The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-10
THE Widest
OF SCHEMES.
One That Is Remarkable for the Novelty
Of Its RaShlGSS."
1t Is Said That Nansen's Proposition to Reach
the N2rth Fole Fclipses Any Undertak-
ing Of Explorers

In the scientific as well as popular revul-
sion which followed the story Of the closing
miseries of the Greedy expedition, it seemed
as though a check had been given to at
tempts to reach the North Pole, says the
New York Post. Such, in fact was for
while the evident effect, and the researches
In the north Of explorers took on kind of
subarctic character with scientific objects,
and Invested of extreme peril to life. Oft
character for instance, have been the later
journeys to the Greenland glaciers, to the
regions of perennial ice and snow in Alaska
and to the ce-cap Of Greenland, the latter
expeditions eliminating in Dr.. FridJof
Nansen's transit of that country and the
larger venture in which Lieutenant Peary
10 now engaged. If we except the dangers
OF the Nansen party on the east coast of
Greenland before landing, and of their as
cent of the edges of the icercap, there has
been little since the horrors Of the Greedy
story to break the conservative quality of
Arctic exploration. 1t Is, therefore, with
shock that the public will read in the Forum
for August what we believe is the first de-
tail ed outline in the English tongue of
scheme of Nansen for reaching the North
Pole-a scheme which for its novelty Of
rashness" eclipses any undertaking Of ex-
ploTers up to the present day.
Excluding its more refined points Of reas-
Oning, Nansen's theOrem Is that the main
current of the Arctic Ocean begins at q
point to the north Of Siberia not far from
the place where the Inflated Jeanette
sank in 1881. This current as he believes,
sweeps directly across the Attic Ocean, near
the pole, passes down the east coast of
Greenland, doubles the Southern Cape,
and in part, at least turns nOrthward
along the west coast Fl0tSam OF Yari-
Gus kinds from Alaska and certain
relies Of the Jeanette expedition, said to
have been found on the southwest coast Of
Greenland, form the chief basis for his be
lief in the existence of this current. To
carry out his plan he has raised $4,000 by
public grant and by private subscription in
Norway; he is building a stout steamer OF
200 tons, with side lines from bulWark to
keel exceedingly sharp in their angles with
the water line. so that in case Of nip
she will be raised upon the ice, and upon
this craft, in company with ten or twelve
companions, including
CAPTAIN OTTO sTERDUP,
Who was with him in his trip across Green
land. he proposes to push nOrthwaTd from
the Siberian coast. and, at last, trusting
his craft entirely 10 the ice, begin the long
drift 1000 miles across the Polar Sea during
q period which he estimates at not less
than two years. His craft is to be pro-
visiOned for five years, and with ng
boat, sIedges and other kinds of familiar
Arctic equipment he provides for secondary
emergencies. On the perilOus trip he eX-
poets to start not much later than next
February.
Criticizing severely this polar quest. GEN
eral A. W. Greedy. in an article in the Fo-
rum following Nansen's, questions the
theory of the latter as to the great arctic
current and the proofs of 1t. Nansen, it ap-
pears. has not fully proved the alleged jean
nette relics to be such. Greedy contends
that they are, fOtsam from the sunken
PTOteus, which were caught. by the
West Greenland nOrtherly current from
the outlying parts of the current
which sweeps southwark on the opposite
side of Bafn Bay and lower waters. 1t is
10 be noted also that Commodore Melville,
the only surviving officer of the Jeanette.
shares Greedy doubts as to the genuneneSs
Of the relics-a vital point whichit certainly
seems strange Nansen should not have alb
SOlutely proved before making ii his datum
for new route to the pole. Greedy also
ridicules Nansen'S conception of an
indpstructibie" arctic ship, declaring
that no craft can be built strong
enough TO resist the awiui press
ure Of the cc-fedS in high ATTITUDES.
Finally Greely brings out with more clear
ness, We think, than in his printed volumes
his theory as to land about the north pole,
as indicated by the table bergs," less in
size, but otherwise like those coming from
the antarctic continental ice-barrier. The
asserted existence of such an area of land
around the north pole Greedy sets against
NanSen's theory that the great arctic cur
rent on which he proposes to drift passes
through the highest polar ATTITUDES and very
near, If not across. the pole itself.
While questions thus raised between two
Arctic EXPLORES belong primarily TO the eX-
perts, the truth probably lies between the
extreme views Of each. On Nansen's side,
MIA Il, In ,ff tn
powers Of vessels against ice and of ice it.
self as safeguard, we have
THE NARRATIVES OF ROSS
And Wilkes, Ksne'S long battle with the ice
packs, aud winterlng in his craft on the ice,
the experience Of the POlaris, the long vOy-
age Of her castaway party on foe, and like
episodes without number in the long and
varied story of polar adventure. On the
other hand. such incidents as the quick
sinking OF the stanch PrOteus after her nip
in July, 1888 as told in Schley's narrative,
and many similar mishaps of stout sealing
vessels may be cited off-hRnd on Greely's
side. Good luck or bad luck, skiliful or I'M
skjllful anagement of craft ara factors so
mixed in this problem as to leave the con-
clusion that while Nansen is taking terri
bic risk, still he has that chance which dar-
ing explorers such as he are willing to
accept 1t is very much the same with every
other feature OF his polar quest. The
chances are greatly against him-so much
SO as to Justify much of Greely's criticism.
But aside from any nice and technical
estimates of the degree of Nansen'S hazard
or his prospects of success, his amazing
venture deserves the scantest sympathy.
To undertake, for the sake of what even he
can only call pure knowledge" a polar
search by a method from which the in
trepid Roses aud Halls and Kanes of the
past would have TecOied in dismay; to
trust precious lives, including his own, for
years to the ley elements of an unknown
polar ocean, and to take the one chance in
the fifty of success with only sentimental
rewards to add to q fame already suffi-
cieut-these surely are the acts not of the
cool-headed man of science, but of man
who by the Arctic fever" seems to have
been morbidly changed into a rash advent
urer. From such fatal empriSe one misses
sadly the high scientific motives of Hall
among the ESqumaux. of the carefully
planned but lucklesS Greedy expedition. Of
Pearey of Nansen himself on the Green
land ice-cap. and of the wisely bold" ex-
plorations of Sir James Ross fifty years ago
TO a south polar region still strangely ne
elected. which yet awaits probably the dis
closure of geographical and physical mar
wells without perils to be compared to those
of this risky enterprise OF the Norwegian.
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The Growth OF Christianity.