Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-07-21

and purchased Dy inc government
during the war, as well adapted to
his purpose. lie reported to the
Secretary of the Navy that he had
found his vessel, and from the Navy
Department, which has used every
exertion to further and hasten Cap
tain Halls plans, came imme diate
orders for the tugs preparation for
the arctic voyage. Naval Construc-
tor Delano, who, at the Brooklyn
Navy-yard, has successfully fitted
out the vessels for the expeditions
of DE Haven, Kane and Hartstein,
was charged with the preparation
of Captain Halls vessel. The Peri
'cmhle was taken into the dock,
every unsound timber removed, and,
in fact, almost entirely rebuilt. The
bows of the vessel have been sheath
ed with iron, and, throughout, her
sides have been nearly doubled in
strength. AS prepared for her
voyage, she is rugged as a topsail
schooner, and supplied with a
direct-acting, inverted-cylinder con.
densing engine, working two
bladcd "Griffith screw. Her meas
urcment is slightly in excess of 400
tons, considerably larger than the
-4drunce, in which DR.. Kane sailed,
and of about the size of the German
exploring ship Ge,monio, which
sailed from Bremen two years ago.
Her bulwarks are raised four feet
above the deck, which, from Just
forward of the smoke-stack to a
point ten feet abaft the mainmast, is
rooted over, covering the engine,
cabins, and apassage on either side.
Materials are taken to roof over the
remainder of the deck when the
vessel has reached her winter-quar-
ters. Just abatt the cabin stands a
covered wheel-house, and imme-
diately aft of this the propeller well,
into which the screw may be lifted
when not in use. The cooks galley,
well supplied with implements Of
the culincry art, stands Immediately
forward Of the rooted portion of the
deck, and is separated from it bv
the ships pump and fire-room hatch
way. Immediately forward of the
galley is the torecastle hatchway.
The torccastle contains berths for
twelve men; and their quarters are
in every respect comfortable and
convenient. The standing and run
ming rigging, spars, sails, etc, are
entirely new. The wardroom opens
from the rear of the covered portion
Of the deck, and contains eight
berths, pantry, water-cl osct, and
captains library. TIE bcrths are
narrow, but comfortable, and
sheltered by curtains. In the cen
tre of this cabin stands an extension
table, and between it and the main
mast cabinet organ, presented to
Captain Hall by the Smith Organ
Manutactory, of Boston. The cap
tain's library, occupying the for
ward end of the cabin, is of consid-
cradle value, and embraces nearly
every work relating to arctic sub
.jects which has issued from the
American or English press. Far
thcr forward, and beneath the coy
cred deck, are the state-rooms for
Captain Hall and for the little Es-
quimanx family which accompanies
the expedition. The name of Cap
tain Halls vessel-Poluris-was
adopted at the suggestion of Henry
Grinnell, and approved by the Sec
retary Of the Navy at the request of
her commander.
Captain Halls vessel has been
most literally supplied by the Navy
Department with instruments,
charts, etc, and no expense has
been spared to make her outfit com
plete. The Poluris carries four
whale boats, and, besides, two pat
ent framework boats, which can
be folded and easily slowed upon a
slcdge, and, on reaching open water,
covered with canvass, launched,
and become in their turn the trans
porters of slcdge and crew. They
weigh but $50 pounds, and can
carry twenty men. Slowed aboard
the PoIoris is supply of the very
best spruce for making sledgcs.
The slcdgcs, when built, will be
fifteen feet long and twenty inches
wide, the various parts lashcd to-
gcther, and be drawn by from twelve
to fifteen dogs. The Polaris takes,
in addition, two pair of iron-shod
runners which were used by the
first Grinnell expedition, and have
since lain at the Brooklyn yard.
Experience, however, has taught
Captain Hall that homemade
sledges in the land of the Esqui-
maux are far better than the exports
of American industry. The Roios;s
carries an extra rudder, extra pro
pellcr-blades, Il light boat, which is
provided for the use of the scien;if-
ic officers, saws and chiscls for cut
ting ice, and a supply of felt with
which to inclose the boiler and pre-
vent the radiation of heat. In the
tireroom is fitted an apparatus for
burning whaleoil beneath the boiler,
in place Of coal. Stevens is the
name of the inventor. Its principle
consists in the conveyance beneath
the boiler, through pipes, of oil, to
which has been united certain
proportion Of steam. Under the
boiler the open ends of the pipes are
lighted as are gas jets. Trial has
shown the apparatus to work sue
ccssfully, but the supply Of oil re-
quircd is so great that its use is
neither economical nor possible.
The supply required by this appar-
atus is estimated to equal a whale
per day. Captain Hall will, how
ever, take the apparatus with him,
and may find it useful. AS supplies
Captain Hall takes with him ten
thousand pounds of pemmican,
which is formed Of twenty thousand
pounds of meat cut fine and perfect
ly well dried, mixed with five thou
sand pound Of tallow, and inclosed
in tin cans; three hundred pounds
of fruit cake Of the richest descrip-
ton. This is a new arctic supply:
but Captain Hall has, by accident,
learned its value in the land Of cold,