The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-07

Arctic explorations seem to have q fascl-
nation for certain adventurous spirits, and
the repeated failures of polar expeditions
seem only to spur them on to deeds OF dar-
ing. Lieutenant PEARY's leave of absence
for three years, granted by the secretary
of the navy, is understood to be simply TO
give the explorer chance to make another
journey to the Arctic seas. If he goes, as
given OUT to the public, simply to gather
geographical information in regions COM
paratively unknown but yet within reason
able prospects of return, there can be little
or no objection to the undertaking. But
some OF The expeditions that have been en-
Outraged by the government can only be
characterized as foolhardy and chimericai.
PgARY appears ready to repeat them.
DR.. NANsEN, who made himself famous
by his journey across Greenland several
years ago, has much more perilous ven
turs in view than anything OF the kind that
has heretofore been undertaken. He pro-
poses to travel in the ordinary way beyond
the northern coast of Siberia, next spring,
and then trust himself to the floating ice in
the fall, expecting that it will bear him
northward towards the pole and then, after
crossing the polar sea, he will come outinto
open water on the eastern coast of Green
land
A nurner OF currents more or less volum-
inouS are known to flow southwark from
the polar basin. and one immense boiy of
water, computed at one hundred cubic miles
day, comes down between Greenland and
Spitzbergen. A portion of this is supplied
by the Norwegian Gulf stream that en-
tsrs the polar basin north of Nova
Gambia, another portion by the
northward stream from the Pacific
ocean through Behring strait and other
contributions are from rivers that flow
into the polar sea. The latter are of high
temperature and help to keep the sea north
of Siberia free from ice during part of the
year.
Various articles and substances from the
Siberian coast have beeus found on the
coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen, and
DR.. NANsEN is sure that current is con-
stantly running across the polar region
from the sea north Of Siberia and Behring
strait and into the sea between Spitzbergen
and Greenland. He has no doubt that the
ice foe travels in regular route in that
direction, and he proposes to take passage
upon it.
A steamer of unusual strength named
the Fran Is to be used for the voyage. She
is of only 600 tons displacement, l0l feet
keel, 33 feet beam and II feet draft. She is
10 carry twelve men with food and fuel for
six years. Two strong boats, each large
enough for the entire crew, Will be carried.
The adventursrs will go out with her to
the extreme northern open water limit
northwest OF Siberia and then, locked in the
ice it viii pc three years before they will
be able to report, even il the current sup
posed to exist carries than to the expected
outlet.
II this expedition succeeds, the long de-
sired information about the north pole will
bs forthcoming; the great problem in navi.
cation and in geography will be solved. If
not-one more batch of venturous sailors
will have gone to join the hardy or fool
hardy sesmen who have been sacrificed to
TO the greed for knowledge ana the thirst
for notoriety. Ths risk is appalling, the
glory of success will be world wide and
everlasting. But the very mention of the
dangers and hsrdships of such a venture
are enough to give the shivers to any Or
binary reader OF the proposition.