The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-25
ARCTIC TRAVEL.

The year 1898 promises to be memorable
in the history of Arctic exploration
Never since the problem OF the northwest
passage was solved have so many we'll
equipped expeditions started for the north
pole to add to our stock Of knowledg OF
the ice areas.
The first one to depart was the Nansen
expedition from Siberia. This adventure
is based on the well-Bnown fact that there
is current in the Polar Sea which sets
toward Spitzbergen from the coast Of
Siberia, near the spot where the survivors
of the Jeanette crew landed. II is sup
posed that the ice which surrounds the
new Siberian Islands drifts across the
pole. At any rate Nansen, in a vessel
which is so built that it cannot be crushed
by the ice foes, proposes to drift with
them for couple of years and to see
where they will take him. Ii they carry
him across the pole to SpitZbergen they
will add considerably to our knowledge OF
the polar currents.
Another expedition, under the command
of Enroll, will operate from an original
base on the east coast of Spitzbergen and
a secondary base on Petermans Land. an
Joseph Land. There is good deal OF
open water between Spitzbergen and the
pole. Nearly seventy years ago Captain
Parry reached latitude of SO degrees Il
minutes in a longitude between that OF
Spitzbergen and Franz Joseph Land
Ekroll's idea is that between the pole and
Spltzbergen the ice is so broken by gales
and currents that it is In choppy condi-
ton, and his vessel is so constructed that
1t can be used either as boat or a sledge.
When the water is open he will sail Oh
row; where he meets an ice foe he will
haul his vessel over it. II both Nansen
and Enroll accomplish their designs they
may meet in the neighborhood of the pole
The Peary expedition will start from its
old base in North Greenland and will
verify the northernmost observations oil
1891. Mr.. Heilprin. who commanded the
Peary relief expedition, feels confident thai
northern capes as high up as So degrees car
be discovered Peary did approach nearer
to the pole than any previous Arctic ex
plorer. A few miles further and lie would
have solved the problem which has puz
Zled the geographers of this century. Per
haps he would render more real service
to science ii he surveyed the east coast OF
Greenland as far south as Cape Bismarck
but the pole possesses an attraction which
no explorer can resist.
OF the English expedition which pro.
poses to ascertain the progress of mag
netic variation by observations north of
Banks Head and west of Melville Island
nothing has lately transpired; that party
has before it a task of practical usefulness
60 dsNNx a
Geological Survey of Canada less i'm.
portant Two or three expeditions, under.
taken in the last three or four years, have
cleared the ground. A Philadelphia party
has seen Hamilton Falls, and party from
Quebec has reported that Lake Mistassin
is not the great body of water it was re-
ported to be, and does not belittle Lake
Superior. These explorations, however
we're hasty. and need confirmation. The
world really knows less of Labrador aud
the northeast territory of the Dominion
than it does of Alaska. The countr,
which lies north of a parallel drawn
through Lake st. John on the head water:
Of the Saguenay is still TO all intents anC
purposes terra incognita, and it i!
gratifying to know that two members Of
the Canadian Geological Survey have de.
termined to devote two years to its ex
ploraton.
These several travels are not undertaken
! for the qualification of curiosity. The
regions which they design to introduce tC
| public acquaintance contain the record OF
two ages in the history Of the world. Green
land reproduces for our instruction the
world as it was in the dark glacial age
when the surface of the earth was covered
with coat of ice from half a mile to
mile thick; and Labrador shows US the
same world after the glaciers had melted
and before the gravel, boulders and pr
meval rocks had received their alluvia
clothing. The more we know of the two
regions the better shall we understand The
! inhabited portions of the world to-day. [
is probable that the lesson will OF be com
plete until some exploration has been made
of the Antarctic continent. But that ap
pears to be in the distant future; mean.
while it is well that we should acquire al
the information possible regarding those
portions of the polar regions which are
accessible.
MRS. LEASE OF KANSAS.