The owners of the Elbe have already spent about fifty thousand dollars in efforts to recover their vessel.

The position of the ship was located by divers, who, at a depth of one hundred and seventy-one feet, found the upper works of the steamer.  These men, however, declare that it is utterly impossible to raise the ship.

The Elbe had a valuable cargo and a large amount of gold on board.  The owners of the diving-bell are determined to make the effort to raise her and secure for themselves the immense reward offered.

They intend to remove the cargo first and then raise the hull, if it is possible to do so.

They are very hopeful of success, and say that the task does not appear to them any more difficult than the raising of the cargo of the Pewabic which latter task they are sure of accomplishing.

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On the 24th of June there was a celebration in Halifax, Nova Scotia, of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the mainland of America.

A tablet was placed in the Parliament building in honor of John Cabot, who four hundred years ago sailed from Bristol, England, and finally reached the shores of Newfoundland.

An endeavor was made to make the celebration a general one throughout Canada and the United States, but this was found to be impracticable.  Cabot’s voyage could not be made of the same importance as that of Columbus.

The foundation-stone of a monument to Cabot was laid in his native town of Bristol on the same day that the celebration took place in Halifax.

* * * * *

Lieutenant Peary has started on another Polar expedition, and feels hopeful that this time he will be able to reach the Pole.

His plans for his trip are much the same as those of Dr. Nansen; that is to say, he will establish little colonies of Eskimos at certain distances along his route, leaving supplies with each colony, which he can fall back on in case of need.

He intends to keep up a constant communication with these settlements by means of dogs and sledges, so that he will not be entirely cut off from the world as previous explorers have been.

Lieutenant Peary has obtained five years’ leave of absence from the Navy Department.  He will therefore have plenty of time for his experiment.  He says that if he fails the first time he will keep on trying until he succeeds in reaching the Pole.

There is a story that one of the men who expect to go north with Lieutenant Peary has a scheme for reaching the Pole on a bicycle.

This seems to be the strangest use thus far suggested for the bicycle.

Mr. Lee, who is the inventor of this novel plan, was with Lieutenant Peary on his last trip.

He says that there are miles and miles of smooth surface in the Polar regions that could easily be covered on a wheel.