The morning call., 1892-05-23
DUE NORTH.

In view Of the approaching organization
Of party to locate the magnetic pole lit
tie information on the subject may not be
unWelcome. Navigation IS conducted with
the aid of a mariners compass, in which
magueuzed needle is supposed to point un-
varyingly to the north. As a matter Of fact,
there is everywhere a magnetic variation
which defects the needle from the true
north; and besides this, il has long been
known that the magnetic pole is not denti-
cal with the geographical pole, but is, in
fact, some 1900 miles south Of il. Thus it
may be said that the needle never does
point to the pole, but to some point near it;
and further, 1t is asserted by men Of science
that the magnetic pole never is as Shake
speare supposed. an ''eyeT-fxed pole" but
on the contrary, is ever in motion, like all
things within the created universe. 1t Is
not where il was formerly, and the chances
are that it viii not be hereafter where it is
to-day. BY what law its motions are gov
erned and at what rate of speed they pro-
coed the proposed expedition intends to try
to discover.
Sixty years ago Sir James Ross located
tie magnetic pole in latitude 20 degrees O5
minutes and longitude % degrees a. min
utes on the coast Of Boothia. In 1853 the
observations Of Captain MeClintock indi-
Gated that the latitude of the pole was
about where Ross had marked it, but that
its true position was a few miles west OF the
longitude given In 1S79-SO Lieutenant
SchWatka visited Boothia. Like McCln-
took, he did not contradict Ross as to the
latitude of the pole. but he placed it on or
near the meridian of 90 degrees Of longi-
do FFan 81 IL
Gated by Ross. From these various obser-
yations it has been inferred that the
magnetic pole may be travelling round the
geographical pole, from east TO west, and
that its rate Of travel may be at the rate OF
about a mile year.
Of course, If the pole is in motion, it
moves according to some fixed law. Moth
ing in the universe is the work Of chance or
accident. 1t is in the hope of locating the
pole definitely and of discovering, il posi-
bic, the law which governs its motion, if it
has any, that Lieutenant Glider proposes to
outfit new polar expedition, with the as
sstanee OF the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey. Professor Schott, who is
probably the highest living authority on
polar geography, thinks that the pole will
now be found in the icy strait which divides
Victoria Land from King William Land,
not many miles north Of the coast Of North
America.
1t is proposed that the new expedition
shall consist Of four officers and three sea-
men. They expect to start in the spring or
summer of next year and to make their
first station at the most northerly accessi-
Bile point Of the coast of Hudson Bay.
That Will be their base of operations, and
there an accumulation OF supplies will be To-
Gated. Ia the spring Of 1894 parties will
start out in dog sledges, moving in various
directions, one of them heading for the
point on BoOthia where they located the
pole in 1881, another steering for the coast
of Victoria Strait. and another possibly
striking between the two. Experienced
Arctic travellers ought to be able to make
these journeys without loss of life, or even
extreme suffering. By a comparison Of the
observations OF dip and declination it
should be possible to determine the exact
position Of the pole, and whether that COM
parisOn settles the question of the mobility
Of the pole or not, it will at any rate furnish
future observers with exact data to solve
the problem. The expense of the expedi-
ton, including three years support OF the
v0yagera, is estimated at $751; 900. OF this
oue-half has been subscribed or promised.
II is hardly to be supposed that the rich
men Of this country will allow the enter
prise to fall through for want of the other
| half.
1t is not necessary to be sailor to realizs
the importance OF the work. Modern navi-
CATION depends Tor safety on infinitely accu-
rate observation Of the compass; but If the
compass is not itself accurate, II the north
to Which the needle points Is not the trne
north, and il the true north of to-day was
not the true north of $780, and will not be
the true north OF 1900, navigation becomes
a hapb sZard business in which safety is
more largely the work Of providence tan OF