Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-29
CENTURIES OF EFFORT
T0REACH NORTHPOlE
Futile Expedition Authorized
by King Henry the
Eighth.
SEBASTIAN CABOT TRIED
TO CONQUER NORTHLAND
Long Roll Of Men Sought Earth's
Upper Axis.
VAST SUMS SUNK IN QUEST
How the Numerous Polar Parties
Have Been Financed-Govern-
ments and individuals Have
Opened Purses.
Long Roll Of Men Sought Earth
Upper Axis.
VAST SUMS SUNK IN QUEST

Walter L. Sawyer. in Boston Transcript
| The promoter" OF the vulgar sort, he
| Of the sordid imagination. who demands
| from every outlay return of profit, has
not had much to do with modern expedf-
tions to the arctic, though in earlier
times his trail was over them ALL Then.
while the Northwest Passage to India.
| not the north pole, was the goal Of am
bition, the discovery of such a route
! seeming to insure commercial supremacy.
kings turned Spectators and hard-headed
| merchants made ventures that must have
| figured oddly in matter of-fact account
books.
Henry VIII and Cabot.
Yet the first polar expedition. after the
interregnum that followed Morse colonial
| ton of Iceland and discovery of Green
| land. was discreetly accounted for by
Henry VIII. who ordered it. For dis
covery even to the north pole, two fairy
ships well manned and victualed. having
in them divers cunning men to seek
strange regions" set out in 1927; but one
was lost north of Newfoundland, and the
other. having discovered nothing. went
home.
Sebastian Cabot, a little later, revived
interest in arctic enterprise and prompted
the sending of Sir Hugh Willoughby and
Richard Chancellor for the search and
discoverie Of the northern parts of the
world, to open a way and passage to
our men. for travel to new and unknown
Kingdoms Willoughby died, Chancellor
found Archangel and opened trade with
Russia: And, following Chancellor's sue
cess, Elizabeth instigated the Muscovy
Company in 1875 to license Sir Martin
Frobisher. who sought the Northwest
Passage, found some mica schist which
he took for gold, and wasted two subse-
quent voyages in gathering more. In
turers fitted out an expedition of two
ships. one OF which was lost; in 1894 and
again in 1886 William Barentz of Hol-
land made two attempts at the Northwest
Passage the latter being financed by the
city of Amsterdam. and In the later years
of the sixteenth century John Days and
Thomas James. Englishmen both, sought
| the north. James being backed by the
government 1t was at one time "an as
ISOLATION of English gentlemen and at
another time the Dutch East India Com
pany that assisted Henry Hudson's Ill
fated endeavors 1t was King Christian
Nv of Denmark who sent out Jens Munk
rediscover the lost colonies OF Greenland
and restore Denmark's supremacy in the
arctic
But all these expeditions. whether
financed by kings or commoners, were un-
dertaken with commercial ends In view
Some gltmmering of scientific purpose
seems, however. to have lighted the voy-
age OF the second Baron Mulgrave, who
was ordered north by the British govern
ment in 1173: and thenceforward the spark
of enthusiasm continued to brighten to a
steady flame. Great Britain commanded
or assisted or rewarded the efforts of
Cook and Parry and Franklin and Ross.
from 1776 to 1S4S. Then. as the mystery
of Sir John Franklin's fate wrought on
the minds of men. lending a poignant in
terest to the problem of the arctic a new
type of promoter" appeared in the field
the rich man who had no selfish ends to
serve. The last word of Franklin's expe-
dition was received in 1915. Between
1S47 and 1857 thirty mine expeditions of
relief and discovery were sent out, at an
aggregate cost approximating $1,000 600;
and. though the British government was
generously active, while our own was by
no means inert. a large part of the sum
was provided by private individuals.
Henry Grinnell of New Bedford.
In this connection. Americans naturally
think first of Henry Grinne.;. a native of
New Bedford. whose thrift, integrity and
farsightedness, inherited from Huguenot
ancestors made his fortune at a COM
paratively early age. enabling him to de-
vote the remainder of his seventy-five
years to causes that appealed to warm
heart and a sound Judgment. Mr.. Grim
nell is fairly entitled to share the honors
Won by American enterprise in the arctic,
since no man ever did more to encourage
1t. In 1850 he fitted out the DeHavel
search for Franklin; in 1853, together
with George Peabody. bore the cost Of the
expedition commanded by Kane. who had
accompanied DeHaven: in 1850 assisted
the expedition organized by kanes sur
geon. DIR. I. /. Hayes: and in 1860. 1864
and 1871 helped to meet the expense of
Halls voyages 1t is true that that was
comparatively a day Of small things: but
the 100000 that Mr.. Grinnell devoted to
arctic exploration represented then a large
book that inspired Peary, and enabled
Hall TO reach the highest north attained
in his day-and all this signifies that
"Grinnell Land preserves a name which
is rightfully honored.
Franklin and De Long Expeditions.
The Northwestern Passage, such as it
is, was discovered by Sir Robert Mcclure
or by Sir John F'ranklin-the reader may
take his choice of authorities-in the
early fiities. The magnetic pole though
''rediscovered" by Amundsen i'm 1905. had
been located by Sir James Clark Ross
in 1881. The fate of the Franklin ex-
petition had been definitely determined
by Capt McClintock and and Capt. Hall.
lems had provided, there might have
been some cessation of activity in the
arctic field had not James Gordon Ben
nett of the New York Herald resolved in
1879 to conquer the pole as. with the aid
of Henry NJ. Stanley. he had just con-
quered Africa. Mr.. Bennett was then
under forty. Lieut.. Commander George
W. De Long, whom he chose, and whom
the government commissioned. to COM
mand the jeanette. was younger still:
Commander De Long had a sound theory.
that of taking advantage OF the polar
drift, Mr.. Bennett had money. both men
had the enthusiasm OF youth. Mr.. Ben
nett devoted some S6O.OOO to the enter
prise. Could the jeanette have survived
the terrible ice pressure off the New
Siberian Islands-it will be remembered
that she made her attack from the Pa
cifc side-one sees no reason why it
should not have succeeded.
Previous to this modified cooperation
with Mr.. Bennett, the United States gov
eminent had shown no urgent interest
In arctic exploration, though. to be sure,
1t provided Capt. Hall with the Polaris
for his third trip. But in 1881 the
project of establishing international OBJ
servation stations appealed to ''practi-