The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-10 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH WEST

PASSAGE.

On Friday afternoon, the important intelligence was re-
ceived at the Admiralty, that the long sought for North
West passage had-been discovered.

Commander Inglefield, of Her Majesty's Ship Phcenix,
has arrived in town, and announced to their Lordship's the
gratifying fact of the safety of Her Majesty's ship Invetiga-
tor, Captain M'Clure, about which great anxiety began to be
felt. Commander Inglefield also brings tidings of the dis-
covery of the long sought for North-west Passage. He is the
bearer of despatches from Sir E. Belcher, Capt. M'Clure,
and Capt. Kellett. No trace has been discovered of Sir John
Franklin's expedition, and Captain Inglefield announces the
loss of the Breadalbane, the consort ship of the Phcenix, and
the death by drowning of a gallant officer of the French
Imperial Navy, Lieutenant Bella. The despatches thus
received are filled with long and highly interesting details
connected with the expedition; but some idea of the news
contained in them, may be gathered from the following ex-
tracts, made from Capt. Inglefield's official report :
"Her Majesty's steam sloop Phcenix, off
Thurso, Oct. 4.

" Sir,—l have the honour to report to you' for the infor-
mation of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, my
arrival from the Arctic Regions, bringing with me the im-
portant intelligence of the safety of the Investigator, and
the discovery of the North-West Passage, though unhap-
pily, without finding the slightest traces of the missing
expedition, either by this route or on the field of search
occupied by the squadron under Sir Edward Belcher's
command.

"I am the bearer of despatches from that officer and Cap-
tain Kellett, and Lieutenant Cresswell, of the Investigator,
whom I appointed from the North Star as supernumerary to
this ship, ]s charged with the letters and journals of Com-
mander ill'Clure.

" As his journal is of considerable length, I will endeavour
o acquaint you with the substance of it, that their Lordships
nay thus be early informed of the leading features of the
:nvestigator's discoveries."

Commander Inglefield then proceeds to give a narrative of
the principal events connected with the expedition of the
Phoenix, from the time of their arrival at Disco. In this
statement he makes mention of the death of M. Benet, a
brave and enterprising Frenchman, who seems to have been
attracted to these explorations in the. Arctic Regions from
the very dangers by which they are surrounded. The des-
patch proceeds with an illustration of what Arctic Naviga-
tion is. and the latter part is chiefly occupied by a summary
of news from the searching squadrons, and especially of the
discoveries made by Captain M'Clure in the Investigator.
He says :

"And now, Sir, I beg to narrate, in a summary manner,
the intelligence gleaned from the searching squadrons ; and,
first, with reference to Sir Edward Belcher, I have little else
to say but that he had wintered in a spot he had named
Northumberland Sound, in lat. 76 62 N., and lon. 97 W.,
near the position now marked in the charts of Wellington
Channel as Cape Sir John Franklin. From Captain Pullen

I learnt that not the slightest traces of the missing
expedition had been met with, either by this or the Western
branch of the searching squadron, and that it was evidently
the intention of Sir Edward Belcher to return to Beechey
Island as soon as possible. For the rest, Sir Edward's des-
patches will convey all further details.

" Captain . 'Cella wintered at Dealy Island, Melville
Island; he had a narrow escape of losing his ship on the
night of his departure from Beechy Island ; she grounded
off Cape Colbourn, and was only got off after the ice had
set down upon her, casting her over on her broadside, and
with the loss of sixty feet of her false keel.
" It was a party from his vessel that discovered the
despatch of Captain M'Clure at Winter harbour, and was
thus led to the Investigator's position, a brief account of
the voyage and discoveries of which I will now relate.
" When at Cape Parry open water to the northward in-
duced Captain M'Clure to push for Banks's Land, and when
about sixty miles from this cape they fell in with an unknown
coast, which was named Baring Island. Passing up a strait
between this island and a coast that was called Prince
Albert's Land, they reached the latitude of 73 deg., where
ice impeded their further progress. The season suddenly
changing, the ship was beset and forced to winter in the
pack. Drifting to the southward, they were ultimately
frozen up in lat. 72 40 N., long. 117 30 W.
" The travelling parties in the spring found no traces of
the missing expedition, but discovered and laid down much
of the adjacent coasts.

