New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-31
lfFLTILLE'S DRIFT CAShS.
TO RE USED IN DETERMINING THE DlkhC-
TION AND FLOW OF POLAR CURRENTS.

To RI Used IN DETERMINING THE DIREC-
TON AND FLOW OF POLAR CURRENTS.
Washington. March % (Spoc.aD The Geographic
cal Society Of Philadelphia has placed on the YES
ses Of the Pacific whaling feet and on the revenue
cutter Bear which viii sail for Arctic waters ms
spring a number Of casks which VIII he set adrll'
near Herald Island These casks are designed 70
demonstrate By their drift the direction and no"
of certain disputed polar currents Inis project
which was first proposed in The Tribune ABOUT a
wear ago is being carried out through a paper re-
Gently read by Engineer-r Chief Melville before
the society wherein he proposed 10 demonstrate
his theory Of Arctic currents 10y number OF drlit
casks II is Admiral Meville's belief based on the
drift of the Jeanette as well as the experience 81
otber exnlorers that the best place 10 put a snip
hound FOR the Pole is through Behring Strait and
then TO push the ship into me pack as lar a. pos
sble 10 the northward and westward. Though not
necessarily drifting across the Pole. ne sdlu 'Ha'
in all probability a ship float or cask woulu come
ont by way Of Spitzbergen. In this paper ne sus
gested the fea sibility Of the drift casks mus &C
complishne the drift without risk Of me ana SUD
mitted a detailed plan Of the experiment
The Geographical Society pushed the project rap
Idly and now all preparations have peeh cohPi'lc"
FOR launching the casks Henry g Bryant u'
nreeidon- Of the society mas by his abOrs. energy
and interest in the preparatory work so CONNECTION
himself with this project that Il is now known as
the Melville Bryant drift casl" Captain Kutz. OF
the Navy formerly Chief Engineer. represented the
society in San Francisco ana attended 10 the snip
ment OF the casks placing thrty-hve on the Wnai,
Ing vessels and fife on the Bear. kach cask hdu
a separate number for means Of identnCauon,,
The casks which were illustrated in Inc IT'D
une are conical-shaped floats, securely made FAC
contains a wooden-incased tube or bottle, uShIY
corked In which are directions for the hnder Inc
directions are printed specially prepared paper
ndestructble 10y salt water. These directions or
forms have spaces 10 insert name OF Under vessel
latitude longitude number Of cask. ana other nee
essarv data The following instructions are also
on the sip: The finder will please send this paper
to the nearest United States consul at MS nome
| pOrt or forward II direct 10 the Geograpncal So
ciety Philadelphia United States of America The
directions are printed in four languages 10 insu e.
so far as possible their being understood and com
piled with.
IL the casks are successfully launched as, bar
ring accidents they will be. II Will probably be
about four years before they may be looked fol
between Sptzbergen and Greenland Scientists
generally and students Of the Arctic particularly
are taking a keen interest in this experiment and
/ with the launching OF the casks this spring man!
will hope that their drift viii eventually help &c
/ solve the battling problems OF arctic currents.