The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-10
HOW THE POLE IS TO Be DISCOVERED.


III TOW absorbing the interest @,
<1e country has temporarily OBJ
scaFes another more peaceful
IL struggle which has been going on
Tor centurieS-Shs conquest Of tie
roe. Ihe history OF Polar exploration -
maze Up Of a long SERIES OF total or rssr-
4A AaiIares. SO many have sriei IN vain
10 reach the goal thar many people laugh
a auFlher attempts as useless or ask In
otfu Iss0-sed contempt. 'FWha- - the Poe
aht"ay To them the best answer 20
shear question is: Nothing" To the
scAolar II IS simply a mathematical pojut
where the earth's axis 4ntsrsec;s the
eaFsn surface. place where there are
Ninety degrees of latitude and Sd degrees
OF longitude or no longitude a. all. i,,st "a
one prefers 10 look at IL
10 me- these are not the impressive CON-
Sderatons- / am after the Pole taca;,s..
II Is the Pole. because & has a value rs n
test or intelligence persistent endurance
determined viii, and peraaas couraye-
QUANTITIES characteristic Of the highest .ype
or manhood-because I am conflfen, thar
1t can be reached. and because 7 regard
Il as a grea; prize which il Is peculiarly
mt and appropriate that an American
should win.
Ihefe - no reason whatever for ass,ra-
ing any abnormal conditions at the Pole
ior sopposing that II is the site of a per-
ei'iIaa! summer sea or a paleocrystic ttaat
= an eternaily frozen) sea, or Symmes'
Hoie giving access 10 the center OF the
earta, or specially rounded mountain a
"a Jnies Verne. for the earth 10 wh;r,
upoii-none o. these. There will h. found
sAhliy prosaic land or water at the POKE
no man living can say which until some
man gets there. But Il Il - land. i, Will
pe iaHd. the characteristics OF which are
piactscanS the same as those of other
Ia Dc - 1zfz
ured iniiess south. AMI If It Is water. il Wiz
De an Arctic sea. the characteristics OF
wn'cn are practically the same as hose
VI otneF Arctic seas with which We are
familiar, few hundred miles distant.
Pole VIII he Won.
AZ to the objection that the Pole can
never De reached ii is groundless. II ce--
tainiy VIII be reached. possibly within a
comparatively short time. The distance
which today separates the highest north
from the Pole itself is but 80 rr,.les-aho,,t
the same Az the distance between Albany
and Buffalo
ihose who ridicule Polar expeditions
ask; OF what use is the Po,ef" More
than one answer could De given 10 this
Question. but if there were no other reason
imam that during more than two centuries
ten civilized pations OF the earth have
spent millions OF dollars and sent scores
Nortn Poie without success. this alone Is
suHiclent 20 make II prize which we
should strive to secure
me conquest OF the north pole. the conn
piete delineation Of the Greenland arcbi-
peiaso Ghe last of the circumpolar island
groups) and the elimination from our
maps OF the unknown area between the
eishty-Iourth parallel and the pole are
important geographical desiderata. II is
my opinion that this work can be- accom-
pushed without risk 10 life or health and
at a comparatively small cost.
Plan of the Expedition.
me present expedition Is simply the Sec
ond step or determined campaign for the
pole. The results OF the various previous
expeditions show that there remains hut
one practicable route by which 10 attain
II. and that route is the one that has come
to be known as the Amerlcan-throurh
Smith sound. Kane basin. Robson chan
mel ana along the northwest coast OF
Greenland
Inc expedition starts, / think ausnici-
ously. The ship Windward is especially
suited to face the difficulties of the arctic
seas, and is loaded with such concentrated
provisions as experience has proved 10 be
rposr valuable. She viii proceed 10 Whale
sound this summer take on board several
picked families OF Eskimos. with their
tents. canoes and dogs. force a way
through Robson channel 10 Shcrard Os-
born ford or further. and land paople and
stores. Then the ship will turn back. "A
soon as the freezing of the tee OF The great
fjords of the northwest coast permits
sledge travel the work OF advancing siip-
plies will be commenced. taking compara-
lively short stages and light loads, so that
the trips can be quickly made As soon az
the supplies have been advanced the first
stage. the party itself VIII move forward.
leaving a cache behind. As they VIII be
following Eskimo customs and living in
snow houses, this can be done easily.