" On the 14th of July, 1851, the ice broke up, and, free-
ing the ship, an endeavour was made to push to the north-
ward towards Melville Island, but an impenetrable pack in
lat. 75 35 N., long. 115 W., precluded their completing
what their autumn travelling parties had proved to. be the
northwest passage. An attempt was now made to round
the southern shore of Baring Island, and proceed up the
west side, and with great peril to the vessel they succeeded
in reaching as far as lat. 74 6, and long. 117 12, where
they were frozen in on the 24th of September, 1851, and
have never since been able to move the ship. Their record
was deposited at Winter Harbour the year following Com-
mander M'Clintock's visit, while employed on Captain
Austin's expedition.
" There are two remarkable discoveries mentioned in
Captain M'Clure's Journal—viz., some smoking hillocks and
a petrified forest."
The following are a few extracts from the proceedings of
her Brittanic Majesty's discovery-ship, Investigator, since
parting company with the Herald, upon the 30th of July,
1850, off Cape jisbourne

" Oct. 26. Discovered the entrance into Barrow's Strait,
in lat. 73 30 N., long. 114 14 W., which establishes the
existeqce of a north-west passage.
"Aug. 16, 1851.—Finding our passage into Barrow's
Strait obstructed by north-east winds setting large masses of
ice to, the southward, which had drifted the ship 15 miles in
that direction during the last 12 hours, bore up to run to the
southward of Baring Island.
"Sept. 24.—At daylight, observing Barrow's Strait full of
ice, and large masses setting into this bay, determined upon
making this our winter quarters, and, finding a well-sheltered
spot upon the south side of the shoal upon which we last
night grounded, ran in and anchored in four fathoms, lat.
74 6 N., long. 117 54 W. This night were frozen in, and
have not since moved.

" No trace whatever has been met with, or any informa-
tion obtained from the natives, which could by any possibi-
lity lead to the supposition that Sir J. Franklin's expedition,
or any of his crews, have ever reached the shores we have
visited or searched, nor have we been more fortunate with
respect to the Enterprise, not having seen her since parting
company at the Straits of Magellan, on the 20th of April,
1850.

" This notice was deposited by a travelling party in April,
1852, consisting of Captain M'Clure, Mr. Court, second
master; John Calder, captain of the forecastle; Sergeant
Woon, Royal Marines; George Gibbs, A.B. •, George Bonn-
sall, A.B. ; John Davies, A.B. ; and Peter Thompson, cap-
tain of the foretop.
" Whoever finds this, it is requested it may be forwarded
to the Secretary of the Admiralty.
"Dated on board Her Britannic Majesty's discovery ship
Investigator, frozen in, in the Bay of Mercy, lat. 74 6 N.
lon. 117 541 W.. April 12, 1852.
" POBERT M'CLURE, Commander.

"Unless there is a vessel now at Melvile. Island, it is not
my intention to re-visit it, but make the best of my way
down the straits.

" R. M'CLTIRE."

The Observer of yesterday, has the following remarks on
this long-looked for discovery :—" The geographical prob-
lem of centuries has at last received a solution. The North-
West Passage has been discovered. It is perhaps well for
humanity that the vexed question has been at last set at rest,
for such is the nature of man that year after year would only
furnish fresh victims to science in pursuit of the discovery of
this junction between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The
result of the discovery, however, is absolutely nil; beyond
its value as a geographical fact it is not available for any
useful purpose. All that has been practically proved is the
fruitless fact that by spending some years in the ice, and by
incurring a most frightful risk, almost amounting to a cer-
tainty of death, a ship may be able to force her passage
throiigh the narrow inlets,. choked up with ice, which sepa-
rate' Behring's from Davis's Straits. Hundreds of lives
have been lost, and heaps of money have been expended in
establishing
this fact. azi bono ? The primary object of
the expedition to which this discovery is owing, has not,
however, been achieved ; the fate of Franklin is still
shrouded in as much mystery as ever ; and, though the
North-West Passage is now known to exist, nothing is
known as to whether he survives or whether he and his com-
panions have perished."

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AND Loss OF LIFE ON THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—On Saturday afternoon, about
half-past three o'clock, an accident of a frightful character, by
which one unfortunate man has been killed, and several others
seriously, if not fatally injured, took place near the London
terminus of the Great Western Railway at Paddington. A
new engine honse is in the course of erection for the Great
Western Railway Company, situate at Kensall New Town,
about half a miio down the line from the terminus, and but a
short distance from the ticket platform; and on Saturday
afternoon, about the time above-menrioned, when the work-
men were fully employed in the building, a massive iron
girder, from some, at present, unexplained cause, fell to the
ground with a terrible crash, striking and crushing the men in
its course to the ground. The greatest consternation prevailed,
and the poor workmen wore lying about wounded and crushed
in all directions. One poor fellow, named John Draine, was
found immediately under a portion of the girder, with his
scalp cut completely off, his thighs broken, and otherwise.
"Tserionsly mutilated.. It is needless to say that, when taken
up, life was quite extinct, and his body was at once conveyed
to the dead-house of St., Mary, Paddington, in the Harrow
Road. Those sufferers (eight in number) found still alive
were conveyed with _ the least possible delay to St. Mary's
Hospital, where they received every attention from Mr. Henry
Lawrence, the house surgeon, and the other medical officers of
that valuable institution.