Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-10


The first man at the pole will be the
man of his time. Yet the practical gain
for the world will not be great, even
when both poles are discovered. We
may then learn something new about
ocean depths or land attitudes, and
something about ocean currents, some
meteorological observation and per-
haps some astronomical measure
ments; hardly more than this. There
Is absolutely no commercial or political
advantage that the most ardent eNpan-
sionist can imagine. enduring fame
for the individual, but that Is all.
One of the most interesting Of the
many expeditions now busy adding to
the enlightenment of mankind and to
the geographical perplexities of youth
is that which left England year ago
to explore Torres Straits, Borneo, and
various islands of the South Pacific.
The explorers have n cinematograph,
several monographs, Il half dozen cam
eras, besides n variety of instruments
for testing the nervous organizations
of the natives. There is the algOmeter,
lOt luS phlhy
to test the aboriginal sense of beauty;
asphygmometer. for the savage pulse;
Cations whistles, for ear tests. togeth-
err with drums, tuning forks and time
markers for visual and auditory Sig
nails in measuring reaction time.
The Imperial Academy of Science of
Vienna has sent DIR. d. Ii. Muller, pro-
lessor Semitic languages, to Southern
Arabia, with DR.. Alfred Zahn and Prof.
Oskar Simony, of the Imperial Insti-
tute of Geology. King Oscar of Swe-
den has interested himself In this ex-
petition. He placed the steamer Colt
fried at DR.. Muller's disposal, and in
berg, the famous Swedish Arubist, to
go along. The Count has lived many
years on the south coast of Arabia,
and has won the friendship of several
of the sheiks there.
Count Zichy is hard ut work in Cen
trail Asia and Siberia searching for
remnants of Hungarian tribes. Johann
Janko, the celebrated geologist and eth
nologist, and two other scientists are In
the party. They set out from Titiis
and have Travelled through Omska,
Tomsk, Irkuts and in the region Of
Lake Bulkash. The Count hopes to
find the records Batu Kahn seized and
took home with him after his famous
raid into Europe in 1241. He has not
found these records yet, but writes
home that he has made interesting
studies of manners and customs in
Urga, Mongolia and the Burrat coun-
try, where the Shnmans are. He has
also learned much of the Magyars and
succeeded in persuadlng lama to pho
tograph Bogodo Gegen. the presiding
deity In one of the great temples. AT
one place where the party spent some
time the temperature ut S u. m. was 30
degrees, and rose by noon to 107 de-
grecs. Count Zichy hopes to reach
Picking in October.
X. l. Bogdanovich, the geologlst, is
exploring the region west of Kamchat-
ka. He has worked day after day
when the spirit thermometer recorded
40 to 80 degrees. and believes he has
discovered the "snow pole"
Capt. Deasy has been working from
headquarters at Yarkand trying to
ascend the Yarkand River. He has OK
plored the Takal and Makan Rivers
pretty thoroughly and tried to penetrate
Northern Thibet, across the Kin Lun,
but the absence of any vegetation and
range of snow-capped mountains
have hindcrcd him, as also did the hos
tility of the Amban of Keria. So he
went to Alisai Chin by way of Polu.
Herr Stah::ng has been to the delta of
the Lena looking for traces of Andree,
but without success. He was wrecked
on an island ITO miles from the rivers
mouth, but some natives rescued him.
He reached Anabar on reindeer
slcdge and then went down Tarmyn
Lake to Ycnesai.
dvaneinE on the Poles.
Andrce's Inflated attempt to reach
the mole remi.,dS ono Of the nrniact nf