Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-10-23
The Expedition in Search Of Sir John Franklin

suCIcsStui Ill tbti but 'pJeGt vi
her search. The first grand cause for triumph is,
that all her hardship, enterprise and danger have
| not cost the sacrifice OF single life. How emi-
nently this blessing Is owing to protecting and
ever watchful Providence will be apparent from
a simple narrative OF the incidents that betel the
| Expedition and the peculiar trials by which the
Advance was tested, In those hitherto unknown
and uatraveled seas. Truly God was on the wa
ters shaping the destiny of this great mission OF
! Charity. even though fated not 10 discover the
! long lost wandarer. But let us begin our narra-
! tive:
The American Expedition entei ed Weiiington's
Sound Oh the Goth Aug. 1850, where they met
Capt Perry with the Lady Franklin and Sophia,
and were afterwards Joined BY Sir John Ross and
Commodore Austin. On the 9th. Capt Perry
! discovered unmistakabie evidence OF Frankins
first Winter qnarters-three graves with inscrip-
tions on wooden haaiboards dated a late as April,
/ 1916. Their inmates, according to these inscr!p
, ions, were Of his crcw-two from the Erebus and
one from the Terror. There were beside frag-
ments of torn canvas, articles Of clothing, wood
! and cordage, undoubted evidence OF large and
long eacampIneat; but afiordln- no indications
which woud serve guides To the searchers Of
. give assurance to hope.
Ga the Sth of September the Expedition forced
through The ice to Barlow's inlet where they mar
rowly escaped being locked in the ice. But they
50 far succeeded and on the lth reached Grifith's
! Island, the ultimate limit of their Western pro-
sress. From this they set sail on the 18th, with
! the intention of returning To the United States,
bat locked in, near tie mouth OF Wen-ton's
Channel. Here commenced those perllous aa-
ventures anything comparable to which, were
never encountered and survived. BY force of the
northern icedrft they were helplessiy drfted TO
15deg 2Jmin n. lat, and thence drfted again into
| Lancaster Sound, somewhat, we should say III Il
south easteriy direction. The agitation OF the ice
/ elevated the .'iivance" near seven feet By the
. onA keaiat hpr tyro feel pfrht inches STAR
board. In this position she remained with some
slight changes. for five consecutive months. And
while in it the depth of winter closed is frozen
terrors around the expedition. The polar night
fell upon them, and for eighty days no ray of So
lar light broke upon them. The thermometer
(Fahrenheit) ranged 10 degrees below zero, and
sometimes sank to III. Early in this awful night.
(Novenber 5th,) the Rescne was Abandoned, for
the purpose OF economZing the fuel, and the crews
Of both vessels determined to brave their fate to-
gether. .Ihey every moment expected the en-
bracing ice would crush the vessel to atoms. and
consequently stood prepared. sleeping in their
clothes with knapsacks on their backs. TO try
chances on the ice mid the storm. and terror. and
night For this terrible trial they had madc every
preparation had provisions sledged and everything
in readiness which might be useful for such a
Journey. Taey were then 80 miles from land, aud
so certainly did they expect that they shoaid
make this alarming trial thai two occasions.
(Sh December and 23i January the boats were
actually lowered and the crews assembled on the
ice to await thee atasprop'ie.
During this period the scurvy became epidemic
aud assumed an alarming character. lis progress
dafed all the usual remedies. and only three 'nea
escaped The attack. Capt. d. Hlven was him.
self the greatest sa.f4reF. 'Tae constant use OF
fresh w ater obtained from melted ice active men
tal and ply STEAL exertoa. and the Of Divine
pinvidenca arres ed anF fatal result and the dis
ease yielded TO 4 beverage composed OF sort OF
ample tea and lemon juice. After entering BAtfiH'
E4v. IAN l2 the ice became fixed. and the little
expedition became stationary and fist in the
; inlst Of vast pain o. ice % miles from any
land. The stores materiaIs and corda-e were
I slowed away in snow ho1ses erected on the ice
: and SOFT OF eacam0n2nt was formed. with oil
the appearance il not the soli1itv. of terra flrma
The tables OF ice varied from three to eight fee
4 in thickness.
