The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-06

to the Arctic Sea, and whalers will tell
you that they have chased "boWheads
all over the waters above Point barrow
we'll up to 8 degrees north, without see
Ing cake of Ice big enough for euahet
lemonade The Japan current is warm
and it is Joined on the Siberian coast py
the fresh waters of the great rivers wnicn
| flow to the northern ocean. This create
q strong flow of the ocean currents across
the Arctic Circle toward Greenland. IL
carries the Ice along, and the movement
beneath Is aided above by the prevailing
winds. Consequently the way to the
pole is much less impeded on the western
than on the eastern side
You know, perhaps, that any mum
| Der of whalers have been lost by drifting
| into the current above Point Barrow in
Septelnb Der and never getting cut. sup
pose they should go up there about July
lst instead. They would have time to
sail to the pole and back before getting
nipped by the return of cold weather in
the autumn.
"Give me good coal supply on Wran-
gel Island, and government cruiser,
and will agree to start out on June 20
from that point, and astonish the natives
by discovering the pole. / wish to say F.,
ways be open. That region, like the low
er ATTITUDES, has its cold and warm sum
mers. About two years out Of five the
way would probably be barred by impas-
sable ice in what the explorers call the
paleoorystio sea.
but from the lookout on the cruiser 1T
would be possible to size up the extent of
icefields about and a little reconnaissance
In front would soon determine the pos
sibility of breaking through. Should it
be found that the way was blocked
would simply back out and wait year
for more open sea. And let me tell
you,' said the old seafarer with great
earnestness, ''if this plan should be pur-
sued year after year, at small expense.
and with no risk to the ship or lives of
It's crew, curious world would not have
to walt more han five years to know all
about the circumpolar regions.
''To my mind, only one diffiulty lies
in the way.0f sailing to the Pole. Ii the
theory regarding an open polar sea is ao-
cepted, the cruiser would enter 1T in lati-
tude "a to so, but when once the ship
had sailed across these untrayersed waters
and reached the pole, it would be neces-
sary to turn around and Immediately re.
turn. To remain would mean to have
the outlet fastened with impossible ice
and the vessel left for six months In
closed sea. Besides, 1t is not known
what fate would befall the compass as
soon as the ship should pass under the
polar star. The mariner might be LETT
Without his reckoning and not know
which direction to take. There would be
no sta1s to point out his track, no ice
bergs, perhaps, to tell whence he had
come, and he might be left upon track
less waste without chart or compass
hopeless fate for the sailor. But that
such scheme is practicable is apparent
to every old whaler. Men whose obser
vations have been at all extended in the
Northern Ocean will not much doubt
the possibility of doing what l have
described. You see the conditions would
be entirely changed were q cruiser, fol
instance, sent into the Arctic Cir le in
place of the old whaleboats which have
gone there thitherto.''