The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-10-14
pORTER's TRIP.
How He Reached Within Six negrees
Of the Pole.
In an Adventurous Search os Whale OIL the
Captain Entered an Entirely Unknown
Rcgion-.Thc Attitudes Reached by
Modern Arctic Explorers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 0.--Great inter-
est has been aroused in scientific cir
cles and among people generally OF the
announcement that the steam whaler
Newport, commanded by Capt. Porter,
is returning from cruise to the most
northerly point ever reached by man, q
point north Of Prince Patrick islands,
and within six degrees of the Pole. De-
tails of Capt Porter's enterprise are
meager, owing to the fact that the
Newport has not yet reeched San Fran
cisco, the first news of the adventure
having come by the steamer Jeanie,
which was recently out of Behring sea,
where she met the Newport.
Little is known Of the Newport ex-
cept that she is stoutly-built whaling
vessel, and especially adapted, as ves-
sells of her class always are, for pushing
through heavy ice. Capt Porter is q
thorough seaman, used to adventures
in the northern seas in pursuit of
whales, and it was owing to his deter
mination to secure oil rather than to
achieve an explorers fame that he ven-
tured through the open Polar sea north
of the American continent to the unpre.
grees. a
According to the reports of the
Jeanie, Porter was finally stopped by
ice, but he would probably have been
able, if provided with dogs and sleds,
to have crossed the $50 odd miles of ice
which separated him from the North
Pole, if, indeed, he did not strike land
before traversing all OF this interven-
ing distance.
The arrival of Capt. Porter in San
Francisco is eagerly awaited, in order
that all of the details of hispremarlk-
able journey through unknown seas
. may be ascertained.
The portions of the Arctic ocean
through which Porter sailed have never
been explored, like some other sections
to the east ana west. His route lay
from Behring straits up north
of the American continent and
above the course which Col
linson took on his remarkable
voyage of exploration in 1851. 1t is
coast along the northern shore OF
, America on account of the obstruction
from ice, and the fact is that only tive
. instances are on record where vessels
! have been able, by taking advantage
!, of open water, to reach the mouth o.
the Mackenzie river. The feat of Capt
: Porter, in deserting the shore line o.
: the continent and striking boldly out
for the north, is therefore, the more
: remarkable.
I It should be understood that tn,
/. farthest point heretofore reached wa
, that attained by Lockwood, of th'
: Greedy expedition, in 1882, who reached
an altitude of S8 degrees and 90 min
n utes. Mares, in 1876, following almos
I the same route which Greeley subse
a quently took, achieved record Of s.
3 degrees. Koldewey, in 1869, in his ex
:. plorations north of Iceland, reached al
! altitude of Is degrees, while Payer, il
d 1874, proceeding north of Novaya Fem
= lya, above Lapland, discovered Fran
Josef Land 50 degrees north.
Nordenslsjold in 1878 and De Long il
1881 reached about the same altitude
a rs degress-while Peary, in 1919
s claimed record of altitude short O
g that attained by Lockwood, of tn
e Greedy party.
9 The fact that whaler, unprepare
;, for scientific exploration and equippe
IS ut a small fraction of the cost whic
o usually attends arctic explorations an
: reliefs, has been able to outstrip al
h competitors in the race for the Mort
. pole, is not due, probably, to any 81
d perior bravery on the part of Capt POI
ter, but rather to fortunate circuu
stances, which made his unpparallele
feat possible.
- As the whales become scarcer, yea
10 by year, in the lower stretches of tn
. Arctic ocean, the incentive to whalin
~ y captains to pursue them into the
- more northerly retreats is increase
:. and it it is possible that the discovere
~ OF the north pole will yet be q whalin
captain in seach Of oil.