The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-24
MIR. DARLING SPEAKS.
Gives an Interesting Address on Are.
tic Regions mt Church Of the Mes

Tic Regions mt thurch OF the Mes
| siah.
Hon. Charles II. Darling, collector
of customs at Burlington, gave a most
interest and instructive lecture on
the Arctic regions and Arctic explor-
alton at the Church of the Messiah
on Friday as the guest of the lay
mems League. The lecture followed
a most enjoyable supper and smoker,
in the vestry. The smoker was an
innovation in church circles in the
city and proved most enjoyable one
to the members of the League. Fol
lowing the lecture the audience cheer
fully Joined in a rising vote of thanks
to the speaker, proposed by J. Eli
Goode nough
The speaker was introduced by T.
A. Rowland, who spoke of his cor-
nection with the navy department,
as assistant secretary, and the fact
that chance through him into full
charge of the department for some
time. 1t was during this time that
he became acquainted with Comman-
der Robert E. Peary and first began
his study of Arctice conditions and
exploration. Mr.. Rowland stated
that probably no man in Vermont is
SO well acquainted with the riscov-
erer of the pole or better itted TO
tell of the obstacles and hardships
attending the trip to the top of the
! world"
The first slides were maps. by
means of which Mr.. Darling showed
the routes followed by the differer;
men who have tried to reach 80 de-
grees north latitude The speaker re-
ferred to the fact that since before
the discovery of this continent by c =
lumbus, many hard adventures have
sought TO find passage to China ~
way of the northern seas. UP to the
middle of the last century tiis was
the main object of Arctic explora-
ton; since that time the Pole has
been the goal.
The first trips were described, es-
specially that of the Melville expedi-
ton and the effect of their reportc
on later attempts. The great Arctic
drift was explained and it's bearing
on Arctic conditions was described.
The earlier expeditions led scientists
tr, bA1
can route, by way of Baffin Land and
Greenland, was an impossible way to
reach the Pole, but Peary thought
otherwise and determined to prove
the truth of his theories. With the
aid of the government he made sew
eral trips to this region and gather
ed data that further convinced him
of the feasibility of making a dash to
the Pole by this route. On the trip
before his memorable one of last
year he succeeded in getting to so de-
grees and established farthest North
record for America. He was driven
back by the condition of the ice, but
with the information and experience
gained, he was able to complete the
trip on the las trial and returned
last spring the discoverer of the long
sought point.
Many slides depicting the great
ice cap of Greenland the flora and
fauna of the Northland and scenes
connected with tho peorv aynaditior
were shown and explained with a
deft ,ouch. The phenomenon of ice
bergs was explained and the slides
gave vivid idea of the immense size
of these floating masses of ice and
their origin. The pictures of the dog
teams and individual dogs were in
teresting as were the different types
of Eskimo people