The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-09
At THE NORTH POLE.
All Means of Ascertaining Ones Where
abouts Would Fail There.

abouts would Fail There.
Just as the magnet always turns to
the pole. so human endeavor for CEN
turtles past has been similarly direct
ed. Whether at any future time IL will
be vouchsafed to mortals to reach the
pole Is a matter as to which. for vari-
Gus reasons. considerable doubt may
be entertained. But woul such an
achievement be desirable? ] assert the
contrary quite seriously.
IL any n really got to the pole he
would. In common p~arlance, be utterly
lat sea-" simply because at the pole
there is no possibility of as%certaining
ones whereabouts. A person arriving
there would find an altogether different
world before him Like a blind man
he would grope about and vainly en-
deavor TO. get back whence he came.
This by no means enviable situation is
calculated to thoroughly destroy the
Illusions which he nay nav cherished
when starting on his polar expedition.
His completely changed situation
would be accounted for by the fact
that when stationed at the pole the
direction To the north WOULD be found
to coincide with the line of the zenith
that Is To say. the point exactly
above us. The opposite point-viz.. the
~nadir-would coincide with the direc-
ton to the south. The longitudinal
ClTtles, dnu nenCt Also the fnefluldn oI
the locality. woul coincide with the
circles of latitude; an equator would
coincide with the horizon. Henc an
astronomical determination of the To-
cality, according to latitude and long
itude. Is altogether precluded.
The same may be said as regards de-
termining ones bearings in any direc-
ton. The compass too will fail there.
because Its horizontal intensity Is so
S1,.kt M - ,rI.l. H. -A.ttl.,xv 80
it's action. The only criterion for
Judging that one has arrived at the
pole is that the observed altitude OF
the sun. after having been corrected to
altitude above the true horizon. Is
found to coincide with the value of
the d~eclination of the sur for the day
I'm question. Moreover, i'm those re-
gions there is scarcely "a day on which
dense fogs do not prevail m 80 or
more degrees Uc.b of cold, such as
mostly exist there. will enhance the
difficulties of observation to such an
extent that IL can only be a question
of approximate estimates. Such condi-
tions are by no means enviable I'M are
scarcely calculated to induce us TO long
for them with all our hearts.
But these are not the only things
which are likely to make "A %sojourn at
the pole a never-ending torment.
Worse than all the rest, one cannot
the passing hours there; in 9TH
er words. there is no criterion for de-
termining the time Of day. During a
period OF six months the sun will
neither rise nor set. but during the
whole of the time will always remain
either above or below the horizon. AS
the earth ~revolves around it's axis in
"a hours. the sun apparently describes.
during the same interval. "A circuit of
800 degrees round the sky. being wish
BILE at an altitude equal to the declina-
alton whenever declination Is of the
same name as the pole at which the
observer Is stationed.
The numerous attempts hitherto
made to reach the pole have as a mat
ter of course. been by water-that is
To say. by ships and sledges. The idea
that one might get there by an aerial
passage has not gained ground until
recently. but IL we consider that bal
looms are not n~avigable. and hence are
liable to be carried away in any direc-
ton by any air currents that may ac-
cidentally prevail. and in the most un-
likely event only to the pole. no one
possessed of but a moderate allowance
Of common sense will comprehend how
success could have been expected from
such an enterprise. Moreover. deter
limitations of locality cannot possibly
be made from "A balloon with any APP
proximate degree of accuracy.-Nauti-
cal Magazine.