The New York herald., 1873-05-11
DIR. l. l. HAYES ON CAPTAIN HALL

DIR. l. l. HAYES ON CAPTAIN HALL.
An Interview with the Arctic Explorer
In Regard to the Failure Of the Hall
Expedition-He Thinks There II Some
thing Very Mysterious i'm Captain
Halls Death and That He Was Proba-
bly, Murdered-His Descriptions of tho
Surrounding Countrywide POlaris and
Her Crow Probably Safe-Thcy Will
Return by September.
HERALD reporter called on Dr. l. I. Hayes, the
well known Arctic explorer, yesterday, to OBJ
tain his views in regard the failure OF the Hall
expedition Mr.. Hayes was in his study in 81 West
Tenth street. He said he would be very happy to
give the reporter all the information he had.
REPoRTER-what are the principal causes Of the
failure Of the Hall expedition
DR.. HAYEs-I think the ship was not 1T for the
service. said so in public and In private at the
time they started. said at that time that Captain
Hall had no business to 90 In that ship. This ves-
sci was built for speed, with nat bottom and
square sides, for the navigation Of such waters as
those OF Albemarle Sound during the war; and 1t
was built with .
SHARP BOW AND SQUARE CUTwATER.
Vessels built expressly for Ice navigation. such
those of the Newfoundland seal fisheries, are
Of about forty-hve degrees, which enables them to
rise when they strike the ice, and . rounded bot
tom, when enables the ice, when closing against
their sdes to elevate them out Of the water without
serious damage to their timbers These conditions
were not fulfilled in the Poaris, and in the absence
of more positive Information it may be fair to sup.
pose that the injury to the vessel which caused the
disaster was owing to these defects.
REPoRTER-Was the Poaris in the North water OF
the whaers'
DR.. HAYEs-Yes, SIR and from Whale Sound, on
the Greenland side, and jones' Sound, opposite,
there are vast discharges OF fields Of ice during the
Summer which form the ''North water pack,n and
among these ieSe ef ice The Polaris seems TO hav.
become entangled, and perhaps almost wrecked.
REPoRrER-Do you think that Captain Hall was
to blame for going out in such ship9
Dr. HAYEs-I don't think he alone was to blame,
but
ALSO THE NAVY DEPARTMENT..
which allowed him to go out in such ship.
don't want to say anything unkind OF Captain Hail.
but think there was no discipline on board, owing
REPoRrER-Could you describe the surrounding
country
DR.. HAYRs-The country is very barren. Smiths
Sound, through which he passed, is very mountain
GUS on botn sides 1t is entirely barren, and with
out any vegetation. It Is covered with glaciers,
and the sea round the land is filed with icebergs.
REP0RTRR-What do you think Of the rescue OF
the nineteen survivors
Dr. HAYEs-I think It is the most miraculous
thing in the history OF personal adventure. It is
wonderful that they were able to endure so much.
The sea through which they drifted abounds in
of accounting for the saving Of their lives except
by the supposittoD that they must nave been re-
markably fortunate In capturing these animals.
This argues that they must have had an
ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF AMMUNITION
REPoRTER-They must have suffered intensely
Dr. HAYEs-It must have been sometimes forty
tie noith counted sixty-nine degrees below zero.
Their su1er1ngs must have been terrible, because
they had no opportunity for exercise, could do
You know these snow huts are built in Esquimaux
fashion png blocks aSar Of apoS
other The has se sSspe
OF an od-ashioned beehive, II you have seen one,
and is generally eight feet In diameter and six feet
high. OF course, they could have no fire in their
snow huts or the snow would melt and they must
nave lived all the terrible period without fire. with
s s Ps Of se y have
ropeyarn for wick and the tat OF the seal for fuel
REPoRTER-How large could have been the foe
DR. HAYEs-Tnese fields OF ice are sometimes
twenty feet thick, and as large-well,
The bears live SEALS and the seals have to come
up to the ice TO get the air; and while the seals
come up to the edge Of the Ice and the bears are
OF shooting bothif he Is armed. The flesh OF these
animals is very good. It is very dark in color but
very rich very nutritious and very fat which is
lamps for boiling or stewing the flesh.
REPoRrER-How could they have slept'
blankets and furs from the ship and then they
probably had the skins of the bears that they cap
tured on the icenelds The object Of the sedge ex.
before his death must have been to go further north
and to carry o boat with him with which to navi.
known when he had reached the North Pole by the
fact Of the sun shining through the twenty-f0nr
hours and being At the same an M altitude above the
pole. Captain Hall has proven, what l have pre-
dcted long ago, that Smiths sound was navigable
PASSAGE INTO THE OPEN POLAR SEA-
which he seems to have reached Why he was
driven back cannot tell; probably by drifting ice
had reached the Polar Sea- There is one remarka-
BILE fact about his explorations; he had constant
sunshine all the time, and the survivors who were
without a ray OF sunshine. What horrible situa-
tion-added to all their suiTerings-was constant
darkness They had only the light of the stars and
OF the moonlight enough TO move about in pur-
suit OF game, but that was ALL
REPoRTER-The survivors must have been well
supplied with provisions, blankets, Scr
DR.. HAYEs-They must have been sufficiently
supplied from the ship. But here's something /
near Northumberland Island would draw up be-
fore the ice and discharge its cargo on It, think
there ah aa on 70 me
the ship. There is mystery about this part OF the
report that cannot fathOm Pm sure
IF IT WERE IN SIGHT OF LAND
would not trust myself to an ice-neld.
REPoRrER-Could You describe Northumberland
Island where they separatedY
DR.. HAYHs-Ths Northumberland Island, where
they were separated, is in the mouth OF Whale
SOUND near the Greenland coast. IL Is q very
lofty, rugged and rocky island, covered with gla-
cters II Is about fifteen miles long and ten miles
broad, devoid OF vegetation, with the exception OF
occasional patches OF stnnted grass on the south
ern slopes Of the hills.
REpoRrER-Do you consider the expedition
complete faiiurep
DR.. HAYss-No; think Captain Hall has done
glorious thing. He has gone lurther north with
MS snip than any human being ever did before
nim-although others have gone as far in sedges.
Dr. Kane entered Smiths Sound and was driven
Dy tne Ice down on the Greenland coast and forced
into winter Harbor in latitude rs 81. His explora-
lions 70 the northward were made the following
spring with sledges over the ice The most sue
one in chnr1a Of uiIlia m "A Morso.. .-a