The Washington herald., 1908-08-20
HOW AN EXPLORER KNOWS
WHEN HE REACHES THE POLE

that he did not know whether he had
landed on Franz Josef Land or on an
island Of the Spitzbergen group.
Capt Cagni. OF the Duke Of the Abruz-
z party. who made the famous record
breaking march north from Franz JOSEF
Land % s6 degrees "a minutes north
latitude. and who stilI holds the rec
ord for the longest march and the best
average Ter day over the frozen fields
OF the north polar sea worried continual
! " about his time while approaching Ru-
coiph Island. I'D as IL happened his
apprehension was justified
His party missed the land. were car
ried too far west. and had 10 fight against
the drift 10 reach camp During this
period they were obliged 10 eat some os
their dogs. and when at last they made
their objective. they were in a starving
condition
Get Time by Wireless.
It would seem that wireless telegraphy
should prove invaluable as means ot
sending time signals 10 an absent sIedgs
party It would save miles Of useless
travel and give the leader confidence in
his observation
The actual process OF taking an OBJ
servation IS anything but pleasant when
/ the temperature IS from % 70 60 degrees
below zero. particularly Il a breeze is
blowing. Lying on his breast in the
snow. the sexJant in his mittened right
hand. the bare fingers OF HIS left hand
moving the tangent screw. his right eve
10 the telescope. the observer PAINFULLY
waits for the sun 70 reach the meridian
small theodolite is a better inscru-
Tnent- but no matter what instrument IS
used. every time the observer brearhes
he must be careful 10 exhale away from
I the apparatus. or the ice. formed on TIE
scale and its divisions by condensation.
viii prevent a reading
The rise of the sun IN that high latl-
tude IS hardly percepti5ie. and every few
seconds the observer IS forced 70 place
his almost frozen fingers IN his coat and
strive 20 renew the circulation At last
the reading on the ve-1ier denotes that
The sun IS sinking and the last highest
reading is taken as the altitude from
which the latitude IS computed But
how often the result is Disappointing
How often it IS miles south OF what was
desired and expected,
Victory at Last
often the sun IS concealed behind thick
clouds ana the explorer slowly fights Is
way north with his dogs and sletges over
the busting pressure ridges-Izboring ten
10 fourteen hours q day
Innumerable lanes Of thick uush and
small broken ice-throUgh which a boat
could not be forced and upon which no
sledge OF foot could rest-ba- the way
north. and uncertain bridges q great
blocks Of ice have 4, be constructed. con-
suDi1S hours OF time
When the lanes are wide they have 10
. be followed until narrow places are found
for crossing
When at last the sun appears and tls
/ explorer takes observations for position
almost invariably he finds himself south
OF where he expected 20 be after his
back-breakirg labor OF weeks
But should an explorer finally reach
the pole. he VIII be able 70 assure him
self Of his posiliol-for. 10 matter when
he sees the sun II VII be on his usrid-
ian CfOr Il IS always uoo1cue n the
spring and summer al the pole and any
Z observation should give him the result
[ he has so painfully and zsalOUsIy toiIed
: for