Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20


k-s&stfH land. You know that
Y " the Norsemen esssb-
T\SJ~f$NS lished settlements dur
ing early times in
Greenland One Of these colonies was entirely
cut of from civilization and lost. as is recorded
In the sasas and other traditional histories Of
those people. Winters grew colder, and, one I'M
precesentediy severe season following another,
the little gathering of squatters in that lev re-
gion was shut away from the rest Of mankind
Dy frozen fields along the shore and the heap
ing up OF mighty ice cliffs. through which
fhere was no passage and over which IL was inn
possible to climb
MMURED FOR SIX HUNDRED YEARS.
"That was six hundred years ago. Since then
expedition after expedition has sought these
lost settlers in vain. Owing to geographical
indeiiniteness in the original accounts written
on the subject not even the locality occupied
by the colony conld be very nearly ascertained
Nevertheless it has been the hope OF every ex-
pioTer In that region that he might come across
some traces at all events of the missing people
Many scientists bellows that the descendants Of
these vanished Norsenen. somewhat less than
zoo In number, still dwell in a sort of icc-bound
oasis, without either entrance exit, they
| themselves have for 30 MANY generations be-
heved To all intents and purposes they are so
many Rip Van Wrinkles, having no knowledge
OF the world without, save such as has been
conveyed to them through tradition respecting
aHairs as they were six centuries back. So far
as they have been aware there were no other
human beings surviving on earth. Their man.
ners and customs are those of 600 Years ago
very slightly modified, although their dress has
necessarily BEEN accommodated to their en-
vironment, rs well as their way of living in
many respects
CENTURIES AGO.
fITreenIaO0 Wna al. ~
ice. Its rocks have preserved in their strata
the story of a time when the island--K such it
Is and not continent-was covered with lux
uriant forests Of palms and other trees peculiar
to the torrid zone. In these primeval woods
the suIlax and many climbing vines iestooned
the branches. In shCrt. the climate and the
plants which il fostered were such as are now
found In the latitude Of Egypt. Giant ferns,
sequoias and exaggerated MOSES covered the
land. Their remains are discovered at this
day In extensive coal beds toward the north.
PUZZLE TO BIOLOGISTS.
"That Greenland was once upon time
tropical country has long been known. What
caused its change Of climate is TO some extent
puzzle TO geCiogists. We know that the
United States ais far south Philadelphia and
st. Louis was, during a comparatively recent
period. covered with ice. Many authorities are
OF the opinion, which appears most to prevail,
that such wonderful alterations have been
effected by shifting of the axis of the earth.
Not SO very many centuries before history be-
gan, although no one can estimate the period
accurately, arctic glaciers spread over Europe.
during that epoch herds OF reindeer wandered
over France and Germany, and the men who
lived then fed upon them and carved out of
their horns artistic implements which can be
seen IN museums now. Thus, while Greenland
was once a tropical country, We know that the
arctic at one time spread as far as the Medi-
terranean. and tine remains OF a polar dora and
fauna are yet discovered in southern Europe
1t is even thought that the E-AImo are very
probably the descendants Of the people of the
early stone age, whose bones are dug out Of the
ancient river drift
SOW AND MKT SUMNER.
"Peary is now at Whale sound. Next sum-
mer he will strike northwaTd, with the inten-
ton to determine the coast line as far Is it
extends II the land stretches as far AS the
pole he may attain that long-sought goal In
| such an event he Is likely to haze difficulty in
finding out when he has arrived there and in
establishing its precise location. At that point
| OF no motion, the extremity OF the earth axis
the ordinary methods Of figuring out one
position fail. Standing there one could not
| tell in what direction New York was except by
the watch. Away from the pole il: is easy
| enough to go north by the aid OF the pole star
but what is to be done when that orb IL exactly
overhead?
NOT DANGEROUS PURSUIT.
''The popular notion 10 that arctic exploring
is o very risky pursuit, but in reality it is not
30. Fishing on the Grand Banks is much more
dangerous. As Mark Twain says, 1.-THE great
| est peril which people encounter 10 not met
with In travelling on the railways, but in going
| to bed Most people die in bed Only three
| expeditions out Of the many which have been
made have involved loss of life Franklin party
starved to death mainly because there were
too many in it, while schwatka travelled 5000
miles away from any base OF supplies, living
| off the country. Three boats left the Jeanette
| The ships company was composed OF sailors
| who had no notion Of the way to get along
after their vessel was lost Melville brought
his boat through all right Chip and his com
panions were never heard from. De Long left
| his shotguns behind in order that the rec
ord books might be carried. His party kept only
their rifles to shoot birds with, and SThen their
provisions were all but gone they passed
within four miles Of q hut in which were
| cached six reindeer. When wolves travel over
barren country they spread out in search of
| food; these men marched in single file. As q
result, two of them survived while tho others
starved to death. Greedy, whose subordinate
officer, Lockwood, attained the furthest north
| ever reached, beyond 81 degrees north lati-
tude, was subjected to awful sufferings, many
OF those with him dying because Of too much
red tape in Washington. II the Navy
Department had kept the appointed rendezvous
/ At Cap0 SABINE, where IL 0aQ agreed to
have vesssi with provisions ut certain date,
| there would have been no trouble. 1t ID the
whalers who encounter most serious peria in
the Arctic ocean. Hardly year passes when
some whaling vessels are not Lost In 1871 only
three ships we're saved out Of deet of twenty
| two. No lives we're lost, but the natives on
shore have been using chronomstsr cases for
| brass kettles ever aimee.
| CACHED PRovlsIoNa
s'There il no possible doubt that the north
pole can be reached by one msthod-namely,
by making gradual advances toward the goal,
establishing Q chain Of stations at reasonable
| intervals, where provisions can be cached
| There IL no trouble about living in that coun-
| try, except lack OF food supply. No danger
exists that the provisions once placed would be
disturbed. Among the people who dwell IN
those frozen regions . cache ~ sacred. Moth
! ing short Of starvation will compel Q native to
interfere with one, and even In such . case he
always leaves payment behind for what he
takes Snow shoes and extra clothing ere hung
up in the open air In summer, and are - safe
- the accouterments which city persons
hang up ct thar unelsis during the
warm season. Seal oil 10 buried in the
ground, in bags Of skin. Meat Il hsapsd upon
platforms built among trees, which are peeled
Of bark in order to keep bears from climbing
up them. Little sticks with sharp points up
| ward are buried in the ice to distract the a.
tcntion of bears from the provisions overhead.