Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1880 — The Polar Mystery. [ARTICLE]

The Polar Mystery.

Capt. Howgate makes an appeal to the national Congress to ratify the recommendations of the Geographical Congress and make the necessary appropriations for his proposed Arctic exploration by means of fixed stations in the Polar regions. These stations ere in the summer months to be supplied for the long winter siege. The maintenance of tho two northern'most points have been assigned to the United States Government. The purpose is not, as Capt. Howgate explains, simply to discover the North pole, but to make regular and systematic observations for a period of years. The proposed location, where it is practicable for a steamer to keep communication open with tho civilized world, is Lady Franklin bay, about 150 miles from the pole. A fine aud easilyaccessible deposit of coal exists at this point, about a mile from the shore of a small bay, and distant four miles from the winter quarters of the Discovery. Here it is proposed to erect buildings and store provisions. The occupants of this station would not he exposed to greater hardships than are usually encountered in the Polar regions, and “the horrors of the long Arctic nights will in great part disappear before the kindly influence of improved appliances for comfort and amusement now available.” Near the seam of coal, too, is a fresh-water lake; and much game was killed there, indicative of vegetable life, also, during an exceptionally-cold winter. “In ordinary seasons it is not expected that there .will be any serious difficulty in reaching the station by the aid of a steam vessel especially fitted for the work, and the vessel can annually carry out frgsh provisions, clothing, books, implements, and, if need be, fresh details of men to replace those who may wish to be relieved. The work of observation and survey will furnish constant and useful emplojmsnt for the men. This will render them less liable to attacks of homesickness after the first feeling of isolation has worn off and they, become accustomed to the surroundings and duties. With sledges, dogs, boats, and captive lbaloons, they will be ready to avail themselves of any opportunity to push their way north.”

The scope of their observations will include the determination of thejigure of the earth by means of pendulum experiments, the magnetism of tho globe, the ocean tides and currents, polar winds, and all geographical, geological, meteorological and botanical facts that are to be obtained. The practical results he predicts will be a wider knowledge of air currents and atmosphere; better data for predicting storms; and some success, may be, in discovering and, if possible, anticipating and providing against, the cause of those extremes of temperature which sweep over the northern regions of the globe, and especially the continent east of the Rocky mountains. —Detroit Free Press.