Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-13

| Impossible TO reach the Pole, on account
Of the ice that eternally blocks the sides
| of Grinnel Land and the north Of Green
| land. Sir G. Mares, who endeavored 10
| reach the Pole by this route, acknowl-
| edged the impossibility, and refused 10
| follow the itinerary.
THE BERING STRAITS ROUTE.
| Speaking now of the Boring Straits
route the key of the course indicated by
/, Captain Long, il forms the first link in
the chain of this famous polar current
| (Which l express by the word overflow,
! that is to say, by the augmentation OF
waters on the polar basin produced by
| the discharge Of the rivers of Siberia ard
| by the melting of the SHOWS at certain
| times of the year. The water and ice
| takes the direction of the north and Of
| the west, for the reasons l have pointed
| out.
The second link is formed by the quite
| followed by the Fran in the polar cir
| Gle for three years, passing to 40 degrees
| Of north latitude, the highest attained
| to the present day by a ship. Captain
| Long had good reason TO declare mat IL
| his ship had resisted the pressure Of the
! ice he would have arrived at Greenland.
! after having passed by the Pole or in its
neighborhood. If Captain Long had re-
| mained upon the fee which crushed his
vessel he would have reached the shores
Of Spitzbergen three years later.
Now as TO the explanation Of the drift
of the ice in the polar current. In the
polar circle, on the Siberian side, the
most frequent winds are those OF the
east and the southeast, which carry the
ice 10 the north and the northwest. The
outflow carries everything in this direc-
ton, and hurls the ice against Franz
Joseph Land, Spitzbergen, and Greenland.
In the polar circle on the North American
side on the contrary, the most frequent
winds are the west and the northwest,
which push the ice against the east and
the southeast. This ice, encountering
Northern Greenland, Grinnell-Land, and
the Parry Isles, accumulates year by
year. and forms the eternal ice which
constitutes the hummocks.
II we draw a line straight from Boring
Straits to the north of Greenland. We di-
vide the polar basin into two parts. The
western portion forms an immense block
Of ice on the American side, which forms
an insuperable barrier TO reaching the
pole The eastern half. on the contrary.
is formed OF ice which is born on the
Siberian side and in the Boring Straits.
This advances driven by the winds,
which, as / have previously said, blow in
old and nears the pole, IL is augmented
in volume and forms obstacles difficult
TO overcome, as was thoroughly demon
strated by the voyage Of DR.. hansen.
When hansen left his ship 70 travel
north 70 Sc degrees l3 minutes Of lati-
tude he found the hummocks . and 80
feet high. piled on the solid ice. 1t Is
then reasonable to suppose that at %
degrees these hummocks have attained
a still greater height.
This appears in the report OF the dis
cussion of the Royal Geographical So
ciety of London, March, ., 1897. Several
explorers Of this region took part in this
discussion. Mr.. Clement Markham pre-
sided, and the controversy was sustained
by DIR. hansen, Professor Ruecker, Pro-
fessor Judd. DR. Bowdler Sharp, Colonel
Fielden, Sir Leopold McClintock, and Sir
George Mares.
STILL MUCH TO LEARN.
In the summing up it was clearly
proved that the first itinerary have out
lined agrees perfectly with the conclu-
sions arrived at by these savants.
Quoting the words Of the president Of
the society:
There is. however, much still TO learn.
An expedition should be sent up Jones
Sound to connect the 400 miles between
Prince Patrick Island and Aldrichs far
thest and 10 examine the line Of ancient
ice in that unknown region. Another
expedition should complete the examina-
ton OF the northern side OF Greenland.
A third should be equipped on Nansen's
plan, and sent TO carry out Nansen's
principle, by commencing the drift much
further 10 the eastward, and passing over
the pole itself"
Here is what DR.. hansen himself said:
Another thing with regard 10 the mode
Of investigation OF the arctic regions
which our expedition learned, was per-
haps, this-that even with small means
good results can be obtained. BY act
ing on the hints given by the Eskimo, and
pushing forward with "Kayack" sledges
and dogs. one Is enabled TO penetrate
into and cover considerable distances in /
regions which have hitherto been con-
sidered very difficult Of access In this
way the drift ice itself can be travelled
over al a considerable distance from land.
and j think this must be one OF the
ways in which il should be endeavored 10
investigate the great unknown region be-
tween the North American Arctic archi-
pelago and the pole. There is no doubt |
many interesting problems are awaiting
their solution. May a not far-distant |
future see those tracts traversed by ]
human feet"
THE SECOND SCHEME.
To accomplish the project Of this Sc !
cond itinerary, We start upon a solIdly- !
constructed whaler, progressing by |
steam. We direct our course upon
Franz-JOseph Land. In the eastern part !
OF Cape Mary Harmsworth, and pushing /
north as far as possible disembark with |
all our provisions, dogs, reindeer. long
boat. sleds. kayaks. etc. We shall reach /
Cape Fligely on the western side and |
pursue our route 10 Peterman Land. 1
which Is en- island s. degrees north lati-
tude and IS or 50 degrees east longitude.
The land is about 43o miles from the
North Pole. Here Is the starting point
OF the most Of the twenty different expe-
ditions OF sleds hauled by men and dogs
which have started 20 search for Sir John
Franklin
These figures give an exact idea OF the
extent 10 which 1t is possible 10 penetrate
into the polar ice. and prove that II IS
possible for men of robust constitution,
with energetic Wills and sufficient provi-
SONS to surmount the S0-mile barrier