The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-18
CAPT. j. E. BERNIER.

capable fort serving as an equipage
| boat, to be of aluminium and wood.
''2. Six skeletons of kayaks, each Of
which can carry one Or two men with
provisions enough for six months, with
three wrappings of linen and skins.
%. Twenty-Five sleds of different
form and construction, appropriate for
different circumstances, and of which
the plans and designs are drawn by
me.
We shall travel constantly north
ward, following the current, which will
carry US to the north Of SO degrees west
1t is the route extolled by DR.. hansen,
and which I have described as that
followed by the Jeanette and by the
Elotsam.
"supposing that we accomplish an
average of four miles per day, we
would reach the pole In 1870 days travel
We would continue then in the direc-
ton of Spitzbersen to the Damon ISL
and, where the explorer Andree started
with his balloon We can reach Europe
by the regular tourist excursion boats.
This itinerary enables us to profit by
the great polar current flowing toward
the north
III we study the course of the Fran
during two years and nine months. we
find the vessel Travelled 400 miles q
year. 1t will be our fault if we cannot
beat the time of the Fran. Remembec
also that Perry's expedition started
with provisions for seventy days only
and had a counter current of two miles
day Notwithstanding these disad-
vantages he attained 80 degrees north
after having made 1,040 miles, or more
than fourteen miles day.
BY the route of Smiths straits it IL
impossible to reach the pole, on &C
count Of the Ice that eternally blocks
the sides of Grinnell Land and the
north of Greenland. Sir G. Nayes' who
endeavored to reach the pole by this
route, acknowledged the impossibility.
and refused to follow the itinerary.
Speaking now Of the Behring straits
route, the key of the course indicated
by Capt. Long, 1t forms the first link in
the chain of this famous polar current
(Which I express by the word over
flow, that is to say, by the augmenta-
ton of waters on the polar basin pro-
duced by the discharge Of the rivers of
Siberia and by the melting of the
SHOWS at certain times of the wear.
The water and ice take the direction
OF the north and Of the west, for the
reasons l have pointed out
THE second link is formed bv the
route followed by the Fran in the
polar circle for three years, passing
to 80 degrees Of north latitude the
highest attained to the present day by
q ship. Capt. Long had good reason to
declare that If his ship had resisted the
pressure of the ice he would have ar
rived at Greenland. after having pass
ca by the pole or In its neighborhood.
Ii Capt. Long had remained upon the
Ice which crushed his vessel he would
nave reached the shores Of Spitzbergsn
three years later
Now as to the explanation of the
OF r
the polar circle on the Siberian side
the most frequent winds are those of
the east and the southeast. which
carry the Ice to the north and the
northwest. The outflow carries eyery-
thing in this direction and hurls tha
Ice against Franz-Joseph Land, Spitz-
| zergen and Greenland. In the polar
circle on the North American side. on
the contrary, the most frequent winds
are the west and northwest, which
push the Ice against the east and the
southeast. This ice, encountering
Northern Greenland. Grinnell Land
and the Parry Isles, accumulates year
which constitutes the hummocks.
IF we draw a straight line from Ber-
ings straits to the north Of Greeland,
we divide the polar basin into two
parts. The western portion forms an
immense block of ice on the American
side, which forms an insuperable bar
rier 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 winds, which as I have pre-
yi9Spsly said blow In one direction.
the pole. It is augmented In volume
and forms obstacles difficult to over
come, as was thoroughly demonstrated
by the voyage Of Dr. Nansen. When