The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-09-27
SAVED.
The po!nris survivors Arrive AZ Dundee,
scotland.

The marvellous rescue, several months ago
of 10 members Of Capt. Halls famous expo
dition to the Polar regions in the Poaris
! was dulv announced at the time in the pa
pers-how they had lived II months on an
island of ice, noatcd 2O00 miles sou.Award
&C. until taken ofby the Tigris This party
under Capt. Tyson, stated that the Poaris
after being ice bound nearly year, had sud
denly broken loose, and leaving them upon
the ice, had sailed, with Capt. Buldington
and II of the crew, towards Cumberland bay
: since which nothing had been heard OF the
Polars or the 10 on board The telegraph
now announces the safety OF the other u
} and brings the history of the fate Of the
Polaris, with details of her loss, and the no
less marvellous escape Of the missing 10 than
OF the Tyson party
/ The story is thus told in n Y. YrjbW.
despatch from Dundee, Scotland, Sept 10Th
| The whaling steamer Arctic, Capt Adams
has arrived at this port from Davis Straits,
Having on board the men OF the POlaris CXpe
ldtion, who were picked up by the whaleT
Ravenscraig, on tie Goth of July. The men
are all well, and show no marks Of cmaca
ton, such as might have been expected after
their terrible experiences.
The following narrative Of incidents that
occurred after the separation of the crew, is
gathered from a conversation with several OF
| the party: The Polaris had been leaking
badly before the 18th of October, 1872, and
| her situation ultimately became so alarming
| that il was deemed advisable 10 make prep
arations to abandon her. The determination
| to leave the ship was arrived at on the 18th OF
October, ut which time they were IN latitude
! 10 Some of the crew remained aboard,
while others landed on the ice, and they be
gan to get out stoves with the intention OF
taking everything they could need for long
| sOiOurn in those frozen regions. between III
| and II o'clock at night while this work was
proceeding, a very severe gale sprang up, and
snow began to fall heavily, with strong but
variable winds Operations, however were
continued, and after untiring efforts the boats
were got upon the ice, and large supply of
provisions taken out. Suddenly the haWsers
| by which the ship was made fast to the ice,
gave way, one swapping, the other tearing its
anchor from its Judgment on the ice. This
was about midnight. The anchor, in start
ing, tore off large piece from the foe with
three men upon it, and, as the Polaris drove
past them, they cried out, in an agony of ter
ror What are we TO do? Capt. BuddingtOn
shouted back that he could do nothing for
thcm they had boats and provisions and
must shift for themselves the best they could.
| [NoTE.---These three men, Sergeant Meyers
and two others, were saved with the Tyson party.
l--ED.
A few minutes later those OF the Polaris
saw boat launched and manned by these
men, making for the place where their COM
rades were stationed. In short time the
storm and darkness shut out every object
| from their view.
| The feelings of the men can re imagined
as with half the crew left to perish, as they
supposed in desert of ice and snow, the ship
dritted away helpless, until, at last, she
brought up at Litcbo Cove.
! The prospect was now gloomy enough.
There seemed to be little prospect Of their re
naming in the Polaris. She still leaked
| fearfully, and in her damaged condition Bud
| dington had no hope Of getting any further
south with her. 1t was therefore determined
to beach her, but the question was how that
could be done The wind being favorable
an opening in The pack WAS finally discovered
and the ship was bored through under can
vas. Everything apparently favored the work
but though the ship was only Il few miles
from shore il took twelve hours to get her
close in. The next consideration was how to
provide for the shelter Of the men on shore
All the timbers from between decks were torn
out provisions were deposited on the ice, the
coal was removed, and everything useful was
secured. The wall, Of house were then
built of heavy planks, jointcd 20 exclude the
wind, and the roof was made o! sails. In
such home the long winter was passed.
Some help was received from three Esqui.
mauy, who discovered the wrecked ship and
agreed for a few paltry presents to convey
provisions over the ice from the vessel. They
gave still more valuable aid b. supplying
skins for clothing, of which the crew were
generally in need for many Of their clothes
were worn out, and many more were lost
when the vessel broke away, on The night OF
the 10Th. The EsquimauX had plenty, and
though they were filthy smelling garments,
the castaways gladly adopted the full Esqui
mauX costume, of fur trousers, coats hats
and boots Through the long dreiry winter
the men kept up their spirits remarkably
well. The snow fell heavily, but it served TO
protect thcir trail hablation and make it more
comfortable. Their arrangements were so
complete that no visit 10 the shin was nCCCs-
sary before Jan. -, when thcywcnt for a sup
ply of wood. Fresh water was obtained in
abundance by collecting pieces of iccbcrgs
ter Chester suggested that some means should
be agreed upon To cXtriCatc the party from
their pcrilous position. The provisions were
gradually diminishing and the fuel, ofwhich
only six tohs had been obtained from the ship,
was nearly exhausted. The Polaris was still
available for materials, and il was now pro
posed to build two boats. \ survey by Chcs-
ter showed that the Inning of the cabin could
be used, and this was accordingly stripped
off. During the spring months, with The Their
momctcr % degrees below zero, and often in
a binding driit the building of the boats
wen, on. The situation grew daily more dis
lcouragng, but the work was never rclaV"d.
and the courage ofthe men never failed. Ad-
vanCing steadily the crew were ready 10 de
part by the end cfJunc, determined to push
southwark
EJust at this moment, when everything was
in readiness, they Were alarmed by the ap-
pearance of scurvy. Happily, however, the
attack proved slight, and a plentiful supply
of walrus liver, which they obtained from the