Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-11-03
THIBODAUX LOUISIANA SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 3 1885,
From the Journal of Commerce, Oct. 10.
United States Arctic Expedition.
SAFE RETURN OF DR.. KANE.


United States Arctic Expedition.
SAFE RETURN OF DR.. KANE.
Our citizens were cheered yesterday by tn
arrival at this port of the Arctic Relief Expedi
tion, consisting of the bark Release, Capt
Hartsteine, and propeller Arctic, Lieut.. Chas
s. Simms, Island Of Disco, Greenland, Sept
18th. But best Of all, they bring as passen
gers Dr.. Kane and party, who, in the spring 0
l853 left this port for the Arctic SEAS in searcl
Of Sir John Franklin.
The Release and Arctic left New York 3Otl
May last, in search of DR.. Kane's party, who
it was feared, might have had their vessels
crushed in the ice, and so have been unable tt
return. The relief vessels arrived at Lievely
on their trip Northward, July 5th. Thence
they coasted along the shore Of Greenland t.
lat. 78o 38' North, touching at Hare Island
Upernavick, Hakluyt Island, Cape Hathertor
and other places. They were twenty eight days
boring through the pack ice in Melville Bay
Thence they crossed Davis Straits, and went
up to Lancaster Sound as far as Admiralty
Inlet, where they were opposed by a solid pack
which entirely stopped their progress. They
then passed down the Western coast. examin-
ing Possession and Ponds Bays. They were
fast in the middle pack for several days, and
had fair prospect of remaining there for the
winter; but fortunately the ice after while
broke away, and they were enabled to escape.
Lat. 500 39' they spoke the English whaleship
Eclipse, of Peterhead, bound to Cumberland
Inlet She had taken three whales. All well.
The expedition, still passing Southward,
circumnavigated the Northern waters as far as
T nr
Kane and his party, who had abandoned their
vessels in the ice. Receiving these men, the
objects of their search, Capt. Hartstene's vessel
left Lively on the 18th Sept, for New York.
and arrived here as above. On the following
day Captain Hartsteine boarded the Danish
brig Baldur, 81 days from Copenhagen, bound
to Lively. On the 9th Sept, spoke the Eng
lish bark Stella from Sandwich Bay, bound to
Plymouth.
The last winter in the Arctic has been unu-
sually severe. Many of the natives perished
from exposure and starvation, having been
compelled to eat their dogs. The extreme
cold prevented the usual hunting expeditions.
The relief vessels are in tolerably good con-
dition, although they have been in collision
with icebergs, and severely nipped in the packs.
They are now at anchor off the Battery.
The brig Advance, of 145 tons, set sail in
May, 1853, for Smiths Sound, under the COM
mand of DR.. Kane, who was detailed to make
explorations in the Arctic regions by Mr..
Kennedy, then Secretary of the Navy under
Mr.. Fillmore. The present Secretary Of the
Navy, Mr.. Dobbin, entered upon the perfor-
nance Of his duties before the Advance sailed,
and fully carried out the views of his prede-
cessor. On the % July, 1853, she arrived at
Upernavick, latitude 73 degrees North, on the
coast of Greenland. Nothing further was
heard of the expedition from that time until
yesterday.
The Advance was left in Rensselaer, bay, in
attitude 70 deg, where the expedition passed
;wo winters. The vessel was abandoned on the
18th May last, (her flag and pennant fiying,)
in ice fourteen feet thick, from which
t was found impossible to extricate her; and
DR.. Kane and his men accomplished the re-
journey of 1900 miles, on foot and in
boats, following the indentations of the bays
rom Rensselaer, to Upernavick, where they
on board Danish vessel bound to
Denmark.
As the propeller of Capt. Hartsteine entered
hat harbor, he espied a brig which Immediate
y raised the American flag. This ceremony
vas supposed to be mere compliment from
he Danish vessel, but a whale boat soon left
he brig with Dr. Kane on board, and spread
'ut "Pot Rock flag" which had the name of
Henry Grinnel on it, when the truth flashed
lpon Capt. Hartsteine that the long absent ex-
,lores had been found. DR.. Kane and his party
embarked on board the Release
md the Arctic-the vessels of Hartsteines ex-
'edition-and arrived last evening at 7 o'clock,
;. NJ, at this port. Three of the crew deceased
n the Arctic regions, viz: Christian Ohlsen,
an excellent man, who died of lock-
aw, produced by intense cold; Jefferson Baker,
eamen, who died of the same complaint, and
'ierre Schubart, cook, (French) who died from
he effects Of amputation of his foot, which was
endered necessary from being frost bitten.
he scurvy, hitherto the. scourge of the Arctic
egion, was entirely under command, but the
,ckjaw was difficult Of management, and
threatened serious disaster. Fifty-seven dogs
led Of it, breaking up entirely the sledge or
The number of deaths among the
rev is small.
The most intense cold suffered was in latitude
bout 80 deg. North, where the thermometer
ell to sixty below zero, or ninetytwo degrees
Glow freezing point. When the thermometer
'as at this low range, DR.. Kane and his party
'ere engaged with instruments in making a
arvey of the indentations Of the bay in which
lclT vOSSclo WGTO tueu cuUcUGU. 1He uIS-
,veries made by DR.. Kane reached to point
orthward much further than ever before ex-
lored. Numerous bays and capes have. been
xplored, and some Of them named. They will |
lake an addition to the maps Of the country |
hich will ever remain a conspicuous monu-
tent of American enterprise.
As the consent Of the government has not |
ct been obtained to the publication of full dis
losures, we forbear to repeat the names applied |
the new lands discovered, inasmuch as their |
doptlon depends upon the approval of the
overnment. The most maps published by au-
,ority Of the British explores, founded on the
kplorations Of Captain Inglefeld, are found to
incofFeet, SO far as the North coast of both
merle and Greenland are concerned.
The sqSuimaux were found in that high lati-
lde s6%e an extremely hardy and vigorous
'ce,-full Of courage,-so much SO that one of
em. armed with lance, would not hesitate to !
tack the powerful polar bear of that region.
We are much gratifed to know that the ex-
edition originally set on foot by our noble
Henry Grinnell, has thus COM
eted it's full service, with honor to the country
I'd al engaged in the undertaking.
ID A wedding was recently celebrated at Mem
,ls, Tennessee. It was the ninth occasion on
n'ch the bride had been made happy by matrimony.