The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-15
Howgatc', North Pole Theory.

Howgatc's North Pole Theory.
The return OF Captain" r. T.. PEARY
from another Of his now innumerable
attempts to reach the North Pole has
given rise in Washington TO many ru-
mors. One Of these is to the effect that
the Captain will apply for the position
of Chief Of the Bureau Of Yards and
Docks, to succeed the presentincumbent,
whose term is drawing to it's close. Nat
urally, such disquieting gossip is Of
special Importance in Captain PEARY's
immediate corps; nor 10 it wholly for
hidden to suppbse that 1t has led TO con-
troversy, amiable or otherwise, among
real naval officers. The civil engineers,
whose duty il is TO survey }; Wy yards,
lay out quarters, construct sewer sys-
TENS, &c, will take it as a hardship that
Captain PEARY. who has done no service
in the line of his theoretical duty for
more than fifteen years, should be pro-
NOTED over their heads to be chief Of
the bureau and ever after enjoy the
Pickwickian distinction of Admiral
The line officers, for their part, regard
the ebullition with amusement. In their
philosophy il seems well enough to
make admirals of everybody, since the
title no longer means anything worth
mentioning. As they see it. if doctors,
%shipbuilders and commissaries and so on
are to be called admiral" when they
reach a certain place upon the payroll,
why not make the title still more COM
prehensive and include the navy yard
surveyors, or even the musicians and
the cooks?
But among the "reminiscences that
have been awakened by PEARY's return
and are now running amuck in naval
circles, there is one which appeals with
peculiar force TO the older officers, cspe-
cially such as have been engaged in
expeditions Of rescue to the polar regions.
Better, perhaps, than any others, these
men recognize the formidable realities
of Arctic exploration. They have seen
them, not from the standpoint Of the
enthusiasm which e1alts the would-be
discoverer, but from that OF the disas-
trous tragedies they have been com
missioned to unveil and mitigate. And
it is among these impartial and enlight-
ened judges hat the Howgate theory
is now considered as the best, the most
sensible, humane and practicable that
has ever been advanced in connection
with the subject.
HowGATR, many years ago, was dis
bursting officer of the Signal Service.
General WILLIAM B. HAZEN was the
chief. HowGATE had the rank of Cap
tain. He believed thar the North Pole
could be located, though it was not mis-
opinion that the contamination would
be Of any value or Importance to man.
kind. The question with him was one
OF ways and means. or the possible
results to science lie was more than
sceptical. He insisted, however, that
the Anglo-Saxon could do anything, go
anywhere, triumph over every physical
or climatic obstacle, provided he went
about it in the right way. How0ATE,
however, had no faith In the dash for
the pole" of which the world has heard
so much, and Of the fruits of which 1t has
seer so little. His idea was that Of an
advance by stages. He proposed to
move northward, building stations every
few miles, making secure and perma-
nent asylums at convenient points along
the line Of advance, arranging things
so that the party in front could never
be beyond the reach OF rescue or with
out a practicable means Of retreat. Food,
warmth, housing, medical care. every
ministration indispensable to life, was to
be kept always within reach. There was
to be nothing spasmodio no clashes, I"
70 series of attacks and abandonmente.
What he proposed was a deliberate,
thoroughly organized advance, with
permanent and indestructible stations
all along the route. And, al he said,
IL the steps came TO be only a mile at a
time they would at least be accomplished
stems, which it would not be necessary
to repeat. Every new effort would con-
stitute an advance, and efforts need not
cease until they were confronted with
absolute impossibility
Such was the Howgate theory. II
met with prompt derision and denuncia-
ton. why they said, according to
his plan, we shouldn't reach the pole
in twenty years" And when il became
known that HowGATE was a defaulter
and a fugitive from Justice the con-
domination Of the righteous took on new
volume and severity. tic had robbed
the Government; how could his ideas NJ
h. --.I.us.l l. III .
notice by honest men and scientists:
But twenty years have passed. and if
we he nearer to the pole than wc were
in HowGATE's day there is nothing oT
visible consequence to show for it.
Captain PEARY has returned. He got
nearer TO the pole than any OF his prede-
cessors and rivals had ever done. He
will lecture, an, we hope, make money
In the eud, Perhaps he may eventually