The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-02-27
The open Polar sea---Dr. Hayes Discoveries.


"a From the New York Evening Post
In July, 1860, Dr.. l. |. Hayes left Boston
In the schooner United States, Of one hundred
and thirty-three tons burthen, TO undertake an /.
exploration in the Arctic region, with the hope
of discovering the open Polar Sea. Under
going the usual vicissitudes of Arctic travel |
Il he arrived at Upernavik with Danish sailors
and Esquimaux as interpreters to his company
and after short larry at that outpost OF civil
d !. liao,ion. resumed his Journey towards the
II North. A week after leaving UpernaVlk he
succeeded in the novel undertaking OF obtain
ing Photographic views Of Arctic scenery.
week later the schooner entered the bay,
where no ice was in sight-all was clear, but
HI after passing the bay furious storms were en-
countercd, the little vessel was driven upon
the iccbcrgs and seriously crippled, and by
the beginning Of September the explorers had
a variety of dangerous adventures. FINALLY
winter quarters were found in a snug harborln
Hartstcnc Bay, which was named Port FouIke,
n in honor Of Philadelphia gentleman who
had been Zone Of the most constant advocates
of the expedition and at this point the crew
and vessel prepared to endure the long season
of cold and darkness. An Astronomical OBJ
servatory was improvised, The Iardcr OF the
ship was rcpcnishcd with reindeer flesh, the
ed, and the whole party then saw themselves
BIZ gradually frozen in. The monotony of this
If first winter in the ice was broken by cXpIora-
lions OF negboring glaciers, sledgc journeys,
hunts and survcys-all of which arc pleasantly
described by Dr. Hayes, with the additions Of
some curious specuIations upon glacial phe-
nomc2a.
On the 18th of February the sun reapPeared
q reinforcement of Esquimaux came in, the
Ioe4cams were strengthened and prellml-
81 nary Journey over the ice was undertaken by
Dr. Hayes in person, in order to determine
whether it was best to adhere to the Green
land coast, following the route Of Dr. Kane,
or to strike directly across the Sound from
above Cape Hathcrton, in the endcavor to
touch, on GrinneI Land, the point of depart
ure which the party had vainly attempted to
reach the previous autumn. An idea OF
Arctic temperature may be gathered from an
entry in Dr.. Hayes journal of this trip q
brought out the thermometer he says, ''ant
set it up in the shadow of an iceberg near by
I really expected to see it rise; but no, dow
sank the little red column, down, down, al
most to the very bulb, and it never stopped
until it had touched CO. deg. bclo" zero
1904 deg. below the freezing point of water.
He adds: ~ recall but two instances OF equally
low temperature having been previously re
corded, one of which, by Nivcroit, at a
koutsk, in Siberia, was 72 deg. of the Fahren
hcit scale. I am not, however, aware tina
anv traveller has ever noted SO low tcmpera
ture while in the field
Arriving at the great Humboldt glacier, ID
Hayes found his route blocked by bad ice an
numerous bcrgs, while his dogs were Wor
out, and it soon became apparent that Their
l ~, tl,ntf IrHpf m
His only route was by the passage acros
Smith Sound to Grinnell Land Returnin
t. the schooner, he Immediately began pre-
variations for the summer journey, and tn
field party, consisting Of twelve persons
every available officer and man engaged in tn
cxpcdition-set out on the evening of the
of April, 1861. Three weeks Of hard tolIIn
furnished "but one succession Of battling OF
stacles;" the boat with which the party starte
was left behind, the sledgcs broke down, IL
docs gave out the cold was intense, the II
bad and the men dispiritcd. On the 28th
April, the main party was sent back TO IL
schooner. Dr. Hayes himself remaining, WI
three picked men, fourteen dogs and sled8
to prosecute the search for The open sea- Fro
this point onward the narrative Of the Journ
becomes painfully interesting
On the goth of April, DR.. Hayes and /
three companions again set FORTH On t
3lst day Of the Journey from the ship MI
11) they touched the further shore OF Il
sound. and two days later reached Kennel
Channel. On the 18th the strongest man
the little party enseu-broke down,
comradc was left to watch him, and DR.. Hay
Dushcd forward, with only one companion,
make his s.last throw He writes IN
nurnose now was to make the best pusi
rouid and, travelling as far as my proIiSic
warranted, reach the highest attalnable Ia
tudc, and secure point OF observation |!
would enable me to form definite opln'
respecting the sea before, and the pfosPe
Of reaching and navigating it with boat
with the schooner
had already reached position somew
to the northward of that attained by Mof'
of Dr.. Kanc's expedition, in june 1884,
was looking out upon the same sea IRON ron
point probably about sixty mules to 70 the nor nor
ward and westward OF Cape, Cons''u"
where, only a month later IN In0 scason,
5 further progress was arrested ny open I"'
II only remained for me now TO extend
survey as far north as possible. by inc u
cious outstanding of my resources nau
within my hands ample means TO SnaFah,'e
succossful termination to a Journey which
. increasing oalhne97 ''iiN N>'I'' ~ $50 :
skv to the northeast seemed TO warn me
approaching its climax.
q On the 18th of May he climbed rags
c1;G whence he saw the open sea; and
next day, advancing further, built earn
n}anta1 The American flag upon the II
northern point ever reached by man.
tells the story thus
u THE OPEN POLAR SEA.
i Standing against the dark sky at the no o;
therc was seen in dim outline the "hlle s.
inc summit Of noble headland' the T.: n
northern known land upon the globe. Ju
it to be in latitude 80 deg. 80 MIN or II
hundred and fifty miles from the NORTH L
Nearer, another bold cape stood Lortn;
nearer still the headland, for which had
steering my course the day before, rose ma
ticay from the sea, as if pushing up mo
very skies, lofty mountain pe"k' upon vi
# l,,l IroDrnd lis UIauGm OF SIX