Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-14
Failure Of Can't. Hairs Arctic Expedition.

the steamer Polaris for the arctic coun-
try in June, 1871, has come to failure.
Its commander. Capt Hall. died Of par
aly.is on the Sth of October, 1871. Nine
teen Of the crew, while on an iceberg,
drifted away from the vessel ON the 30sh
of last April, and after floating about le6
days they were discovered by the steamer
Tigriss, and taken of and landed at St
Johns, N F. These men ate the meat,
raw, of the seal and polar bear, as they
could get it. The Polaris has not been
heard of since the men were separated
from her. She had a crew of thirteen
left. under the command of Capt Bud
dington.
Since the above was put in type the
following statement Of Captain Tyson
who commanded the party that was adrif'
on the ice has been made public: On the
24,h of August, 1871, we left Tessinack
and went through Smiths Sound We
succeeded in getting as far north as lati-
tude 50 l6, when we returned and win
tered at Polaris Bay, latitude 81 3s,
longitude 81 Al. We were frozen up
until the 5th of September. On the
10th of October Captain Hall started on
a .ledge journey north, and returned on
the oath, when be was taken eick, and
died On the Sth of November. He was
buried on the llth. The attack that
carried him of was said to be apoplexy.
We passed the winter at Polaris Bay.
On the Sth of June, 1872. we attempted
to reach the north with two boats. We
bauled our other boat on shore and re-
turned overland on the Sth of July.
We started for home on the :l2th of
August and The 18th were beset with
ice in latitude so o2 We drifted from
there down to latitude n 35, when we
encountered a heavy southwest gale, the
ship being under heavy pressure. On
the night of the 18th We commenced
landing provisions, &c. on the ice. the
vessel being reported leaking very badly
at times. We continued landing provi-
sions for two or three hours, when the
pressure ceased. l went on board the
vessel and asked the sailing master if the
vessel was making any more water than
usual. He reported that she was not
then went to the pumps and ascertain
ed that that she was not making any
more than she had been doing all sum-
mer. / went on the ice again and short
ly after, il began to crack, and in a few
minutes afterwards broke in many pieces.
The vessel broke from her fastenings
and was soon lost to sight in the dark
ness and storm.
On the broken ice were most of our
provisions to sustain the party through
The winter and, seeing nothing of the
Vessel, we attempted to reach the shore,
N hopes of finding natives to assist us
IN living through the winter. Getting
about half way to the shore With our
heavily laden boats our progress became
hard by the drifting ice, and 1 was com
e,led TO haul on the ice again.
At this time 1 succeeded in ing
fourteen cans of pemmican, eleven and
4 half bags of bread, ten dozen one and
:wo pound cans of meat and soup, four
:een hams, one small bag of chocolate,
twenty pounds some musk OK
skins, few blankets, number of rides
md abundant ammunition. In the
knowing that had not provi-
'ions enough and other articles of food,
compasses, &c, on the abate,
nent of the gale, endeavored to shoot
AZ many seals as possible, both for food,
light and fuel, but could only get three
owing to bad weather having set in. l
the wind to be about southwest.
On its clearing up found myself within
about eight miles of what I supposed to
De the east coast, and about thirty or
'orty miles below the chip. The ice be-
ng weak could not transport boats and
provisions to land until it grew stron ger.
While here discovered my other boat,
bread. &c, and saved all. The ice
growing firner, l made another attempt
o reach the shore, carrying everything
n the boats, and dragging them on their
leels. The ice being exceedingly rough |
We stove both boats. We succeeded on
he lst of November in getting about
lalf way to shore. Night came on us
md stormy weather. In the morning
he ice was broken. and we were drifting
outhward very fast We saw no more
and for many days, bad weather contiu-
ling all through the month of Novem-
,er. We built snow houses, and made
ourselves as comfortable as we could
We were ten white meu, two Esquimaux
wo women and FIVE children in all. We
ucceeded in killing a few seals, which
furnished US with light and fuel with
which to warm our seanty allowance Of
ood through the darkness of the Arctic
winter.
In the latter part of February we lived
upon birds, and in March