Year: 1875

rent and moving tho surface OF revolving sphere,
and on the substratum of cold water which has mo-
ton Of its perpendicular that OF the equatorial
current tho counter current or Gulf Stream naturally
flows in the opposite direction to that Of the resultant
OF these two motions, and in northeasterly course
Hence the Gulf Stream and tho Japan current
THIS direction until they lose their heat by radiation
and their veloctes by friction with contrary flows or
are DETECTED by the land the western shores OF
continents when they again to their parent cur
rents on the Equator


Ice DISTRACTIONS


The main dlhculty Of approaching the Pole is attib.
utabe to the Ice which in its movements under the in
Auence OF the currents referred TO in previous article
presents nnumerabe phases of obstruction and creates
dangers and uncertainties which amount Of human
foresight precauton hitherto employed have been
able 10 fully guard against In advancing
northward through Smiths Sound on the western shore
Of Greenland along the eastern side OF the same ter
rtory several forms OF ice obstruction present them
selves They may be generally classified as follows
The field ice which is formed on the surface of the sea


itself during the colder periods OF the year. and which,
while in that torm attached the shore lines and Is
as mmovable and impenetrable as the rocky coasts
themselves The drifting ice, which moves with the
southwark Arctic currents the form of foes large
detached sheets of field ice that become separated from
the main body by various causes principally by the
action Of the wind OF free water, thereby
causing swell which cracks the ice fields into secons
The pack or broken ice the debris OF cebergs field
foe ice which created by the abrasion Of the larger
masses with the shore or with each other Lastly,
the lcebergs floating ice mountains that becomes
detached from the glaciers and retain their enormous
proportions and grandeur OF appearance even when
drifted long distances south of the line where tho
smaller ice becomes dissolved in the sea During the
~
tidal action and the polar currents the break
up OF the ice fields in the same manner as similar
formations lakes and become disrupted
Directly this begins the detached fragments
commence their southwark drift; and, although tho
expeditionary vessel may be fitted with the most pow
erfu steam propeing machinery she cannot force her
passage through the ice unless it is puverzed and
broken up by attron that 1t offers resistance only In
the form of small free floating pieces that be
pushed aside by tho vessel when open passages


leads' formed by the separation of field ice into
foes the splitting up Of the latter into smaller
sections Vessels navigating the polar channels are
frequently 'npped" by the foes that constantly
shifting their relative positions by the action of tho
currents and winds. If the ship is not well protected
by stout sheathing and strongly braced TO enable
her resist the immense pressure her sides, she s
either


CRUSHED LIKE AN EGGsHRLL


between the Of ice strained and twisted
to be utterly unseaworthy But If her hull resist
the pressure she is lifted bodily out of tho water and
borne away the surface of the drifting foes Acct
dents such describe have attended almost every
expedition the Arctic regions 1t to avoid these
dangers that the commander of the Pandora wisely
cided blue water to avoid being imprisoned
fast forming field ice The HERALD correspondent
graphically describes the escape If the line Of solid
field ice fixed one that is II it did not advance and
recede with the seasons, accompanied by the move
ments or the detached ice, due to the currents, the
problem polar exploration would be easy Of solution,
because by of good system of well equipped
and directed sledgng the distance across the level ce
plains, between the limit of navigation and the Pole,
would be traversed with and safety The object of
expedonary leaders has been to reach the limo
OF permanent fields by the difficult channels known
to navigation In the effort to accomplish this alone
all have hitherto failed from combination Of adverse
circumstances Let us hope that the expedition,
which has probably attained by this time Halls highest
latitude viii be successful in reaching the true point
Of departure search OF the Pole the permanent ice
line.


CONSIDERATION SEVERAL ROUTES.


In considering tho suitability Of the several routes
we must judge very much from inferences drawn from
an examination OF the facts collected by ex-
porers and base our spccuations the fixed laws OF
physics If the southerly flow of the Arctic currents
along certain routes creates difficulties to navigation by
the corresponding movements Of the Ice the nothcrly
flow Of the equatorial currents must have contrary
eject on the routes which they predominate, and
therefore navigation the limo Of permanent leo must
be clear and free such routes But 1t must also be
remembered that II the Arctic current creates the diff
fculty referred TO- it assists in opening the line Of
navigation further north than if 1t did not exist BY re-
moving the ice foes and bergs fast they become
dafac chadf tha main W m
again reasonably infer that the equatorial currents
tend 70 keep the ice where formed the line Of
permanent ice fields must be much further south
wherever tho influence Of tho warm current Is felt
than where that Of the Arctic curront prevails We
have in the first instance, then difficulty and danger OF
approach to the line Of permanent ice and a short
Journey thereon the Pole; while on the other we
have comparative freedom to navigation in reaching
the permanent ice but immensely Increased distance
to be travelled on II before the Pole is reached We
say comparative freedom navigation in the latter
case because certain grave difficulties exist in tho
shape of dense fogs and violent storms which
really dangerous the nippng and crushing Of the
foes and icebergs All the routes have their


PoGs STORMS


those the OF the equatorial currents to by
the greater degree The most Investigations
OF phenomena Of Arctic fog shave demonstrated that
they are due the condemnation OF the vapor everything
generated by the equatorial currents that PEN
citrate the cold attitudes and to the volumes of humid
AIR carried there by storms The supply vapor being
continuous tho formation OF fog is likewise constant
The conditions being unvaryng in character the results
are equally Thus the island OF Jan Mayen situated
nearly midway between Iceland and Spitzbergcn and
the line which may be said to divide the equatorial
ront Gulf Stream from the polar curront in
this portion OF the Arctic Sea, is continuously
envelopcd in dense fog, dark and impenetrabe
that the 2and is rarely by navigators and then
only the snowy summt Of its tremendous peak, that
towers for thousands Of feet above the fog level The
baromeric disturbances produccdb by the differences OF
temperature in the atmosphere well the sea
makes this region Of Cmmcran darkness th peculiar
home OF the north Atlantic storms and tempests that