Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-07-18
NO BEARINGS TO DISCOVER
If Man Ever Reaches the North Pole,
He viii he Lost.

If any one really got to the POLE he
would, in common parlance, be utterly
eat sea-" simply because at the pole
there is no possibility of ascertaining
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 destroy the illusions which
he may have 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 of 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 direction to the south. The
LONGITUDINAL circles, and hence also the
meridian of the locality, would coincide
with the circles of latitude; an equator
would coincide with the horizon. Hence
astronomical determination OF the
IUCullty Z, uoooiNtAii W '>>,N o
tude is precluded.
The same may be said as regards de-
tcrmining ones bearings i'll any dlrec-'
ton. The compass, too, Will 1all there
because it's horizontal intensity IS so
slight as to preclude the possibility OF
its action. The only criterion for Judg-
ing that ono has arrived at the pole IS
~. u. Int tf1In oT tho
after having been corrected to altitude
above the true horizon, is found to coin
eide with the value Of the defamation
of the sun for the day in question.
Moreover, in those regions there IS
scarcely q day Oh which dense foss do
not prevail, and 60 or more degrees q.
of cold, such rs mostly exist there, will
enhance the difficulties OF observation
to such an extent that it can only be q
question of approximate estimates Such
conditions are by no means envlable and
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 mako sojourn at
the pole a never ending torment. Worse
than all the rest. one cannot count the
passing hours there. In other words,
there is no criterion for determining tho
time of day. During 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
thc horizon AS the earth revolves
around its axis in "a hours, the sun APP
parcntly describes during the same IN
trryal "A circuit of 800 degrees around
tho sky, being visible at an altitude
equal to the dcclination 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 Il matter OF
course, been by water-that is to say,
by ships and sleGses. The idea that one
might get there by an aerial passage
has not gained ground until recently,
but if we consider that balloons are not
navigable, and hence are liable to be
carried away by air currents Ill any III.
rection that may accidentally prevail
and in the most unlikely event only TIC
the pole, no one possessed of but mod
crate amount of common sense will COM
prehend how success could have been
expected from such an enterprise. More
over. determinations of locality cannot
possibly be made from balloon with
any approximate degree OF accuracy
Nautical Magazine.