New-York tribune., 1885-01-25
FUTURE ARCTIC WORK.
PLANNED AND URGED BY LIEUT.. GREELY.

II has been jntimated that my opinion upon the
proprety and advisability of future Arctic explora
tion as well as regarding the methods to be adopted
therein would be of interest to the general pubic
At some near day this subject may be treateu moro
fully than space here admits
There are five routes by which attempts nave
been made to reach the goal of Arctic ambitlon-the
North Pole. The Behring's Straits route has probably
been closed for many year by the unfortunate
issue of the expedition which was commanded by
the lamented De Long The highest latitude ever
reached in that direction was by DE Long IN inc
Jeanette. The lack of land to the northwest 1or
bids any attempt in that quarter for all autnori.o'
Oh Arctic exploration quite agreed that lana Is
ESSENTIAL TO success In addition the southeast
current very largely increases the danger for Ves
sci once beset by the pack inevitably drifts 10 de-
structon. No ship which has been caught Id 'hao
ice has ever escaped from its grasp and no hero has
ever returned to tell the tale until the indomtable
will and treless energy of De Long, Chipp, and
Melville landed the survivors Of the Jeanette on
the Siberian coast six hundred miles from their lost
vessel To the northwest the terrible character OF
thepaleocrystc pack met by Mcclure and Collinson
on the west coast of Banks Land is equally uh-
favorable Indeed should an attempt be made In
that Quarter it should rather be from Bafin's Bay
through Lancaster Sound and McClure's Strait, I'D
the hope that q safe harbor could be found al
Prince Patrick Island. 1t was by this route that
Parry in 1919 succeeded in reaching Winter Harbor,
Melville Island in a sailing ship. and returned
without trouble the following year. In my opinion
however no profitable successful Arctic work can
be prosecuted in the future in either quadrant 10
the nOrthward of Behring's Straits.
;Second is the Smith Sound route. BY this route
the nearest approaches to the pole Dy land and sea
have been made. On June 80 1872. Sergeant
Myer. U. s. A. of the Polaris expedition
reached $50 or on the shores of the Polar Ocean,
near Repulse Harbor In May. 1879. Lieutenant
Aldrich X. N, reached the northern point OF Grin
nell Land, Cape Columbia. $50 or north, 7Oo 1O
west. On May ~, 1876, Commander Markham,
r. NJ, reached So 2O 26" north on the frozen
Polar Ocean, at that time the greatest northing
ever made. This latitude was surpassed by Lieu
tenant James u. Lockwood u. 5. A, who car
rying lanl twenty eight miles further north than
ever before known, reached S3o 2f May 49, 1882.
on the north coast of Greenland
l This has been called distinctively the American
route but in my opinion it is not the true road TO
the Pole 1t has however been practically closed by
Aldriohs remarkable trip tbs shores OF the Polar
Ocean to the westward from Robesons Channel
and by Lockwoods magnificent and unparalleled
tourney along the north coast of Greenland.
Another properly appointed expedition by this route
would require two staunch vessels with thorough
outfit entalling an expense of about S7oO,OOO. by
skilful management hard work, and above all good
fortune it could hope to beat Lockwoofs latitude
but few miles. certainly not degree. single
bad year for ice to the northward OF Smiths Sound
would insure failure, if it did not caase dire dis
aser 1t is true that much work needs to be done TO
the westward of Hayes Sound in the vicinity OF
Arthur Land but in that direction no high latitude
could 10 attained. The Lady Franklin Bay expe
dition, which had the honor to command, diseov-
avail +baf Cane ia on an island bedford pm
Islandl and is separated from the main coast by
Rice Strait which connects Rosse Bay and Buch-
anan Strait. BY this route vessel can safely reach
Alexandria Haven from Cooked Hat Island oy
watching her opportunity From that base Hayes
Sound and its connecting waters can be easily ex-
plored. Such voyage would entail less danger
than is consequent an ordinary whaling cruise
The third roate is up the east coast OF Greenland
1t was strongly advocated by the eminent geogra-
pher the late Dr. Petermann who fitted out the
German expedition of 1865 and assisted in the
second expedition of 1869. Both expeditions were
commanded by Captain Kodewey. The highest
reliable latitude over attained on this coast was
reached by Koldewey and Payer, in lS7O-Cape
bismarck. 77o The radical objection to this route
IS the wide belt of heavy and impenetrable DRIFT
ice along the coast. which is continually renewed
ty the immense quantities of ice drifting southwark
from the Polar Basin AS far as know no one now
advocates 1t.
Foarth-Ihe Spitzbergen route offers chance,
though il be slight one, of very high latitude.
1t was here that Sir Edward Parry in 1927, leaving
Hecla Cove. Spitzbergen, 100 So north, 16o 53
east. reached on July %, by boat and sledge s2'
a. north THIS latitude remained unsurpassed for
fifty years till beaten by Markham in 1876, who In
turn gave way to Lockwood in 1882. Owing to
the southerly drift Parry's extreme point was but
172 miles from his ship although he had travelled
nearly fve-hnndrod miles exclusive OF double trips
over the same road believe that by this route IN
q very favorable season, say one year in ten or
twelve. a well-manned whaler could reach s4e or
$50 north without serious diilculty. Snch
voyage would entail TIE chances of an entangement
in the pack with tho possible destruction of tho YES
sci as happened to the Hansa. Under such crcum-
stances however as the drift is soutberly, ultimate
escape by vessel boats would in all probability
be feasible. Involving as it does violation Of the
fundamental principles of Arctic navigation, and
eutailing great and serious RISKS, such an expedition
is not to be recommended
Sir Edward Parry. the most successful OF all
Arctic,explorers, after his remarkable voyage In
1890 through Lancaster and other sounds to
Melville Island enunciatel the law OF successful
ice navigation in the Polar He said 1t can
never be performed with any degree of certainty
without continuity of land. IL was only by
watching the openings between the Ice and the
shore that our late progress to the westward was
effected and had the land continued in the desired
direction, there can be question that we should
have continued to advance however slowly,
toward the completion of our enterprise"
think all Arctic authorities now concur in Sir
Edwards opinion To this has been added another
propostion. which originated, / believe. with
Sberard Osborne but has OF late years been strenu
ously supported by Commander Markham, X. n:
"To penetrate far into the unknown region, it is
necessary to find a coast trending northward. with
western aspect" This is negatively substantiated