The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-11

! his expectation being that in three or
| four wears he shall have been carried
| through the immediate vicinity of the
| North Pole and brought out between
| Spitzbergen and Greenland. Mr.. c. r.
| jackson, an Englishman, is to go by way
| of Franz Josef Land. He will winter
| there in latitude so degrees, and will
push on next summer by dog sledes, and
haleboats. Lieut.. Peary will explore
Northern Greenland on the same plan
| as in 1891, but hopes to get much further
| north.
In view of General Greeley's expert
ence in Arctic travel his views as to
these three expeditions are both inter-
esting and valuable. He gives most
space to Nansen's; but it is all to show
that the attempt is more hardy than
hopeful He quotes McClintock, Mares,
Young, Richards, Hooker, and Melville
to show that no ship built can escape
the action of the foes, except under fa-
vorable circumstances, points out that
the current on which hansen relies.is not
known to exist; but only inferred from
circumstances that are far from conclu-
sive;. that currents supposed to be a part
of this great stream have been shown
to be due chiefly to the prevailing winds
and that the mental and physical effects
of solitude and danger in the Arctic ice
are depressing, and when continued for
several years may become serious enough
to cost the life or reason of the explor7
ers He notes as significant the fact
that mo vessel ever beset in the main
part of the Siberian Ocean has escaped
therefrom.n Summing up this part OF
the case he says: In my opinion the
scheme is unwise, impracticable nd little
short of suicidal If an almost mlracu-
lous eacape, similar to that OF the
Polaris drift party, spares these daring
onA I'M d will WISE
prove its wisdom and desirability."
The Jackson plan is considered by Gen
eral Greedy to offer the most promising
route for reaching the North Pole or a
very high latitude. Franz Josef Land
furnishes, in latitude eighty, safe har-
Dor, where Leigh Smith wintered, find
ing. game enough to supply his party
with food, 1t is comparatively easy OF
access, and many students ofArctic travel
consider it's fitness as the true route to
the pole already demonstrated. Jackson
will winter in Ezra Harbor, above mem
toned, and will push north in the sum-
mer of 1894, using sledges as far as prac-
ticable, and then taking to boats.
AS to Peary's Greenland expedition,
General Greedy thinks that in view of his
endurance, determination and skill, his
moderate success is most probable; but
as to his attaining the farthest north and
mapping out the northeastern boundaries
of the archipelago discovered by Lock-
wood, his chances of success are incon-
Siderable say one in ten.n This opinion
is based on the assupmtion that to adj
vance beyond Independence Bay it will
be necessary to take to the icefoot and
broken foes of the Polar Sea, to which
General Greedy does not believe Peary's
equipment is suited In support of his
opinion he quotes from letter written
by himself in April, 1891, forecasting
the results of the Peary expedition of
that year, and remarks: There are not
ten men in the country including
Peary's entire party, who can today with
out consulting Peary's account in the
New York Sun, described as accurately
what Pear!y did as / foretold prior to
his journey. We shall know by and
by whether the gift of prophecy is still
possessed in the same perfection by the
older explorer Hartford Courant.