The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-10-12
POLAR EXPLORATIONS.

t. OR the purpose of explaining to the public what
r. gains are to be expected from further explora-
tons of the polar regions four scientists of Bos-
ton have contributed articles to a recent number of
the Boston Globe. The writer's are: H. Helm Clay
ton, president OF the Boston Scientific Society; Rob
er D. Ward, assistant professor of climatology at
Harvard; David P. Tod professor of astronomy at
Amherst, and J. w. Smith of the Weather Bureau
These men are certainly competent to pronounce
upon the proftableness of such explorations and
each and all of them maintain that mankind will be
well repaid for whatever energy expended in reach
ing not only the north pole but the south pole as we'll
Mr.. Clayton says: The observations in the polar
regions in the past have borne fruit in many ways
The observations on terrestrial magnetism have
aDled scientific men to make progress in working
the laws which govern the movements of the mag
netic pole and the changes in magnetism which affect
the compass of every ship that pows the deep Polar
observations enabling men to compare and test
the theories about the origin OF weather changes and
are thus aiding toward the determination of the true
laws OF storm and cold waves which knowledge may
in time be worth millions of dollars to the world"
lie concludes by the declaration that in his opinion
the United States will gain by polar exploration
than by annexing the Philippines, and Great Britain
more than by conquering the Transvaal.
Professor Ward goes over virtually the same
The more learn of Arctic and Antarctic
meeorology the better will be our understanding of
the great laws that control atmospheric movements
thus influencing weather and climate and affecting
mans activities and mode of life Many problems
await for their complete solution the data which pres
ent and future polar explorations will supply.
10 the question, Will polar exploration give meteor
ology any facts which will be of immediate practical
value to mani? the must be But that all of
the data thus gained will help the advancement of
science and will thus in the end be of practical bene
fit to mankind there can be question"
Professor Tod says that in addition to the benefits
to be expected in the way of geographical exploration
and scientific research there will be commercial profit
from the polar voyages He says: Il have never met
rot ignorant of the facts of polar exploration
who could argue against it. Consider the standpoint
of commerce alone-for the past two centuries the
yield of Arctic products has exceeded an average of
$5,oooooo annually, and the available wealth of these
specifically known lands is by no means exhausted"
Mr.. Smith agrees that the commercial benefits to
be derived from a complete exploration of the poles
slight and that they will go far to repay all the
outlay that such explorations cost but he also holds
that the advancement of science be the chief re-
ward He recalls the fact that the earlier voyages to
the frozen designed solely for material
profit, and quotes the saying of Milton They might
have seemed almost heroic if any higher end than
excessive love for gain and traffic had animated the
design"
It will be seen, therefore, that those who best I'M
derstand the subject do not regard polar exploration
as mere adventure carried out in the name of
science, but as genuine working for definite and
useful end 1t is safe to say that whatever view the
public may take of the matter the explorations will
be carried until have reached both the poles
and have accurately mapped their lands and deter
mined the nature OF their atmospheric phenomena