The Irish standard., 1899-04-08
ARCTIC EXPLORATION.
During 1898 Much Progress Was
Made Towards Finding the
North Pole.

! Ice conditions in the arctic waters
north of Europe have very rarely been
so favorable for navigation as they
were last summer. 1t fortunately hap
pened that a number of exploring par
ties were in that region, and the result
is record of unusual achievement.
The prevailing west drift usually packs
the ice solidly against the east coast of
Spitzbergen, and it was only about 80
years ago that the world learned at last
something of the nature and contour
of that coast. For three centuries
whalers and sealers had frequented
those waters, but they rarely got with
in sight of east Spitzbergen. 1t was not
until Nordenskiold led the Swedish ex-
petition Of 1865 to those arctic islands
that well-detined coast line took the
place on the maps of the indefinite
dotted line which merely demonstrated
that little or nothing was known about
east Spizbergen.
This year the sea to the east and
north was clear of any ice formidable
enough to prove barrier. The south
and west shores of the archipelago are
always ice free in summer. Here
was an unequaled opportunity, and no
earlier explorers have ever made such
record in Spitzbergen waters as that
of the Swedish expedition last summer
commanded by Prof. A. G. Nathorst.
First, his steamer, the Antarctic,
stopped for IS days at Bear island,
where minute survey of this we'll
known resort Of arctic whalers was
made. Then the expedition made it's
way to the King Charles islands, off
northeast Spitzbergen, the reports of
which were thought to be whaler's
yarn till the journeys of johnson and
Nilsen in 1872 placed them on the maps.
A large part of their coasts are still
shown in dotted lines, but the next
maps will represent them as they really
are, for Prof. Nathorst, has made sur
vey of the three islands and has mapped
them on the large scale of is miles to
| the inch.
Then the Antarctic steamed about a
hundred miles further north to White
island, which will no longer be marked
"existence doubtful" for Nathorst
found it to be very substantial bit of
arctic land, and determined it's geo.
logical features. The Antarctic finally
carried out two undertakings never be-
fore accomplished, and they will be re-
garded as most remarkable in view Of
the usual ice conditions. She first cir
COMMUNICATED Northeast Land, one Of
the largest islands of the Spitzbergen
group, passing unimpeded through
Hinlopen strait, which lis usually
choked with ice; and then she sailed
completely around the entire Spitzber-
gen group, feat that may not be per-
formed again for many years.
The German geological expedition on
the steamer Helgoland also spent some
time on the King Charles islands and
circumpavigated Northeast Land; and
the German warship Olga skirted long
stretches of coasts and pushed into
many bay while investigating the
fisheries prospects in Spitzbergen wa
tiers.
Our countryman, Mr.. w. Wel1man,
had the advantage of the same favor
able conditions in his journey to Franz
Josef Land. His ship, the Fridtjof,
landed him on the far northern archie
pelago on July 81 with month of sum-
mer still before him. Mr.. Jackson's
winter home, Har1nsworth House, at
Cape Flora, was taken down. packed on
the steamer and conveyed further
northeast to Cape Tegethof, where it
was regretted. When the Fridtjof
started home it was Wellman's purpose
to leave three men at this camp in
charge of a. large part of his supplies,
while he with eight men pushed on
about 100 miles further north to Cape
Fligely, some $50 nautical miles from
the north pole. Here he proposed to
spend the winter, ard as soon as the sun
appears next spring 20 start on his jour-
ney to the pole, which he hopes to reach
in so days.
If all goes we'll there may according
ly be race for that elusive goal this
spring between Peary and Wellman.
Concerning the fortunes of Mr.. Peary's
enterprise, it is known only that he was
at the entrance to Smith sound on Au-
gust 10 last, that he had transferred his
stores from the auxiliary steamer Hope
| TO MS exploring NesSel WlHu"dfu, tnab
he had on board 60 dogs and all the Es-
kimos he needed, and was about to
start for Peary channel, on the north
coast of Greenland, expecting to win
ter in that neighborhood. If good luck
attended him his winter camp is about
a hundred miles nearer the pole than
the, spot where Wellman hoped to VIM
ter. Capt. sverdrup, bound for the re-
gion of Peary's, proposed camp on the
Fran, was at Upernivik on August 4,
about 700 miles south of Peary's posi-
ton on the 18th of the month";. Y.
Sun.
FUNNY HONEYMOONS.
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