Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-05-03
THE NORTH POLE.
Mews from Capt. Halls Expedition
Eresh Discoveries Reported, and
All Hands Wolf.
Correspondence OF the New York Times.
ST., PIERRE. Newfoundland.


ST.. PIERRE, Newfoundland,
Monday, April Is, 1872.
The Danish brig Mecrbcck, which
arrived here yesterday, brings in
telligencc from the United States
Arctic expedition under Capt. Hall.
When the Meerbcck left Disco,
Greenland, on Friday, Marcel, l, the
Polaris had been two days at Disco,
undergoing repairs and procuring
fresh supply Of provisions. On
the afternoon of February 8, the Po-
laris encountered extremely heavy
weather, and when lying to, ran
among what Capt. Hall termed ''icy
snags," which could only be ac-
counted for by the extreme shallow
ness OF the water, or high icebergs
imbedded in sand or mud. BY re-
peated collisions with these break
ers Of ice, the Polaris sprung aleak
and on the morning succeeding the
gale, Capt. Hall gave orders to bear
up for Disco, where he always had
intended to mako his place Of shell
ter, in case of any accidents that
would leave him time to reach it.
During the return to Disco the men,
and even the officers and profession
al attaches of the expedition, sus-
tanned an unremitting working of
the pumps until the harbor was
reached, and then the hold was so
water-logged and the men SO cx-
hausted that Capt. Hall announced
that another day at sea would have
seen them abandon the Polaris. II
was necessary to throw overheard
a large quantity Of provisions. and
an equally great amount was so
damaged by bilge-watcr rs to be
unfit for use, except i'll a time of
extreme emergency, So
The log Of the Polaris contained
many strange discoveries, which
led to the conviction that in the cx-
trcme and undiscovered North there
is at times n genial atmosphere
and open seas. Plants were detect
cd in the ice which arc indigenous
to southern climates, and the exam
nation of a floating stick of wood,
found on Saturday, Jan. l3, proved
it 10 be limb Of some huge birch.
On the night of Sunday, Feb. IA,
Capt. Hall sat on deck all night,
writing and making lunar
and astral observations. Through.
out the whole month of January,
very little ice was seen, and each
night the sky on all sides glittcred
with mcteors of the most gorgeous
description, which flashed so bright
~ and wildly across the armament
as to bedizzcn the strongest eye
sight. On the LIST Of February the
Polaris encountered field Of leo
which INSTRUCTED her Roadway for
several hours, and Capt. Hall pro-
posed to run back into clear water
until tho middle of February, when
he expected breaking up and
drifting of the fields of ice and ice
bergs which infested the quarter he
had abandoned. TO this determi.
nation Capt. Hall now owes the
safety of his ships company, for
had he not put back over 1000 miles
the Polaris would have been too far
from Greenland to reach it before
the water had gained too rapid
Roadway through the leak made by
The ice.
Christmas day was gala day ON
board tho Polaris. The good ship
was hemmed in by heavy field ice,
but the weather was rs pleasant as
IN Italian spring day. Tho Esqui-
naux and the dogs, which Capt.
Hall procured at St. Johns, were