The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-17

LIEUTENANT II. +. PEARY.
80 many men have sought in vain to reach,
but which is as sure to be srrrnounted as
the world stands and the human race CON
tinueS to exist
Though well along in years-somcwhat
past 80 and with Il head of white hair,
Commander Melville probably would not
hesitate an instant to lead polar party
were the opportunity to be offered him.
Nor is there another man in America bet
ter qualified than he to lead a party to n
glorious success. Notwithstanding his age,
he is stalwart man, still athletic and ms
hardy and rugged as when he assisted
De Long in that remarkable escape from
the ice pack To the north Of Siberia and
aiterwnrd prosecuted the search for the re-
mains OF his Ill fatctl commander and com
panlons III the tundra of the Lena delta,
a Pathetic Picture.
Probably the saddcst picture to be seen
on the walls of the government depart-
ments in this city is the one which hangs
In the room of the navy department occu-
pied by Commander Melville who is chief
o.. the steam engineering bureau of the
navy. 1t shows in graphic fashion the scene
In the Lena delta when Melville, clad in n
heavy suit Of fur to enable him to resist
the frightful cold of that the coolest Dart
pole itsclf-appearcd mt n spot where, pro-
truding through the snow like n mute and
unavailing call for help, was the frozen hand
of poor De Long. There this brave man
and six or seven of his companions had per
ished mserably of starvation and cold i'm
one of the blcakcst spots which the mind
OF man is capable of imagining Here Mel
vile found their bodies aftera search which
OF itself was heroic and memorable in all
arctic work, full of hcroism as are those
chapters Of mans struggles with nature in
her angricst moods.
1t is grewsome picture and attracts the
attention of every visitor to the Office. One
can scarcely realize that the bluff, hearty
commander, soft of heart and hand is the
very man who bravcd the rigOrs of Il Sibe-
rlan winter to search through week after
week for this sad scene.
The Way to the Pole.
Commander Melville believes he knows
the way to the pole and has not changed the
opinion which he expressed in his book n
few years ago, that with a properly equipped
party and Francis Joseph land as II point OF
departure the right sort Of men with the
right sort of n leader will he able to march to
the pole itself and back again with lutte
risk of life and without hcng called upon
to suffer extraordinary hartlships.
Mr.. Melville holds IL different theory con-
corning the conditions which exist at the
pole than that held by most arctic stu
dents. He believes the north pole of our
earth is surmountcd by an enormous ice
cap, perhaps 2,O0O feet in thickness, dwin-
ding down to Il thin edge 200 or 300 miles
from the pole. The surface of this great
ice cap, i'll his opinion. is almost rs level as
floor. Over it, he believes, party of men
with slcdgcs could travel ut n rapid rate.
The difficulty which they would encounter
would be III approaching and getting upon
this mass of palcocrystic ice, this sea born
glacier which innumerablc ages have
bulded.
Whether this theory is correct or not it
certainly is exceedingly interesting, and
we shall never know what the conditions
of ice, of water or of land are Mt the geo
graphical pole till some daring explorer
Contrives to reach that region, and, what is
quite as important, to say the least, to get
home again. 1t is pity that Commander
Melville cannot be placed at the head of a
party setting out to test by actual investi-
CATION the correctness of his theories If
the government were to engage again in
the field OF arctic work, it is more than prob
able Melville would he chosen for leader of
the expedition but there is no chance that
the government will do anything of the
sort.
Lieutenant Peary's Efforts.
While interest in arctic work is very keen
among the people Of the country and among
the scientific men of Washington, congress
could never be induced to make anotherap-
preparation for that purpose. So tragic and
humilating were the experiences of Lieu
tenant Greedy and his men, and the vain
efforts made 10 relieve Them that mt least an
other generation will have to pass away be-
fore our government can be induced to be
come sponsor fora new expedition. This is
TO be regretted, because Americans have
shown themselves to be the most daring
and successful OF all arctic explorers. Up
to date it is the American flag which has
been planted farther north than any other
Americans have approached nearer the pole
than the parties of any other nation.
We hold the record still, but in the opin-