Nor was this situation of peril and awe with,
e OF its attractions. A lroras Ptrhe!ia-( mock
: suns1 and mock moons. OF the vivid luster slc-
s ceed one another without intermission. and a:
/, day approached the twghs. streakiag the nor
thern horizon. were rividly beautiful. Atlengii
the God Of Day showed his .oldea face (I>ti
/ Feb anl was hailed with three hearty Ameri-
] can cheers. Gradually his Influence was felt
> and the waxen-like color Of the complexion.
: which the long nigat hal snnerinduced, gavt
1 place TO frcckles AMI tan. The disease, too
{ quickly disappeared.
u IA ol VI ~ hcStac ~ - ttCt *tts'N'
) The disruption OF the ice was sniden and ap
r palIing. In twenty minutes from its FIRST moving
. the vast field a. far the eye could reach. be-
a came ole mass OF moving foes. and The eXpadi
ton oace more drifted south" ard. By contin
ned pro.idanai assistance il pass ID the perlis q
n Lancaster Soand aud Batfins Bay, and Oh the 1Ott
{ of June emerged into open wafer. lat o. 3U n
n a little south of the Arctic circle, being thu
r released from an Imprisonment of nearly Mint
months. infng which they helplessly drifted ,0ht
# miles. Waile in Lancaster Sound the roar OF tn,
i rolling water aud tumblng ice exceeded all earth
= ly tutauit and was sometimes so iond and stun
i ming as 10 render hoth voice and hearing useless
Capt. De Havpn's first care on his escape Wa
70 repair damages and restore the health and VIZ
or Of the crews. With that object he visitet
Y Greenland. where he retited- After short de
- lay, with unabltei co irage and unitnchin- pur
lt pose he once more bore northward On the III
es OF July the expedition spoke some w,alers- AM
4 on the Stl passed the whaling fleet BY the D@tc
islands. there arrested BY the ice. b. the lit
Il the Expedition reached Bsilin's Island, and Ell
- terei through vast masses OF loose ice Here th
- Prince Albert Joined. TneV continued in con
it pany til August g., warptn- through The ice
it when the Prince Albert determined TO try til
{, southern passage. De- Haven persevered in hi
Of conrse until the Sth. when he became completed
- en:anned in foes and bergs. Here again th
l. Expedition encountered peril2 Of the most alarm
,p n- kind The tloatn- ice broke in the brl
" Wark~. ani covered the deck i'll Df0nea .ai>SE
n like rocks tumblel pell nell by a mountain to;
De rent The more than iron endurance of the "a
:; iaat ships was severely tested BY the crush O
IN the clos ~ ice. but they IL the pressure as
" dcfyn- the elemental strife. bated it's fury, an
l. somnwhat disabled, but still without plan
OF Welding in any vital part. rode safely in an opt
road on the 10Th dav OF August.
Of Here, firding the north and west alread
" closed against them. the American expedition ST
c. their sails and bore homeWarA, after harin
~ dared AMI suffered. and overcome difficulties an
OF dangers such as scarcely If ever bcset the path
an the mariner.
so L; is supposed the English expedition wintere
w at or near Fort Martyr, and thence prosecute
a their voyage westward. The American Exp
se dition therefore. was in position more favor
is bic TO the search II was in far higher latItut
IN and the so-calied polyae (open sea) could u
have been far distant but the inevitable drift i
10 the waters OF Lancaster Sound was fatal
RS IFS Spring progress. and fatal 10 the chanc
A. which its enterprise had won.
Of The officers aud crew of the other vessels
10 The exnedition were all in good health AMI spa
If its mp 10 18th Sept. 1880.
l. The Advance parted with her consort IN
- heavy gale off the Banks. The latter Is eXpec't
ut momenarily. The Advance brings several fra
- man.s from the encampment OF Sir John Fran
O. lin, pair of fine Esqnimaux dogs and some a
; tices of curiosity.
st Thus ends this noble expedition. without d