
an advance Of four minutes of latitude from
Marbham's record. The east and west line OF
exploration was thus extended over forty-two
degrees or longitude, from the 3Sth to the sOth
meridian. These are great results and reflect
distinguished honor upon the American name.
1t is a splendid contribution to geographical
knowledge.
Not only have Greedy and his brave compan-
ions deprived Mares and Markham of their pre-
emincncc as explorers in the direction OF the
Pole, but they have also dealt their theories
STAGGERING blow. The English explorers re
turned convinced that the Polar basin was
sea Of ancient, iHmoyablc, everlasting ice.
They called it the "PalWocrystic Sea-" and
assumed that its icy floor was never broken mp
by wind or tide. They dismissed the American
explorers idea of an open Polar sea as vagary
of the Imagination, and deprecated any further
attempts to traverse the frozen sea and TO scale
those everlasting mountains Of pal,pOcrystic
icc The experience of Grccly's slcdging par
ties has not confirmed these conclusions. Dr.
Pavv. following Ia Marlham's northern track
a. far as the SD parallel found the so-callcd
ancient Ice 10 be- constantly in motion, aud was
finally driven by broad lanes Of open water
to push back to land. The party headed by
Lieutenant Locitwood was also stopped by open
water in the "PHuocystic Sea- Between
the s2d and sd parallels there were found To
be- powerful currents sweeping uouhWad, and
also hroad stretches Of water which might
prove nayigablc under the mo4t favorable con-
dliious. II may be necessary 10 revise the
most recent thcorira OF Arctic science when the
record of this long wm,cIing ia Discovery
llmbOr b. completed.