Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04

Sract Scientlnc value OF polar research
has lever been questioned, the practical
benefits to be derived from it have always
proved stumbling block to the apprecia-
ton of this form of work in the minds of
many who look upon exploration merely
as the immediate key to colonization, or
to the successful establishment of canaling
and railroading, or the mining Of coal or
gold or silver.
From the side of abstract knowledge,
and promoter of manhood and civilza-
tion, that keen-sighted scholar, Sir John
Barrow answered it when he wrote: 1.-The
north pole is the only thing in the world
abou- which We know nothing: and that
want OF all knowledge ought to operate
as a SPUR to adopt the means of wiping
away that stain Of ignorance from this
enlightened age" 1t is not difficult to dis
Germ the practical results or benefits aris-
ing from arctic exploration. The location
OF the northern magnetic pole alone, the
work in 1881 of Sir James Clark Ross rem
dering possible the determination of the
lines OF variation III the magnetic needle,
Is In itself a conquest for which navigator
will for all time De grateful, and from
which the world at large has derived in
estimable benefits. The arctic whale fish,
cry. which is today the sustenance or sup
TorI of ters of thousands of the worlds in
habitants. Is principally an outcome OF
arctic exploration, made practicable and
profitable through that more intimate
knowledge of thu physical conditions of the
lar nor;h which has been besotten alike
CT the labOrs of success and disaster.
What Has Been Accomplished.
Every expedition almost has accomplish
ed something that had been left undone
ty its predecessor and been considered in
the nature of things unattainable. The
northwest passage was made by Mcclure
in $50 nearly 30 years after Hendrix
Hudson first sought a commercial route to
China and lila across the polar regions;
end the northeast passage was forced for
the first time in 1S1S-I9, by Baron Norden-
skiold. 2S3 years after 1t was first attempt
ed by Barentz. Heemskerke and Ryp. But
II has often. and to an extent pertinently,
been remarked that Mcclure, despite his
brilliant forcing of the northwest passage,
had yet failed to render commercially nav
iEable the route in the search for which
ST. John Franklin and the greater part of
his force gave up their lives. Where is the
profit? The contention is just, or, better,
true. hut Only in SO far as the simple state
ment of fact Is concerned. A period of
nifty years is frequently far from sufficient
to determine the practicability or imprac-
tcability of thing. especially OF some
thing the hare accomplishment of which
has required three, four or nve times tEdt
period.
The Northwest Passage.
with regard to the assumed barrenness
of the northwest passage, what 1t might
be asked. do know of its actual posi-
billties-only the record of failures? Main
ly so. but is the experience of few arctic
ventures. most of them badly conducted or
iIl-arranged. 10 he taken as the guiding
line on which the possibilities of the future
are 10 be weighed? In geographical eXpior-
alton, in all departments OF mechanical
and physical science. II has repeatedly been
shown that the assumed imDosslbiiitles or
one day are ready possibilities OF another.
and that there are nc fixed limits in which
the element of success can be determined
The heroic achiey ement OF Paccard. who
in 1856 first scaled the then seemingly in
accessible summit of Mt Blanc. is today
hardly remembered. SO facile-one might
almost say fashionable-has become the
route along which the first breach was eff
fected. Humboidrs ascent of Chimborazo
added Iuster to the researches of that re-
markable investigator. but today, after
what has been accomplished by the broth
ers Schlagintweit and by Graham and Con-
way in the Himaiayas. by Meyer on Kill
manjaro by Reiss. Woin and WhyInper
among tne equatorial Andes. and by Guss-
feldt ana Zurbrirgen on Aconcdgua, such
an undertaking would scarcely pass beyond
the records Of the geographer and the ar
chives OF geographical societies. Similarly
in the far north. the dreaded dangers of
Melville bay can today. with proper judg-
mcnt. Be avoided with as much certainty
the dangers of the fog banks are avoid
ed by the regular transatlantic liners.
siberian Trading Route.
We are as yet too igonrant of what the
orth promises TO permit TO venture
upon a statement of the possibilities which
II offers to either commerce or science but
certain II is that Its inaccessibility is be-
coming more and more remote every year.
Albeit the northwest passage has not yet
proved of commercial significance. who can
predict what its future might be? Equally
unpromising has seemed the passage, only
once effected. in the opposite direction but
the explorations Of Nordenskjoid are al
ready beginning to bear fruit. The sue
Cessful issue of this journey has revived
the so-called north Siberian trading
route. and the day appears not far distant
when IL will be freely used as a direct
means of commercial communication be-
tween the north of Europe and north CEN
trail Asia.
The successful ventures Of Capt. J. Wig
gins in 1SSS and 1859. when with little de-
lay he reached the mouth OF the Yenissei