Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-06-18
LANE on No LANp.

~
The question whether there Is land
al the Nortn Pole. OF whether an Ice
covered ocean surrounds that myeterl-
ous spot ON the earth, Is again discuss
ed among those Interested IN Arctic
explorations a contributor TO the Ma
tlonal Geographic Magazine, in an ar
tlcle on that subject gives some ndca-
lions Of land there. The paper was FIRST
read before the Philosophical society
OF Washington. by MIR Il, A. Harris,
OF the y. s. Coast ana Geodetlc Survey
and II certainly deals with interesting
facts.
Mr. Harris first describes the direc-
tlon Of the currents In the Arctic, as
established by various explorers, and
especially hansen. Then the ice condi-
lions are considered, and finally the
tides, and the conclusion IL that the
various phenomena observed can best
be explained on the supposltlon that
there is a large island IN the vicinity
OF the Polo. The paper IN the Geo
graphic Magazine il Illustrated by a
map showing The probable size and out
line OF the Polar land. on the east and
north It barely touches the Pole, while
in the opposite directions II stretches
out toward Alaska and the North
American coast
But the conclusions arrived az are
corroborated by actual observations.
One Arctic authority, Richardson, says
the EslSinos Of Point Barrow have
tradition TO the effect that at one time
some Of their people were carried to the
north on ice broken up in q southerly
gale. and that they, after many nights,
arrived i'm hllly country Inhabited by
people by whom they were kindly treatr
ed, They returned without mishap. apd
other Esklmos are supposed TO have
had . somewhat similar experience.
Captain Edward p, Herendeen,
yhaler Is quoted to the effect that ma
bves wlntering between Harrison and
Camden bays claim to have seen land
TO the north, in the bright clear days
Of spring. The captain tells the fol-
lowing;
In the winter Of iSss-'S7 uzharlu,
an enterprislng Eskimo OF ootkeavIe,
was very anxious for me TO get some
captain TO take him the following sum-
mer, with his family canoe. and outht,
to the northeast AS far as the ship went.
and then he would try TO find this mye-
terlous land OF which he had heard so
much; but no ono cared to bother with
this venturesOme Eskimo explorer. So
confident was this man OF the truth Of
these reports that he WAS eager 20 sail
away into the unknown. like another
Columbus, In search Of an Eskimo par
adise,"
"The only report Of land having been
seen by civilized man In this Vicinity
was made by Captain John keenan,, Of
Troy. New York, In the seventies, He
was at that time In command OF the
whaling bark STEAMBOAT, OF New Bed
ford. Captain Keenan, said that after
taking several whales the weather be-
came thick, and he stood TO the north
under easy sail, and was buslly en-
gagged IN trying out and slowing down
lflf ull Ahhtlls Nilfn INC Ahb NlfNl CIV NlNf
land was distinctly seen to the north
by him and all the men Of his crew.
but, as he WAS not on voyage of dis
covery and there were no whales In
sight he was Obliged to give the order
TO keep away TO the south In search Of
them. The success Of his voyage de-
pended on keeping among whales
1.-THE fact was often discussed among
the whalemen on the return OF the feet
to San Fra nclsco In the fall, The posi-
tion OF Captain keenan's ship at the
time land was seen has passed from my
mind, except that II was between Har-
rison and Camden Bays"
Commander Peary, we believe, In
clnes to the view that land may be
found In the highest ATTITUDES. and
that is one reason why the blank space
on that part OF the map OF the world
has as much fascination 10 him, as
had the blank portion Of the map Of
Africa to the late stanley. Peary
undoubtedly viii make another effort
at solving the interesting question Of
land or no land