Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-10-24
Detail. OF DR.. Kano,s Perilous Voyage.

sing companions, with exception Of three who had
died. DR.. Kane sailed from New York in the
brigantine Advance on the 3Ist of May, 1853, for
the Polar Seas, in search Of Sir John Franklin and
his companions. taking with him variety of in
strumens for scientific purposes, and supply OF
provisions sufficient for three years cruize.-
His entire ships company consisted OF seventeen
persons.
The arrival of the expedition at New York on
Thursday the lth, created intense excitement,
and hundreds focked down to the whaf. DR..
Kane, as soon as possible jumped into carriage
and proceeded to the residence of Henry Grinnell
ESQ, through whose Muni6cence his expedition
was fitted out He met with most hearty recep
tion from MIR. g.
"[ have no advance with me-" said DR.. Kane,
alludng to the loss of his vessel, which as we
have stated, he was obliged to abandon in the
ice.
"Never mind that" replied Mr.. Griunel; $50
long as you are safe, that is all we care about
Come into the parlor," he added, 'and lei us hear
the whole story"
|. Aud Dr. Kane proceeded at once to relate the
story of his second voyage to the Arctic regions
the perils and dangers to which ne was exposed, his
wonderful adventures, and still more wonderful es
cape He was obliged, he said, to a. andon the Ad.
vance in latitude 7S. Is, after having penetrated
as far as 81 80, which was further than any other
navigator had gone, with the exception OF Captain
Parry, who reached the latitude of 0l.l5. While
here he saw the Polynva or open sea, stretching
away off to the north farther than the eye could
reach
| The expedition succeeded in crossing Melville
| Bay and reaching the headlands of Smith Sound
as early 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 TALL Of
sixteen feet-had worn temporary opening
Previous 10 taking this step, which involved great
responsibility and witch was, IN fact, equivalent
to sacrificing the vessel, French metallic boat,
with canoe of provisions, was concealed as
means of retreat.
The penetration of the packed 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 lce
She was twice ON her beam ends, and once on
fire from the upsetting OF the stoves. Some idea
of this navigation may be formed, from the fact OF
her losing her jbboon. best bower anchor and bull
warks. besides about 600 fathoms of warpng lire
'They were cheered, however, by a small daily
progress and by the 10Th of September, 1858,
had succeeded in gaining the northern face OF
Greenland-at point never reached before
Here the young ice froze around the vessel, and
cuinpelled them to seek winter asylum
The winter gave them degree of cold much
below any previous registration on record. WINS
kew troze in November, and for four months In
the year mercury was solid daily. The mean an
imai 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 near
esl the pole.
The scurvy was readily controlled, but the
most novel feature of tins winter was tetanus,
or lock-jaw, which defed all treatment. 1t car
ried away fifty seven of their hest sledge dogs,
and was altogether frightfu scourge.
The operations of search commenced as early
as March. The first parties under the personal
charge of DR.. Kane. crossing the ice at tempera-
lures of minus 81 below zero. The loss OF their
dogs obliged them, as an only alternative, TO
don't this early travel Many of the party were
frost bitten and underwent amputaton ofthe tees.
II was by means of these efforts that the expedl-
tion succeeded in bringing back their important re-
sults. The parties were in the field as late as
the 9th of July, ouly ceasing from labor when
the winter darkness made it impossible to trav :
ell
Greenland has been followed and surveyed by
DR.. Kane towards the Atlantic, with coast line
fronting the North, until stupendous glacier ao-
solutely checked their progress, This mass OF
ice rose in lofty precipce, 500 feet high abut-
ting into the sea- 1t undoubtedly is the only bar
rier between Greenland and the Atlan,c-it is
an effectua barrier to all future explorations.
/. This glacier in spite of the difficulty Of fall
ing bergs, was followed ont to sea by means of
siedges, the party rafting themselves across open
water space n masses OF ice. In this way they
succeeded in travelling eighty miles along lis base
and traced it into new Northern land. This
glacier is we believe, the largest ever discovered
by any previous navigator
| 3 This new land thus cemented to Greenland
by protruding ice. was named' ''Washington' -
The large bay which inrervenes between 1t and
Greenland bears, we believe, the name of MIR.
! Peabody, of Baltimore, one Of the proprietors OF
the expedition. This icy connection of the old and
new worlds seems to us feature OF peculiar In
| terest.
8. The range Of the sledge journey may be
understood from the fact that the entire circuit OF
Smiths Sound has been effected, and its shores
completely charted.
4. But the real discovery of the expedition
is the open Polar sea. The channel lead ng to
these waters was entirely free from ice. and this
| mysterious feature was rendered more remarRa-
BILE by the existence of belt of solid ice eXten-
dino ono hundred and twenty FIVE miles to the
southward. This sea verfes the views OF Dr.
Kane. as expressed to the Geographical Society
before his departure The lashing of the surf a.
oainst this frozen beach of ice was Impressive be-
yond description. Several gentlemen with whom
we have conversed speak of this as one OF the re-
markable sights which they observed during the
expedition. An area of thre, thousand square
| miles has been seen entirely free from ice, and
was named after the Hon. J. P. Kennedy, late
secretary Of the Navy. under whose auspices the
expedition was undertaken.
'rhe land to the north and west of this channel
has been chartered as high as $3.50. This is the
nearest land to the Pole yet known. 1t bears the
name of Henry Grinnel. the founder OF the enter
prise.
The extreme severity of the previous season
made it evident that the brig could not be ll5era-
ted before the winter set in. She was last I'm :
pounded in the centre of large field OF Ice. me
provisions. although abundant, were not calculated
to resist scurvy, and ;he fuel, owing to the emer
gency of the previous winter, was dehclent III
quantity. Under these circumstances Or. Kane
with party of volunterrs-on an attempt to reach
the mouth of Lancaster Sound. in hopes OF meet
ing the English expedition, and thus gvlRg re-
lief to his associates passed IN an open boat over
the track of BAtfins travel, riding on heavy gale
They found an uninterrupted barrier OF ice, ex'
tending in one great horse shoe from Jones to
NIu rchison's Sound and were forced after various
escapes, to return 10 the brig.
During the winter of 1915 which ensued
they adopted the habits Of the Esquimaux, living
upon raw walrus meat and surrounding them
selves with walls of moss. In spite of these pre-
cautions the scurvy advanced with steady pro
gress; but by the aid of single team of dogs DR..