The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-18
GBe 4ailp gournal
RETURN OF DR.. KANE.
ACCOUNT OF HIS DANGERS AND DIS.
COVERIFS


ACCOUNT OF HIS DANGERS AND DIS
COVERIES.
AS our readers are aware that Dr. E. K
KANE, with his companions except three who
died while gone, returned on the 11th, in the
vessels sent by Congress to their relief AS
the narrative of their adsentures isyery inter-
testing, we surrender large portion of our
space to-day to it. -
The Tribune, which corstains the best ac-
count of the three leading papers, furnishes
|us the material for the following:
FIRST APPROACH OF THE VESSELS.
At four o'clock yesterday afternoon the bark
Release, in company with the propeller Arctic,
hove too off the quarantine, where they boarded
by the health officer, and permitted topass up to
the city. The appearance of these vessels
coming up the harbor was the cause of consid
erable excitement on shore, and on the decks
ofthose ships which they passed in their course,
the news having by this time been circulated
that DR.. Kane and his party were on board
Many of the steamers plying across the harbor
steamed close to them in order to give their pas
|sengers anopportunity of welcoming the return
ling wanderers with cheers; and from the decks
and rigging of ships, from the FORTS and, in fact,
from every available position, three cheers
were swelled and prolonged until the vessels
neared the Battery, abreast of which they
moored and now remain. Our reporters here
boarded the vessels, and found DR.. Kane and
most on board the Release in excellent health
and spirits. A stEH si1
ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION
The narrative relates nothing Of unusual in
terest till the expedition was stopped by ice in
latitude 78 deg. 81 min. They penetrated
much farther than this, to latitude 80 deg 30
min, the highest latitude yet reached, but their
vessel was abadoned at this point, and the, far
ther journeying done in sledges and boats.
About the first of September, found the ex-
pedition with bay ice forming about them
pretty thick, in latitude IS deg. 81 min. Here
they found deep bay running between TIVE
headands. They found in this bay good
harbor, and moored their ships there. This
formed their first Winter of SO and "a On the
southwest side of the bay were three islands
about a quarter of a mile from the shore. On
the background was terrace of sand. Of the
two headlands, one is east of Stattords Head,
and the other corresponds to Thelusson Point.
The cliffs at these headlands are from seven to
eight hundred feet in hight, though the land
Il back, is lower. The vessel was moored to
some granite islands The rocks in that region
81
| a small strata of another formation between
the two The formations-called by the Danes
the ice font, which are caused by the repeated
contributions of ice Winter after Winter, oc-
easioned by the rising and falling of the tide;
wete very common here. The ice font occa-
siohally forms to the thickness of from twenty
to thirty feet.
| After oisr vessel was naoored, DR. Kane start
ed with party TO examine the ice north. They
went with beat They left their boat about
ten miles north of the ship, and then proceed
ed ON foot The party returned in about a
week, having made good many forced march
| es when they commenced making active prep
arations to go into Winter quarters. A warm
and comfortable house was built over the deck
|extending from forward fthe stern to the far
end of the galley. Stoves were put up, and
communications were nade between the steer
age and cabin, and the men were transferred
from the forecastle to the hold, where comfort
liable quarters were made for them. The galley
was put below. "A party was sent forward to
establish cache about hundred miles dis
tant, which being done, they returned. Dark
ness gradually came upon them, and with the
exception of few short journeys within scope
of thirty miles, the operations for the season
Iclosed, and soon entire darkness came upon
them preventing them from doing any work
whatever.
ARTIC WINTER.
It viii be readily perceived that the year in
this latitude is divided into four portions, two
of which are alternate day and night, each of
two months duration; one of four months with
the sun below the horizon during the entire
twenty -four hours; and one offour months with
the sun continually above the horizon, revolv-
ing in one circle above the horizon--as Tenny-
son says -1e
"a rhe midnight sun
r, Sets into suDrise.'
On August %, the party lost the sun alto
Fgether. It went at a dip below the horizon for
the first time, and the nights began gradually
to increase-grow longer-until October ~,
when having the day previous just raised his
Leaao sle..-o tha riznr-the sun vanished again