New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-23
EXPLORING SPITZBERGEN FURTHER

From Nature.
A year ago DR. A. G. Nathorst of Stockholm.
rood M ner before the Swedish Society Tor AZ
thropology and Geology ca review Of the present
rosiiion Of Polar Investigation. with project
for a swedish Polar expedltlonl' Whlch mas S'','
been published in the journal of the s"cie'E;
At tho zine Of reading the paper there seemed
but little probability OF q near realization OF inc
rroiected scheme: but during the present year
1S2-1 the King Of Sweden and certain wealthy
merchants IF Stockholm and Gothenburg haVc
generously como forward and provided in' iunu una.
necessary for carrying it out ana Ut NathoiS''
who will act as the scientific leader OF 'he eA-
pcdition. is now engaged in preparations for Il
start next wear (lS9S).
As the result Of Nansen's voyage Dr, Nathors'
thinks that there is but little probability OF IN.
discovery Of fresh land areas in the Nlclnlty OF
the Pole and that the aim OF future expeditions
to the Arctic regions should be Il 'horousl St''n
tifc investigation Of these lands, OF Whlch al
present but little is known beyond the TACT OF
their existence. Under this head may De mon,
tened the west coast Of Eliesmere Lana ana
Gri, nell Land and the neghbOrinS islands also
the shores OF Jones Sound in Arctic America
Further large tracts Of the northeastern ana
northwestern coasts OF Greenland remain /" pr
examined in spite Of the admirable Work OF
the Danish Austrian and other exploring cXpe-
ditions. But il is with Spitzhcrgen ana the IT,
gion east Of il that previous ROAR eHp"I1 'l'Ii.
on the part Of Sweden have been most Closely
connected: and. though no fewer than tWcN'
different Swedish expeditions. lea by such me-
as Torrcll. Nordensknld. Nathors' DE G.@r an1
others have visited this region since lo'N. an"
That il has been the field OF work for exp dlti"hS
from other countries as well. the most r"ren,
hciuc that under Sir Martin Conway In lN'" II
vet offers in Nathorst's opinion, = rich harvest
for scientific Investigation ,.,
T-hr west coast Of Spitzbergen is now fairly
well known but owing to the ice coming rom
the east and blOckading the eastern coas'S "i "
island nothing has az yet been ascoTla'n"n
Of their geological structure the same "nsl'-
cIe has also prevented observations on STAINS
Torelond Edge Island). Barentz Land. Norm
I,ast Land Kung karls Land, and NY lSIhhu'
hut il is probable that given iaN"rapic c"hu,
lions of the ice. n steam Vessei Wouiu ne "'i
IN ar,proach sufficiently near these lslauS l."
oliov their geology at least to be MADE ou'.
,rho evnloration of these lands between SIitZ-
hereen and Franz Josef Land is the man ODD
iect Of the expedition; but should TINS DC lruS-
ira Cd hv the prevalence of the zee the TeStdftn
work would be carried on in Spitzbergen lSeti
ard more particularly study would De mao
of the raised shell banks and terraces c'IH'uC
ing a comparatively recent elevation OF th'
land and Of the remarkable quaternary nrp"a
lie which show that the climate OF the isiHu
for a certain interval after the Ice Age was
werner than at the present time ProlnlSn'
botanical results might be also expected from
an examination Of the valleys extending IRON!
the heads OF The fOrds, as. Tor eHanlp'' .hoS'
in Sasscn Bay Ko Bay and Van Mijcns Bay
4 stout vessel Of from go To 100 tons ana ere"
Of thirteen men would. in NathoIsts opinion DE
most euitable for the undertaking; and the sci
entfc staff would consists or a geologlSt Il
botanjst two ZoOlOgists, one hydrographer ana
rnetcorologst and one for cartoSraphy anu Pii"-
Biography 1t is not lntended 10 "l,,er !" w
Arctic regions but the vessel would De pro
1ieinncd for a wear in case Of accidents. Thc
estimated cost of the expedition is about t4ooo
II is proposed to reach SpitZbergen IN the De-
ginning Of June, and work there until the mld-
die of August when II is hoped the ice VIII allow
Kune Karls Land and the other islands near 1t
to be examined