The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1890-09-05
Allowing UP THE NORTH poLg.
n Would Mako the Arctic Region Habit
Abas And Stop North Atlantic storms.

TliN
Did nature intend the Arctic sea Ia
b. open and the climate moderated
And ID II possible to do BY means Of
dynamite what nature Inns omitted ID
doe These points. says the Pull Mall
Gasette, arc discussed III II pamphlet by
H. A. H. Dunsford, G. E., which has
just bcSn published.
We need not suppose for moment.
writes Mr.. Dnnsforl. how matters
would stand II tho Ice cap were re-
moved from the north pole. Tho two
warm streams would in that case dow
In exactly the same course that they
now take. but. instead Of becoming
chilled. as Is the case at present. would
flow past the pole aud southwark vs.
warm streams still. They would ef-
fectually keep the Ice form reforming.
4, aud do away with the excessive cold
Of the Arctic regions altogether, Ma
ture Is. In fact working toward that
end, fer the climate OF the northern
part Of the northern hemisphere has
been steadily amellorating ever since
the commencement Of the historic PEI
riod. Iu the time Of the Roman re.
public the rivers in 0aul used to freeze
over In the winter. and Roman writer's
represent Germany MS land Of frozen
morasses. Compare the climate at
present enjoyed by those countries with
this description. and 1t will DO at once
apparent how great n change in cli-
mate must have gradually taken place.
The records Of the HudsOn's Bay com.
pany also show that the winter on the
shores Of Hudson's bay. has grown
shorter at tho rate Of ono day In ten
years, the season during which the sea
Is open for navigation being now TWEEN
ty days longer than 1t was 100 years
ago. About the year l8l5-l8 the ice
barrier on the cast coast Of Greenland
began to break up. rs was noted at the
time by Sir John Barrow. who regard
ed 1t as one OF the most important,
though least noticed. events In the his
tory OF the world. All this Is evidence
that the ice barrier is being steadily
driven farther north and will eventual.
" leave n channel by which tho Japan
current can flow unchecked through
the Polar sea from Behring's straits to
the Atlantic, In which case the exist
ence Of the remainder of the ice cap
will be but of short duration. for IL the
warm currents can actually reach tho
Ice they will soon solve the question
without human assistance. At present
they do not reach it. for the ice cap block.
ing the way lcavcs no outlet for them
(the warm currents being, of course.
surface water), aud their course is ar
rested long before they come near il by
wide belt Of cold water. for which
there is no outlet except that the coolest
part Of II escapes by flowing under the
Ice to form the cold streams.
As for the proposition that we can
open the sea. we must remember that
the leo Is not Of great thickness. that
we have now powerful explosives that
are perfectly effective when frozen,aud
that every mass Of ice detached on the
course Of a stream flowing southwark
will float away Of itself do not of
course, mean to imply that II will
be easy. but that II Is within our pow
or to make channel wide enough for
part OF warm stream to pass with
out losing all its heat on the way. We
may notice also that explorers have re-
ported open sea to the north OF Green
land. aud that the accounts that they
have given us are circumstantial aud
can not well he doubted. The main bar
rier with which we shall have to deal
will be the belt Of ice northwest OF
Greenland. OF course, until II Is COM
pleted. the channel will freeze over
every winter; but do not think that
the removal Of the ice thus formed will
he so serious n difficulty as might lie
expected. The ice being caused mere
" by the freezing Of the channel will
be smooth. not hummocky, and after
the first snowfall can bo traverscd
easily by slcdgcs or dog trains. SO that
surface or submerged mines eau he
laid. enabling the Ice over any de-
sired length of section to be broken up
ins.antaneously 80 soon rs the winter
Is over.
TbcAdvantagc to be gained by the
opening Of the sea and the ameliora-
ton Of the climate can scarcely he
overcstimated. Tho rendering habit
able Of the shores Of the Arctic. and
growth there Of civilized communities;
|, direct route to the Pacific and an
immense increase Of trade with the Pa
citic coasts Of America aud Asia; lands
suitable for colonization. within easy
reach.of Great Britain. and which In
great part belong TO the British empire;
valuable fisheries; n considerable and
increasing trade In the Arctic itself;
and comparative II not total immunity
from storms In the North Atlantic. the
principal II no, the only cause OF storms
lsatuu thu dtHatnn.,, Ina sas tsal .