The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-10
The Nearest Approach to the Pole

In attaining the latitude OF 80 degrees
80 minutes, the sledge party Of the Duke
Of the ABRuzzr advanced to within about
800 statute miles Of the North Pole, The
sledging party under command OF Capt.
CAGNI attained q point 2l.s5 statute miles
nearer the pole than that reached by NAN
SEN on April I. 1895. The Italian expe-
dition, therefore. has not greatly surpassed
NANsES, who, on the other hand made a
long step in advance when he attained Ia
farthest north, for he surpassed LoCKwooD's
record Of May. 1882, by 1880 statute
miles. The four highest records. all made
within the past eighteen years. are: The
Duke OF the ABRUzzI, 1900. ?S9.l5 statute
miles from the pole; NANsES, 1895. 2el
miles: The Fran, 1895 during her drift
after NANsEN left herr, 2sO.55 miles; Loci
WOOD. 1882. 45e. so miles.
The achievement of the Duke OF the
ABRUzzI makes IL more certain than ever
that the attainment OF the North Pole Is
now a question only Of time and money.
His work is unexampled In the fact that
only a year after he was reported to have
reached the south coast Of Franz Josef
Land. over $50 miles south Of the highest
point he attained, he was in open water.
bound for home. and the telegraph had
already flashed the news Of his SUCCESS
and his return all over the world. All other
expeditions. except PARRY's, conspicuous
for high northing made. we're in the Arctic
two or more years.
II may be some weeks before we receive
an adequate account Of the experiences
and main results Of the Italian expedition.
The news received from Hammerfest
or Tromso Of returning Arctic expeditions
Il invariably meaGre 1t was weeks after
NANsEN's return had been reported before
the longitude of his nearest approach TO the
pole was known. II is necessary, Of course,
to know both latitude and longitude In
order to understand clearly where explora-
lions nave been made and to indicate them
on the maps. The dispatches do not give
the longitude Of the point attained by the
Italian party, but one bit Of information
~iustifes an inference which il. without
doubt, approximately true. The expe-
dition. in going north. visited the stone
hut in which DR.. HANSEN and Lieut..
~JoHANNsEN lived from Aug. 20, 1895. to
MAY 10. 1896, nine months, snbsisting on
bear and walrus meat and making new
clothing from blankets and sleeping bags
from bearskins. This hut was a little west
Of 80 degrees cast longitude, and the fact
that il was visited or the northern journey
makes il possible to indicate the route
that was followed by the Italians on their
dash for the North Pole.
Alittle over n year ago the expedition was
at Cape Flora, south OF the eightieth parallel.
at the southern end Of the British Channel.
This channel Ia a wide, ~island-free arm
OF the sea passing north and south through
the middle Of the Franz Josef Land archi-
pela-o. At It's northern end il Cape Nor
way. on which stands NANsEN's hut. The
desire Of the expedition was TO reach the
pole If possible. Therefore il would not
make a detour of IL degrees Of longitude
10 the east, OF Q 10 the west, in order
To follow n route east or west OF the arChi-
nalaro, but would take the best or most
direct route through the British Channel
and keep a nOrtherly course as nearly "a
possihle. We know they started from the
south end Of the British Channel and we hear
of them AZ Cape Norway, the north end.
II is therefore probable that the highest
point reached by the Italians was along the
northern continuation Of this route some
30 degrees of longitude west OF NASsRN's
farthest, or 100 miles or so. a degree
Of longitude being very short when meas
ured so near the pole.
There is no reason TO believe that the
expedition discovered any new lands;
that might nave been possible IL success