Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-13
Return OF me Arctic Details
or DR.. Kane's PeriIous Voyage.

Return OF me Arctic Expeditions--D "Details
OF DIR. Kane's PeriIous yoyage.
We announced yesterday the arrival at New
York of the propeller Arctic and the bark Re-
lease, sent to the Arctic regions in search OF DR..
Kane, bringing back that gentleman and bis long
missing companions, with the exception of three,
who had died. Dr. Kane sailed from New York
iE the brigantine Advance on the 8lst of May,
1853, for the Polar Seas in search of Sir John
Franklin and his companions, taking with him
| variety Of instruments for scientific purposes and
a supply Of provisions sufficient for three years
cruise. His entire ships company consisted OF
seventeen persons
The following came home In the Release:
DR.. Kane, United States Navy; John w. Will
son, Amos Bonsal, DR.. j. j. Haynes, Augustus Son
tag, Henry Goodfellow, Geo. Stephenson, william
Morton and Thomas Hickey.
In the Arctic: M IS f
Henry Brooks, boatswain, United States Navy;
James McGarry, George Riley, William Godfrey,
Charles Blake and Geo. Whittle
Lieutenant Hartstene commanded the expedi-
ton fitted out for the relief Of Dr. Kane, pursuant
to an act of Congress, which sailed from New
York on the 4th Of June last The sexpedtion
consisted of two vessels the propeller Arctic, and
the bark Release, which were Differed M follows
officers Of the ReleGss- Henry j. Harstene,
Lieutenant Commanding; William L. Lowell Act
ing Master Joseph p Fyffe, Passed Mdshipman
Elisha r. Kane, Assistant Surgeon; Van Rens-
selaer Hale, Boatswain
officers Of the Arctic-Charles G. Semms Lieu
tenant Commanding; Watson Smith, Acting Mas
ter; Hartman Newell, Engineer; Samuel Whiting,
Acting Boatswain.
The arrival of the expedition at New York on
Thursday created intense excitement, and hun
dreds hocked down to the wharf. Dr. Kane, as
soon as. possible, jumped into carriage, and pro-
ceeded to the residence Of Henry GrinnelI, ESQ,
through whose munifcence his expedition was fit
ted out. He met with a most hearty reception from
Mr.. G. a ~
~ have no Advance with me,p said DR.. Kane,
abiding to the loss of his vessel, which, as we
have stated, he was obliged to abandon in the ice
Never mind that, replied Mr.. Grinnell so
long ms you are safe, that is all we care about
Come into the parlor," he added, and let us hear
the whole story" 5
And DR.. Kane proceeded at once to relate the
story OF his second voyage in the Arctic regions,
the perils and dangers to which he was exposed,
his wonderful adventures and still more wonder
full escape. He was obliged, he said, to abandon
the Advance in latitude rs As, after having pene-
trated as far as $3.50, which was further than any
other navigator had gone, with the exception of
Captain Parry, who reached the latitude Of SO. l5
While here he saw the Polynya or open sea,
stretching away off to the north farther than the
eye could reach.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENT by DIR. KANE.
The expedition succeeded in crossing Melville
Bay reaching the headlands of Smith Sound as
carly as the 9th Of August, 1858. Finding the Ice
to the north completely impenetrable, they were
forced to attempt temporary passage along the
coast where the rapid tides-running at the rate
Of four knots an hour, with rise and fall Of ak
teen feet--had worn temporary opening. Pre-
vious to taking this step, which INVOLVED great re-
sponsibility, and which was, In fact, equivalent
TO sacrificing the vessel a French metallic boat,
with canoe of provisions was concealed as
means of retreat.
The penetration Of the pack ice was attended by
many obstacles. The vessel grounded with every
tide, and but for her extreme strength would not
have been able TO sustain the shocks of the ice.
She was twice on her beam ends; and once on fire
from the upsettng of the stove Some idea of this
navigation may be formed from the fact Of her
losing her jibboom, best bower anchor and bull
warks, besides about 900 fathoms of varying line.
They were cheered, however, by small daily pro-
gress and, by the 10th of September, 1858, had
succeeded in gaining the northern face of Green
land-at point never reached before. Here the
young ice froze around the vessel, and compelled
them TO seek winter asylum.
The winter gave them degree of cold much be-
low any previous registration on record Whiskey
froze in November, and for four months in the
year mercury was solid daily. The mean animal
temperature was FIVE degrees below zero, summer
and winter included. This, without doubt was
the greatest cold ever experienced by man, as the
seat of their winter quarters was nearest the pole
The scurvy was readily controlled, but the most
novel feature of this winter was tetanus, lock-
Jaw, which defed all treatment. 1t carried away
fifty-seven of their best sedge dogs and was, alto
gether, fightiul scourge.
The operations Of search commenced as early
as March. The first parties, under the personal
charge Of DIR. Kane, crossing the Ice at tempera-
lures Of minus 81 degrees below zero. The loss Of
their dogs obliged them, as an only alternative,
TO adopt this early travel. Many Of the party
were frost-bitten, and underwent amputation of
the toes. II was by. means Of these efforts that
the expedition succeeded in bringing back their
important results. The parties were in TIE field
late the 10th Of July, only ceasing from labor
when the winter darkness made IL impossible to
travel
Greenland has been followed and surveyed by
DR.. Kane towards the Atlantic, with coast line
fronting due North, until a stupendous glacier abb
solutely checked their progress. This mass Of ice
rose In lofty precipice, 300 feet high, sbutting
into the sea. 1t undoubtedly IL the only barrier
between Greenland and the Atlantic--t Is an ef
fectua barrier against all future explorations.
l. This glacier, in spite OF the difficulty Of fall
ing bergs, was followed out to sea by means Of
sledges, the party rated themselves across open
water space on masses OF ice. In this way they
succeeded In travelling eighty miles along lie base
| and traced u into new Northern land. This gla-
cier is We believe the largest ever discovered by
any previous navigator.
| .. This new land thus ccmcnted TO Greenland
| by protruding ice, was named Washington Tho
| large bay which ntervenes between IL and Green
land bears, we believe, the name Of Mr.. Peabody,
Of Baltimore, one Of the projectors Of the expedf
ton. The icy connexion Of the old and the new
worlds, seems TO us feature Of peculiar interest
8. The range Of the sledge journeys may be un.
derstood from the fact that the entire circuit Of
completely charted.