Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-05-29
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
OF tho Survivors Of the Ice
Drin n-Pnrt lculars of Cautaim Hail,s
Dcatll-A sad Funeral IN the Polar
NiKht-f1an Believed tnst He wus
PoIsoncd-iscvel"aions Expected from
tiOnn1 statement OF the kcsqu ima ux
Jo.-RudAi TOM > L Covva rxl tce-A COM
Parison Of tht Two Navtgators.
oApr. HALLS DEAZH-srATEMENT OF THE
STEWARD OF THE PoLAR1s.
New YoRK, May 21.-John Heron,
steward OF the Polaris, makes the fol.
lowing statement concerning the sick
ness Of Capt. Hall :: "Capt. Hall had
good health up to the time of
returning from the sledge expe.
dition. He was not sick when he
came on board, bat complained soon
afterwards, and said that the heat of
the cabin affected him. asked him
what he would have-was anxious to
get him something. Twice he didn't
care about anything but cup of cof-
fee, and didn't drink even that. He
was sick fortnight, and talked
very little. He was perfectly delirious
the last few days. Ithlnk he was par
alyzed on one side. There was moth
ing sudden about his. death. He was
attended bysDr. BasSells and Mr., Nor.
ton, who did everything in their power
to alleviate his sufferidgs. His death
made us all feel very sad"
STATEMENT OF CAPT. TYSON.
Capt. Tyson, speaking Of Capt. Halls
death, says: "He was sick fifteen
days, and was insensible when he died.
He started from the ship on a sledge
expedition northward, on the 10Th Of
October, and was absent fourteen
days, returning on the Oath of
October to ship. On the 9Th of Novem-
Der he died, and was buried on the
1lth. His grave bore south-southeast,
and five hundred PAGES distant from
the observatory in Polaris Bay, which
was in latitude 81.38, longitude 61:44.
On shore we erected board over his
grave with an inscription giving his
name, age-50 years, date of death and
command of North Polar Expedition.
All hands except the cook
attended his funeral. It was
dark, dismal cold, windy and disa.
greeab'e day The wind was mourn
fully bowling and the hearts of ali
were enveloped in deepest sadness. 1
had lantern and by the light OF it the
beautiful services of tho Episcopal
church was read by Mr.. Bryant. A
few Of those present at the burial
will not forget the deeply effecting
scene. Old sailors whose faces
had been bronzed by summer suns and
frozen in Arctic seas, wept aloud.
Captain Hall was universally beloved,
and his death at the time when the
prize seemed to be within bis grasp,
was by all his survivors felt to be an
lrretrievable loss. These thoughts were
uppermost in the minds of all. and
when the funeral party returned to the
ship, there was hushed silence attend
ing the performance of every duty.
WHAT THE EsQUlMAux JOE SAYS.
The Esquimaux Joe, in published
statement, speaks in q disappearing
way OF Capt. Buddington, sailing mas
ter of the Polaris, and says that Hall
was poisoned. and that Hall so ex-
pressed himself to him, saying there
was something bad in the coffee which
he drank; and, returning from the
sledge expedition, said that it made
him sick, and that he had burning
sensation.
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
Hans Christians statement is to the
same effect. The prevailing impression
of the unfortunate nineteen who were
left behind was that Budt1ington had
wilfully abandoned them to their fate.
He had been anticipating the breaking
up of the ice for some time, and if he
had wished to have Tyson and
his companions on board could
easily have represented matters to
them in such light that they could
not have ventured to be absent at 80
critical luncture; but no such intima-
tion was given to the men on the ice.
The vessel did not drift away 10 sud-
denly that the men could not have
been rescued from their perilous posi-.
tion.
Tyson says: "I could have got
aboard the vessel that night and been
there now but I would not leave wife
and children. My duty was on the ice.
I thought he would get back to us next
day, which he could have done. The
breaking away was caused BY the foe to
which the ship was fastened drifting in
between land and some icebergs that
were jammed and broke it away. It
was about nine or ten O'Clock in
the night. The temperature was
about zero that evening. 1t had
been nineteen degrees above.
Captain Tyson thinks the ill.,
feeling and bad designs of Buddinqton
and few others who were his accom-
plices had continued from the first, on
account of Captain Halls determina-
ton to 60 Us far as possible,
and Buddington's determination,
from fear or whatever cause, that
he should not. After Halls death most
of the others were in favor of contin-
uing and pushing north and Tyson
says that Buddington several times ex-
pressed his determination to send them,
Tyson and his party, on the road to
HI as soon as opportunity offered.
He characterizes Buddington as q
sc0undrel, and declares that he pur-
posely abandoned them to destruction.
He gives Meyers the character of being
energetic and qualified in his depart
ment, but thinks be was not sufficiently
aware OF the condition of affairs at the
time Of the separation and the posi-
bility Of getting rescued to be eble to
give any opinion upon it. The Ger
mans, according to his account, ruled
the ship after Captain Halls death,
and there was neither law nor system
on board, everyone working entirely
on his own account.
Associated Press Dispatch.
Capt. Tyson did not speak fully as
to the death of Capt. Hall. He ap
peared to be deeply greved and reticent
On the subject connected with his ad.
ventures. That especially touched his
feelings even more than bis own suffer.
ings. No doubt Capt. Tyson and Mr..
Myers are in possession of information
which they are unwilling to communl.
cate yet, but which will doubtless be
made public at the proper time.
Jo., THE EsQU1MAUx,
says, partly in answer to inference.
and partly on his own account without
being interrogated:
All very fond Of Captain Hall did
not like Buddington always talking
behind back, and asking to stay all the
time, Some men here in st. Johns
and some in the ship used to quarrel
went with Captain Hall with the pur
pose to go with sledge north. Aftel
Hall died Buddington would not go.
tell Buddineton I come to 90 north
He would not let me go. Buddingtor
and quarrel q good deal about it.
went with Hall on the last sled, ani