Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-10-20
Cge Arttie Argions.
RETURN OF THEKANE EXPEDITION
The Advance Left in the Ice.
NEW LANDS FOUND.
bhIpuL OF ICE FROM GREENLAND TO TIL
CONTINENT
AN OPEN SEA FOUND.

The return OF Or. Kane and party from
their visit to the Arctic Seas is ii gratifying
termination Of an adventurous undertaking of
more than ordinary peril. The expedition
started in May 1858, and had not been heard
OF since July Of the same year
The Expedition succeeded in crossing Mel
vile Bay. and reaching the hcadland of
Smiths Sound, rs early as the 9th of August,
1888. Finding the ice to the North com
pletcly impenctrable. they were forced TO
attempt Temporary passage along The coast,
where the rapid tides, running at the rate of
four miles an hour, with a rise and fall of six
teen feet, had worn temporary opcnino.-
Previous to taking this step. which involved
great risk--which WAS, in fact, equal to Il
sacrifice OF the brig in which DIR. Kane was
q Francis metallic llc-hoat with q cashe OF
/ provisions, was concealed rs means of re-
! treat.
The penetration Of the pack ice was atten-
ded by many obstacles. The vessel grounded
with every tide, and but for her extreme
strength she would not have been able to
sustain the shocks. She was several times on
her beam ends, and once on fire from the up
setting of the stoves
Some idea of this peculiar navigation NAV
be formed by knowledge Of the fact of her
losing her iibboom, best bower anchor and
bnIwarks, besides about 600 fathomS of wrap
ping line. They were cheered, however, by
small daily progress; and by the 10th of
September 1853, they had succeeded in gain
ing the northern face of Greenland, at point
never reached before.
Here the young ice froze around the YES
sci, and compelled them to seek winter asy-
lum. in which they experienced degree OF
cold much below any previous registration
! IPhiskey .troze in Norember, and for tolu
months ia the gear the mercury ,cds solid datiy
The mean annual temperature was five de-
grees below zero. This is the greatest degree
of cold ever experienced by man, and their
winter quarters were nearer the Pole than
ever before occupied.
The scurvy WAS easily controlled, but the
most fearful, as well rs the most novel ea.
tnre oi the winter was n tetanus, or ockiaw
which dehed all treatment 1t carried away
Il ty'Seven OF the best EsquimauX sledge dogs
and was altogether frightful scourge.
THE SEARCH.
The operations of search were commenced
as early as March-the first parties under
the personal charge Of DIR. Kane, crossing the
zee at Il temperature of .ftty seren degrees
bsioC zero. The loss of their dogs, Obliged
them, rs an only alternative, to adopt this
early travel. Many of the party were frost
bitten, aud underwent an amputation of THEN
toes. 1t was by means of these efforts that
the Expedition succeeded in bringing bacl
its results. The parties were in the field a,
late as the l01h of July. only ceasing from
labor when the winters darkness rendered il
impossible to travel.
/ THE GEOGRAPHICAL RESULTS OF
THE EXPEDITION.
Greenland has been followed by nr. Kane
and surveyed, with coast line towards tn,
Atlantic, fronting due north, until stnpen
dous glacier checked their progress. Thi
; mass Of ice rose in lofty grandeur to heigh
; OF five hundred feet, abutting into the sea. |
undoubtedly is the only obstacle 10 the insu
larty of Greenland-or. in other words. th
on'y barrier between Greenland and the AT
antic. 1t is, however, an effsctual barrier t
all future explorations This glacier in spit
of the difficulties of falling bergs was followe
) out to sea. the party rafting themselves acros
open water spaces upon masses of ice. j
this way they succeeded in travelling eight