The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-03-12
GOING FOR THE NORTH POLE.
TIE EXPEDITION THAT JACKSON VIE
LEAD TO FRANZ JOSEF LAND.

THE EXPEDITION THAT JACKSON VIE
LEAD TO FRANZ JOSEF LAND.
His Plan for Estnbiishinr Stations on the
Way to the Pole-Tbis Route Favored By
Experts as the Most Promising = The
Thrilling Experience OF Leigh Smith. ~
A period OF unusual activity in North Polar
research will begin this season. Three enter
prises will eudoavor to obtain a footing in
high northern ATTITUDES for the purpose. II
possible. OF extending geographic research 70
the Pole. or at least nearer the northern apex
of the world than explorers have hitherto at.
tained. The project Of greatest interest 10
Americana Ia that Of Lieut. Peary. who. having
already determined the northern termination
OF Greenland. hopes In his coming two ysars'
work to map the archipelago north OF the
mainland and to push his researches over the
Arctic Ocean toward or to the Pole. Dr. Nansen
will start In June with the intention OF forcing
his little steameri into the ice north OF the New
Siberian Island In the belief. which Is not ems.
thusiastically endorsed by Arctic authoritiesS.
that the current will carry him north into the
neiRhborhood OF the Pole and into the south.
flowing East Greenland current. 2
An enterprise that will arouse the greatest
interest among Arctic experts is that Of the
Englishman. +. @. Jackson. who proposes to
lead q North Polar expedition By way Of Frsnu
Josef Land. Nearly oil Arctic authorities bs.,
lieve that Franz Josef Land offers the most
promising route for attaining the hishest Latte,
tude. and possibly the Pole. Nobody knows
how far It extends toward the Pole. but the
most northern part Of the archipelago ret
seen is nearer the North Pole than any othsR.
land thus for discovered. !
Jackson's plan is to sail next summer with q
party OF ten men for the southern coast Of.
Franz Josef Land. The three voyages thus far.
made to the archipelago indicate that Il 10
easily accessible in any ordinary year. Jack.
son hopes to reach his base Of operations In
time to make a rapid reconnaissance north
through Austria Sound. tho wide waterway
extending directly north and south and die
viding the archipelago. Tho Payer eyprecht.
expedition. by which Franz Josef Land was
discovered In 1873. assembled Austria Sound
for about 220 miles. and beyond these farthest
north they saw two great land masses. Peter.,
mann Land and King Oscar Land. stretching
away toward the Pole. Jackson will try on his
north OF the Austrian expedition and to 90,
ern part Of Franz Ha1se josef ai u Lana neA no " k now n'f'
jackson AIteo WI Win r endenvo q! to aa bush Z f {erWa fTpW W,t nov
e second depot probably in about IS. Lat
H tnda. Se ' sopes 10 bs 3 ss1s. d IN this h ths sa 1asi,
season. to make q third march, northward and
establish e third depot. II land is found further
Pole. Here he would expect to pass the sec.
ond winter and to devote the following SUM
This scheme OF work involves a small party.
q light eqaipment Of sledges and dogs; ands
taken hardly sufficient account Of tho enor:
Land. The Austrians encountered very great
obstacles At Snse in mss slem t their r. fg 1n t sar nor tn
within striking distance Of the Pole: His. plan
esfss Sh 1Hs to " Sr 1easIs to 81 the s Nonfh 1881 Psfe, b basis
cannot 10 said that there is any very s~atisfac-
! admi esidG aiSsr ths Ma sh1s nsspn% oReSsr. is th tsns;
# is not improbable that the Dimensions Of
this little known land will be found. when OF.
SGEsenland:a Can't; Sir Allan Tia YOU Yoan sgI says that ss
e, Franz Josef Land now appears to be the only
ionrn sSts ean 5e ' 'na Dc tHe A nGn.h ~ ST. Nn'S d. sqSe
Mares believes that good use may be made Of
within the tHs1 polar atra area - Gen. V Gree " the 4ee IeSdIns
American, authority on Arctic matters, has
Offers the best he lay for t" future i1sI Arctic sGse work rsn as
the. most promising route toward the Pole.
graphic work. is likely to be- done. Admiral
Sir Leopold McClintock has recently written
to Mr.. Jackson:
Covered. Therefore. ! si,nf it is tho only o. which,
and S%S' III. f SssaS.o fn ! r saSGsf Rack x las N0b BEEN rG 9oa ntii 10 8:
ssl i%sss s. = no Tsa slsw all ana ri isS%lisas to iise sss HSs' 1t, 4:
shores or Franz loser Land alone would con.
sittnte a success. and ono OF no Ordinrry interest. The
explorer would In all probability be enabled to approach
near or to the Pole than has been accomplished.
The proposed expedition. therefore. seems to
commend itself to all Arctic explorers. No
one whose opinion Is worth quoting la very
Jackson expresses the opinion that Lieut..
Peary has already attained about as far north
as he will be able to on his proposed route.
Peary, thinks differently. and It will not be
II he really gets nearer to the Pole
than Jackson does by the Franz Josef Land
route. However this may be. 1t will be very
interesting to learn more about this mass Of
islands. equal to Spitzbergen In area, aud per.
far larger than tbs island.
Although Franz Josef Land Is one OF the
Utmost amy year In the ice conditions usually
prevailing. its existence was not known until
Iwenty years ago. Ii has been visited
3nly three time. once by the Austrian
the enthusiastic Englishman who visited the
Polar islands at his own expense. and con.
slderably extended orr knowledge Of the
south. southwest. and southeast coasts. "
was sunk on the south coast Of Franz Josef
land. and the history Of Leigh Smith and his
comrades during the following
forms one OF the mostthrilling chapters
prepared to winter in the leo. Only a patf OF
heir provisions were saved from the sinking
vessel. on the shore they built huts o! stone and
.urf which sh%eltered them during the winter.
md they captured enough boar and wnlrus to
ieep them from starving. Late in June. 1882.
hey started for tho south In four Donts
Drovisioned for two months. When they
Novaya Iemlia they encountered the
,arty that had heen sent out from England to
'escue them or to learn their fate.
O7ERO'S DIIMONDs.