The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-20

There are a good many scientific re
searches which are much needed in
the polar regions. may mention here
magnetic and meteorological obser-
vations. The magnetism of the earth
and its strange changes has been and
is a riddle, and we do not yet know
much about it is, however, that we
have not sufficient magnetic obesrVa-
Vations from the polar regions. We
need continuous observations carried
on for gears there. On board the
Fran We got a continuous series for
three years; other expeditions have
also brought back valuable material:
but this is not sufficient. We should
also have it from every part Of the
unknown north, and we cannot pos
sibly get too much. 1t is not necessary
to point out the Importance of knOwl-
edge of this kind. 1t is not only that
the magnetic needle points TO the
sailor hif way from land to land and
from harbor to harbor; but the knowl-
edge of dhe terrestrial magnetism has
in many iother ways been OF great
benefit til mankind; it has been one of
the steppfng-stones for our evolution.
NANSEN IS OWN VIEW OF THE
ARTIC'S SITUATION.
LAS to neteorlogy. it is now generally
understood ID of what great importance
this scie4 ice really is; but it is still in
its infanty. and none of us can tell
what it viii have in the future, when
it has he en- further developed, and we
can mora fully explain the various
climatic changes. In order to under
stand these. however, we need a COM
plete knowledge of the physical con-
slitions OF the atmosphere in all parts
of the surface of the earth. We have
now Obtained a tolerably good knowl-
edge liz this respect of the known
regions. land we have meteorological
stations almost everywhere in the in
habited part of the globe. But the
polar reaioas still remain, and I can
not emphasize too much the import
ance of further research there, as the
atmospheric conditions are SO diverse
from those prevailing in better known
regions. We need to know what in
thence those extended snow and ice
covered tracts with the long polar day
and the long polar night have on the
atmosphere. and we shall not be able
TO explain the atmospheric changes in
our own ATTITUDES before we know more
about this.
s.Is it Of any special use to reach the
north pole itself2 1 think it is. Not
because this mathematical point has
any special interest, or has any special
Eqian41f1E
noints in the unknown north, but be-
cause it has for centuries been the am
hilton OF sea-farinE nations to reach
this point and there plant their flag;
and before this is done the race foI
The polel will never cease. 1t also GER
fairiv is below the dignity of man IL
erect a doal and then give it up before
If is rebched. 1 believe it can be
reached without too great difficulties
l,.v shin 6rifrjnpr with The
ice across the Polar sea, as mentioned
above, but also by the help of dogs and
sledges from the Greenland side II
Is ia be ihoped that it viii not be long
before this point is gained. As long as
we havd this holy grail reckoning rs
in +lie north we are all Of us apt tC
forget ahat it is scientific research
which ohght to be the sole object of al
explorations.
HOW IT MAY BE EXPLORED.
How lean this unknown region be ex-
1,lored2 [ think there are various ways
ia which it ought TO be done, as each
If thenaI win certainly bring important
results. I think the drift Of the Fran
has clearly proved the efficiency of The
mode of travel which we adopted. Tha-
, ship can be built able to withstand
the pressure to which it would neces
sariJv be subjected on a drift through
these regions, is established. 1t car
scarcely be doubted that the Fran
was exposed to difficulties of this hinC
as great as can reasonably be expect
ed. I believe, therefore, that the polal
sea tan at all times be trayersed witt
sufficient safety in this manner if only
proper provisions be made Further
more, this method of travel offers sucl