Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-09
The Arctic Fever.

=
Tho a-e.ic fsyer IL more Widespread this
year than for decade past. in addition
70 the PeAHx two other expeditions VIII
this summer make start for the Peo-
cranhioal North Pole. These are the NAshs
and tho J,cKsos expeditions. The former
iscommandsi By FnspgJoF NAsEs, tue ce'e-
brated Norwegian explorer. and the iat'er
nv youns Enel.shman. NAsES's acnieye-
ment IN iourney;ug across Greenland IS
st,II fresh IN the public mind. In tnas
dor,ng expedition he made no provision
for retreat. His motto was cross OF pef'sn'
His marty started with the fud hnowleaSe
that TO rstraco their steps was 10 o'e VI
hrnger ana exhaustion, ~ no loon s'.'
t;ons we're established on the line OF march,
and ueryed bs that knowlcdzo they press
ed through TO their objective po'h' "i'n
remarkable celebrity. 80
Though KAsEs's present expedition WIZ
be undertaken IN vessel MS DAD - III
sense analogous TO that which charac'o'-
,zed his Greenland venture. ketreat ooeS
not enter INTO his calculations. us sup
* named Forward" and. to use ms own
words. he will take ticket WITH the ice.
IL IS established THAT tho main driit OF
north Atlantic water from the southwark
Il around tho North Cape OF NORWAY. Ii
tecn. the ocean there free from Ice al lhe
vea- and i'll influences Is felt IN the Kara
s,o There Is also u warm current settiag
from the Pacific through Berins straits
and in the summer the Siberian and Amerl-
can rivers pour a large volume OF temper
ate water into the Arctic seas. Ii was these
conditions which enabled the Vega to
make the northeast passage.
On the Greenland side q vast flow OF
warm water comes down from the north be-
| tween that continent or island and Franz
Josef Land. This current frequently de-
posts on the coast of Greenland Siberian
and North American driftwood and wreck
! ace. aud the theory OF NAsEN and Others IS
| that it's greatest volume gathers of Sbe-
/ ria and runs perhaps across the pole. At
I any rate. NAsES proposes 20 60 round tho
North Cape through ths Kara sea and drift
northward from tho Lena Delta. His
expectation is that the Forward" will
/ be brought ont by the current flowing be-
/ tween Greenland aud Franz josef Land
| The vessel 10 provlsioued for FIVE years, IL
| built so as to reduce to the minimum the
danger of being nipped by the ice. and Is
provided with two boats. each one OF
which is capable of carrying the entire
party. which consists (including the
| LEADER of twelve meu. NAsEN calculates
upon making the voyage in three years.
The JACKSON expedition is private en-
terprlse. Full details of Mr.. JACKsoS's
plans aud equipment are not at hand. 1t
| is known, however, that he proposes about
| the middle of this month 10 sail for Franz
Josef Land. winter there next winter. and
| in the summer Of 1884, sledge it northward.
| Mir. JACKSON has already had considerable
experience in the Arctic circle, and 1t Is
said that his proposed route to the pole is
the one most favored in British naval
circles.
But there IS still another Arctic eIpedi-
ton organizing, and Its object is not to
visit the geographical but the magnet &c
pole. The magnetic pole was located in
the Arctic archipelago north OF America
some fifty years ago by Sir JAMES Ross.
This determination was not, however.
! with such degrse OF accuracy SIS TO meet
the demands of modern science. 1t is un-
derstood that the new search party 7"
will start from Repulss Bay, and it is be-
leved that with the improved instruments
of the present there will be no difficulty in
discovering absolutely the magnetic
centre. Repeated observations will be
made with view of settling definitely
whether the magnetic pole is fixed or a
movable point. and deciding other ques-
tions which are held to have an important
bearing upon our investigations in respect
of electricity, magnetism, light. heat, and
the direction of storms.