The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15
From the Pittsburg Dlspl

ness and Endless Dny-Erik the
Red and the First Colony.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch
Greenland is an island. The researches
of Arctic explorers show this to be the
case, and Lieut.. Peary has outlined its
northern border This island is estimated
to cover an area of 100000 square miles, A
few evenings since 1 examined a map in
order to compare it with an equal area
with which we are familiar, and found
that If to the New England states we add
the Middle states, then Virginia, West
Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, I'LL
nois and Missouri, we have an extent OF
surface about equal to that of Greenland.
But what a contrast.
A railroad map of these states looks
like mosquito bar of wire gauze, so
numerous are the black lines which mark
the railroad routes. Consider the i'm
mense traffic of passengers and freight
over these roads; of the size and business
enterprise of the cities connected; of the
thousands of square miles of fertile fields
and waving forests, and of more than 80. -
100000 of happy, refined and educated peo-
pie scattered over this area, enjoying ev-
cry good thing allotted to man on this
earth of ours. Now cover this broad space
with a sheet of ice one mile thick ana
we begin to comprehend the character
OF the island under consideration.
Greenland is completely covered with
thick mantle of ice, except a narrow
strip Of rock from ten to fifty miles in
Wldth along its western coast on when
live less than 10000 people-iust about tto
same number as live in BraddocL Ther,.
IS no soli. and, therefore, no domestic an
lilals' no trees, no shrubs, no cultivated
oroPsi Tor the potatoes resemble marbles
anu the peas are the size of pinheads
Inc water is ice cold and heated nv
Isles 81 soaPstone, filled with seal blub-
Del with twisted moss for wicks. The
natives live in miserable huts half mn
DER ground, made of stone and covered
Win ulft, Whlch are entered by the fam
ny ny on their hands and knees through
iong, low and narrow passages a Utfla
llSht enters through dried seaIsLine
stretched over a bone frame set in The
root' and the furniture consists of a
rev STONES Tor. seats and the skins of
animals for bedding. Their only sources
oLtFsNenue are seal oil, the bones and
plpDner OF the whale, walrus and nor
whal, a few fish, the skins of Arctic AMI
mails, elderdown and the feathers of birds
Inc winters are very long: i'm the north
erh part OF the island there are six months
OF darkness, while the summer is one IF
endless days. In the month of Anguet
1874, our vessel was so disabled thai we
barely reached the Arctic Circle. Here
the sunset faded into twilight fhe tu-io
light imperceptibly merged into dawn ana
dawn into the full light of dav W. We
worked or slept according to cfrcum-
stances, being greatly favored i'm lone
excursions by the continuous tviliobti Oiis
FOR glorious sunsets there is no coup-
Try ike this. AS the light eradIiaii,-
LIlsappeats from the valley and fiords.
leaVlnS them in darkness. the sun sfili
shlnes on the sides of the mountei,1
tops bathing the snow with ever-varv-
ii ing IlnLs OF rose, pink and crimson. or
Is rejected from large curtains Of ico
suspended in midair from the overba ~
ing cliffs, making them to snarlsia Iii7o
~ tuple e. per&ls ana sapphires And. as
t i9 sun SINKS behind the long lines Of
mus; every peak and dome is cleari3, o,,f-
lleieu against the sky, the long streamers
.! solu nght stretching toward the ze-
nun; WINE everything around is bathed
IN the soft mellow twilight. which con-
unueS for hours. Such views of 70
peated, Few painters can depict, few po-
The summer tempera ture seemed IN Ia
uniformly ABOUT 90 degrees lower than AT
tlttspurg. When il was q degrees bcrs
II was ~ degrees there. Once water from
outside the tent and once we hal a snt.i,,
hie OF snow. Dressed in winter clothiny
with mittens and Arctic boots ard Sleep
ing in wooden bags, we suffered but Uttie
from the cold though living i'm an or1f-
nary canvas tent for two weelcs an "a.
border or the Inland ice. We were. how
ever. much annoyed by the rains and of
ten surprised by the wind
There IN rains on the slightest pr0vgca-
non ana inc winds are as sudden aad viO-
"a" ti.' tAttii'7+ sNoNNtfc on The face
Of the earth does the wind bloV MS 81
sometimes does i'm Greenland Indeed
Greenland winds have become the stand.
ard or sudden and maximum aerial mo-
ton We had several illustrations a. ffs
power both on the land and on tre water
Eternal vigilance was the price of safotv
Though our tent was bound down g.fth
extra ropes and fastened with large Stone
twice during our stay ip eamu Two IN ofir
number lahOred all nlRht irving rs 49,
our tent from tickling % ITSELF Virrs ANA
nyins away The winds and the ram. how
eyer, were among fhe lfasf on ouH frou-
h'cf They seemed natural 10 our inhosfi-
table surroundings, but when fhe Sun