The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-07-05
From the ws.hlngtou f..riotI
New Arctic Expedition.
CGpt0sn Hall ReutIv tn ,So,u ~

Capsoin Hall Ready 70 ST. --ns
scrsptse's of hss Tessel-IN,
1. freU-Ioe and HannoA-Eooo
| Plan ct tie ToyaQe.
| Captain Hall and his party are
now on the eve of leaving us for q
long and perilous voyage, that will
probably cover a period of three
years, or perhaps more. We yes.
terday, visited Captain Hall on
6eard of his ship, the Polaris, a,
the navy yard, for the purpose OF
bidding birn goodby, and wishing
hisa q prosperous and successfu1
voyage. Scrambling across the
narrow and slippery plank that
forms the only means Of access to
the vessel, we soon found ourselves
npon the deck, amid profusion Of
bundles, barrels, boxes, packages,
and stores of all kinds. There
were barrels of -four and vegeta-
bles, boxes of canned meats and
pemmican," bags of coffee, chests
OF tea and casks Of sugar, all mix.
ed mp in the most charming confu.
sion, and all being dispatched
down into the hold Of the vessel by
means of ropes ard creaking pui.
leys. In the midst of this chaos
stood Captain Hall, superintend.
ing everything, and directing the
disposition of the stores. The Po-
laris, formerly the Periwinkle, is a
vessel belonging to the govern
Raptt uhHduhfatffdifer ks almost to
be q new and very superior craft.
She is of about. 400 tons measure
ment, considerably larger than the
Advance, in which DR.. Kane un.
dertook his famous voyage, and
about as large as the Germania,
which left Bremen two years ago
on an expedition to the Arctic seas.
She has been planked all over her
sides with six inches of solid white
oak timbers, and has throughout
been nearly donbled in strength !;
her bows being almost a solid mass
of timber, sheathed with iron, and
terminating in a sharp iron prov
with which to cut through the ice.
Her engine, which was built some
years ago at Messrs. Neafie & LIE.
vy's works, in Philadelphia, is ex
ceedingly powerful and compact,
taking up but comparatively little
space, and being peculiarly ,.Iapt.
ed for hard and severe work, and
the propeller is arranged in such
a manner that it can be unshipped
and lifted upon deck, through a
shaft or propeller we'll in the stern,
which is great advantage when
the vessel is under sail or surround
ed by floating ice that might easi-
ly damage the blades. And, oven
in the worst case, supply of ex.
ira blades has been provided, 80
that if one should by accident be
broken, it can always be replaced.
There is also an extra rudder on
board, and several suits of sails and
sets of spars of all dimensions. OF
the two boilers one is supplied
with an apparatus to use whale oil
for the generation Of steam, as this
will, in all probability, have to be
relied upon when other fuel gives
out, not only to furnish the pro.
pelling power, but also to heat mp
the vessel throughout by steam,
which will, Of course, be necessary
as soon as the cold wintry regions
have been reached.
Steam will merely be used as an
auxiliary, as the Polaris is rugged
as foretopsail schooner, and fully
able to sail and steer under cam
vass only. A novel and interest
ing feature in her construction is O
new sort Of life preserving buoy,
which Is placed ON the outside OF
the vessel, in the stern, and can be
lowered into the water by touch
ing a spring which is placed near
the pilot house. BY touching an
other spring, an electric light
which is fixed upon the buoy about
two feet above water, is ignited by
completing the circuit Of electric
current from galvanic battery or
board !; and no matter how dark
the night, or how obscure the arc.
tic winter, the baoy can always bs
distinctly seen, and the man who
has fallen overheard will know ir
what direction to swim for hope
and help. Another excellent anG
peculiar part Of her outfit is a can
vass boat, the invention of Mr.
John Hegeman, of Saratoga coun
ty, New York, by whom it ha,
been patented and from which
Captain Hall expects great results
As yet but one of the boats ha,
been received, but another ant
smaller one will be added befor,
the vessel leaves New York. TIL,
boat that wa RAW Ia tventv foo