The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-06-13
NEW POLAR EXPEDITION.
THE DANGEROUS EFFORT TO BE
TRIED AGAIN.

e Eerwegian E1riorcr WHO WIN TRY
90 Get There ln rivc Vc-ra lncle
errn VIII Also niaEc Another Ettort-
An Overland Beuto.
The efforts 90 discover the North Pole
win be abandoned only when this real or
imaginary point is discovered. For 200
years brave and adventurous souls have
eacridced comfort, health, and life itself
in the quest OF this elusive spot, only to
be met with disaster and utter failure.
Aud yet the spirit of enterprise, tho
desire for exploration, are not subdued.
The determination to penetrate this un-
known place is as stubborn and persistent
as if danger and privation and death had
not attended all former attempts. Moth
ing in previous expeditions holds out any
prospect Of success; Che survivors of
those other journeys are yet alive to tell
the narrowing tale Of the awful desola-
tion Of that desert Of ice and snow, but
they can not daunt the hardy and adyen'
turous men who still cherish the hope of
final success.
Two expeditions for this purpose arc
now in the midst of preparations, buoy
ant with hope, confident Of success, will
ing to hazard all risks. Ono Of these
win start frem Norway in June, under
the command Of DR.. Fridtiof Nansen, a
distinguished Norwegian explorer. He
is preparing for an absence Of five years.
His ship will weigh 40 tons and viii be
so constructed that when struck by great
masses Of ice it will be forced out Of the
water to the top OF tho mass. twill
be manned by q crew Of eight men and
fully equipped FOR the long journey. Dr.
Nansen viii sail straight through Bering
Strait into the Arctic Ocean, and then
follow the current He believes that o
current runs from the coast of Siberia
into an open polar sea. His reason for
this belief is that after the i'll fated jean
nette was abandoned on the north Ber-
ing coast, near the mouth Of the river
Lena, articles believed to belong to this
ship were picked up on the west coast of
| Greenland DR.. Nansen's theory is that
they got into this Siberian current, were
carried toward the pole, and then down
through Bafin's Bay to the western
shores Of Greenland. 1t will be renlem-
bered that various scientific societies in
Europe have discouraged DR.. Nansen's
theories, but he will proceed with his ex-
| pedition, and we shall hear Of him nc
more for five years, il ever.
The second expedition is Of a very
different nature. 1t is under the direc
ton Of Engineer Robert E. Peary, Of the
| United States Navy, who has obtained
leave of absence for IS months, com
mencing May1. He will conduct his ex
pedition overland through Greenland il
q northessterly direction. Three or foul
men win comprise the party, and they
will travel with dogs and sledges. Mr.
Peary has previously explored in Green
land, and he is quite certain that thes'
great ice plateaus form the safest anC
surest route to the North Pole. He feel
sure that he will reach the northern
limits Of the land and find a sea of sole
ice, upon which he will continue to travel
His plan meets the approval Of Enginee
Melville and other Arctic explorers. Tht
cost of this expedition win be borne BY
geographical and scientific societies. j
the latter case it will not beimpossible e
follow the party up with a rescuiug ex
petition, as has been necessary in al
previous attempts at explorations.
What lies in that impenetrable boyonC
is for the imagination alone to depict
1t may be only an endless expanse Of ic
and snow, with nothing to repay the tre
mendous exertion OF finding it except tht
satisfaction Of universal curiosity Blu
there has always existed a vision Of al
open sea, an equable climate, vegetation
and it has even been dreamed that a rae
Of people might live in this wonderland
And restless, daring, inquiring humanit!
will continue its research to the end 0
time, or until all the mystery is solved.