Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-05-26
ARCTIC QUEST.
Efforts to Unearth the Secrets
of the North Pole.
Coming Expeditions by Peary
and Other Explorers.


tions quite as simple and practicable
as that for his previous journey. That
journey was one of the most success
full in the record of Arctic exploration
in the value of the results attained by
simple means and at small cost, and
was unattended by the fatalities and
anxieties which have so often marked
such enterprises. The explorer not
only pushed farther TO the north on
the east Greenland coast than any
other traveller has done, but deter
mined the trend Of that coast and the
existence of great glaciers in the
northern fiords, located the end of the
interior ice cap, and otherwise in
creased the sum of popular knowledge
of the polar regions. The success
achieved was not the result of chance,
but of the wise adaptation of
means to an end, and with the
adoption of similar methods, increased
experience and a longer absence, may
doubtless be repeated with still more
important results. On his next ex-
pedition Lieutenant Peary will estab-
lish his headquarters OH the north
coast of Inglefield gulf, which he ex-
poets to reach in the latter part of July,
a base which will afford more direct
access to the ice cap,and from which
party will be sent out in the autumn
to cache provisions for the next sea-
sons journey. Ten men will make up
his party, and with six or seven of
these, the advance inland will be be-
gun in March instead of May, as in
the previous expedition, and donkeys
or ponies will be taken in addition to
dogs. The party will strike at once
for Independence bay, on the north
east coast of Greenland, the
most northcrly point reached on
the former journey, and will
then be divided, three men
pushing southwark along the coast to
Cape Bismarck, to return thence
across the interior ice cap to the camp
on Inglefield gulf. At the same time
Lieutenant Peary with two men will
follow the coast northward to the
farthest point reached by Lockwood
and Brainard of the Greely expedi-
ton, so that the whole north coast of
Greenland from Cape Bismarck, in
latitude 76 degrees AZ minutes, where
the Germans stopped, 10 latitude 83
degrees "a minutes north, will be
traced and its contour mapped. The
task will. of course, be difficult one,
but Lieutenant Peary's plan of sledg-
ing inland instead of along the shore
ice will render it easier, since much of
the shore can be traced from the inie-
rior highlands while short cuts are be-
ing made.
1t is possible that the expedition
may reach the pole itself, since if the
condition of the ice is favorable, or
there are islands scattered beyond
Greenland which will facilitate his
methods of travel, Lieutenant Peary
will push as far poleward as possible
But whether he advances northward
from Lockwood island or not, he ex-
poets to survey the most northerly is
lands and to complete the delineation
of tue North Greenland coast without
break from the former point to Cape
Bismarck. 1t will be seen that this
plan of operations differs radically
from that of DR.. Manson, who in a
small, strongly built vessel is during
the present year to follow the route
taken by De Long in an effort 10 drift
with the ocean currents across the
pole, plan far more hazardous and
uncertain of important result. Lieu
tenant Peary will, however, have an
imitator in Mr.. Frederick G. jackson,
who proposes during the coming sum-
mer to lead British expedition to
Franz Josef land. which, in
his belief and that of other emi-
nent Arctic authorities, offers the
safest, most accessible and most prac-
ticable route to the pole. For all that
is known to the contrary, Franz Josef
land may extend to the pole, the Aus
trian explorers. Weyprecht and Payer.
having seen high land north of S3
degrees. and Mr.. Jackson confidently
expects to push further north than the
Austrian limit before moving into
winter quarters. Like that of Lieu
tenant Peary, his party will be small
and the journey made with sledge,
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