New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-29
1JrryEYIyT GRIZZLY ABROAD.

| science.
LIEUTEN4NT GRIZZLY ABROAD'
The Scottish Geographical Society has con-
fcrred distinguished honor upon Americans III
two successive years. The annual address l'S'
wear was delivered in Edinburgh by Mr.. Stan
| lev who is 10 be credited with the greatest Seo-
| graphical discoveries Of the century HES y'"'
| Lieutenant Greedy has succeeded MN as t"'
chief of the expedition that has maze tn'
| closest approach to the North fole' IFS
/ address was scientific IN nature reia'ihS
mainly to Arctic exploration and geography'
and touching briefly on the results q! MS own
work His treatment of the suDcc0 was
characteristic. He went North as man oi
science WHO had devoted many years 10 inc
study of meteoroiogy. He had no thousht
ot ottenpting TO reach the Pole, and ana
not conduct campaign of Arctic adventure LOT
ifs own sake As brave soldier ne Voiuh-
tccrtd to command the most advanced station
in the circle of International colonies but the
work undertaken by him involved systematic
observation of physical phenomena. without
nccecting the chief obj, ct of the expedition ne
/ made many important geographical discoveries
and conducted explorations having range Oh
! fifty degrees of latitude. But throughout TINS
prr, ions enterprise he was animated by purely
/ scientific spirit.
! Lieutenant Grcely, during his English
/ Journey. has reiterated some OF the views eX-
pressed by him in Montreal ut the meeting OF
tnc British Association. He believes that the
American theory of an open Polar sea- pro-
nounced by the last British expedition To DC
untenablc. is well founded. He bases this be-
| lief upon the continuous drift of the Arctic
pack northward which he observed during ms
two Winners at Fort Congcr. He considers this
os prima facic evidence OF the existence IN
higher ATTITUDES of body of water. possibly
! 300 miles in diameter, which Is 80 c0ntin-
u,lly agitatcd by the movement of tides and
currents that it never freezes. The cc-boUnu
VOYAGE of the Jeanette for l,jOO miles and the
ob-crva ions of Nordrnski0ld in winter quarters
in Siberia tend. in hi, Judgment to confirm tins
conclusion. That this open sea Is accessible
by ship he does not believe, since its edges Tor
q distance of fifty miles are walled in by an I'M
pcnctrablc barrier of ice. Sti, he considers it
impo>sibc to account for the extraordinary
movement of the Polar pack. without assuming
that there is nm open basin into which 1t Is
drawn by currents and tides. The North P"Ie'
hr does NOT believe, will ever be reached, since
B q
degree land capped with ice several thousand
feet IN thickness. Apparently reflection has
only deep, ned the convictions expressed by
Lieutenant Grccly in Montreal. He remembers
the fertile valleys which he found in the heart
OF Grinncll Land, walled in north and south by
immense ice caps and he concrycS Of the open
/ Polar Sea IL existing under Analogous comm
non, with an impcnrtab.e barrier OF ice on the
southern border and great icc-cap sklrtlng
the northern edge and surrounding The Pole.
II is fortunate that America has been able to
send To England IL it, chief representative IN
Arrti, exploration one who can properly be
described rs a man of science. HIS theories ana
cnnicctues may no, he accepted by the Arctic
authorities there Sir George Mares and Mark
ham will piobLbly persist IN believing that
their palTOcIystC sea OF ancient lc" stretches
with one uubrohcn cXpanSc from Northern
Greenland To the Pole; but Lieutenant Greedy
cannot have failed tO convince the learned
! bodies addressed 10y him that future operations
in the Arctic basin must be conducted on Il
purely scientific basis. NOrdcnsk old and
/ Grccly represent to-day the only legitimate
principle on which expeditions 10 the White
/ North can he organized: that of completing
{ r sum of human knowledge OF the surface
conditions and physical phenomena of the
globe. The work of American exploration, be-
gun by Kane in spirit of international philan-
throp during the Franklin search, continued
Nv HAYES, Hail and De Long IN voyages OF
reckless and undertaking adventure, has been
finally brought to the high level Of scientific
investigation. The flag unfurlcd, planted by
the gallant Lockwood a long distance IN
advance Of Bcaumont's furtheSt station, Is to-
day a challenge to English explorers. That the
challenge will he accepted before many years
we do not doubt Bat i it premature To assume
| that any work that may be uudertaHc1 by Lieu
tenant Grccly's English rival, will be conducted
on ns scientific principles rs the voyages of the
Challenger and the Ncgal