Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-20
THE POLARIS.
Result Of Robeson's Investigation.
His Report to the Presidenr

His Report TO the President.
WASHINGTON, June 19.--Seeretary Rob-
eson has sent to the President his report in
full of the investigation of the Polaris mat
ter In which he says the statement of all
the persons rescued who could speak or un-
derstand English except that of the wife of
Hans Christian was taken down and now
together with diary kept by some of the
party on the &c and the diary of the cruise
of the Poaris0he latter kept in German by
Hermann Searons one Of the seaman re.
naming on board an. picked up on the ice
after separation from the ship are being
rapidly printed, the bulk of them being al
ready in type. r,se
BuddfngtOn Yet 60 be Heard.
Secretary Robson says it must be clearly
understood that in permitting this publica-
tion the Department will neither make nor
declare a " Judgment against Buddington,
who has no opportunity for defence or ex-
planation. The facts show that, though he
was wanting in enthusiasm for the grand
objects of the expedition and at times
grossly lax in discipline, and though he diff
fered in Judgment as TO the possibility, safe
ty and propriety of taking the ship further
north, yet he is an experienced and careful
navigator and a man not affected TO liquor,
of which none remained on board at the
time of the separation, safe and compe-
tent commander. TEe Secretary then gives
the details already made public of the
measures taken By him to send the steamers
Juniata and Tigress to the relief, if posi-
bic, of the Polaris and the remainder of
her crew. The Tigress he proposes TO pur-
chase and strengthen for the service re-
quired in search the Arctic regions.
Capt. Tyson, Esquimaux Joe and al the
rescued seamen will accompany the eXpe-
dition, being anxious 10 rescue their COM
rades and bring oup their old ship.
Can't. Halls NOrthernost Reach.
From the report of the testimony We
make the following extracts:
In his sleigh ride towards the pole, Capt.
Hall discovered as appears by his dispatch
river, lake and large inlet, the latter in
latitude 81 degrees 81 seconds north. He
named this Newman's bay, calling its north
ern point Cape Brevoort and the southern
one Sumner headland. At Cape BreVoort,
in latitude 80 degrees 2 seconds north, lon
gitude 81 degrees 20 seconds west, he rested.
On October both be wrote his lsst dispatch
to the Secretary OF the Navy, the original
draft of which is found in lis own hand
writing and in bis own desk. As proved
on examination at Washington, afterit was
delivered to the Secretary of tbs Navy by
Exquimaux Joe, who had kept the desk in
his custody from time to time, it was pick
ed up on the ice after the separation of the
rescued party from the ship. .
After detailing his death, the report pro-
a1 of oil
the witnesses, and from their testimony as
given, we reach thu unanimous opinion
that his death suited naturally from dis.
ease without fault on the part of any one.
All persons examined testify to the uniform
kindness and care of Capt. Hall and to the
good order and efficient condition of the
Polaris while under his command.
After wintering in the ice, early III June,
before the Polaris was released from the
ice, Capt. Buddington dispatched Mr..
Chester and Tyson with boats to endeavor
to get as far north as practicable. With
much difficulty and delay they got as far
north as Newman's bay. They there
awaited the possible opening of the ice till
the middle of July, when written orders
from Capt. Buddington directed their re-
turn to the ship.
The Separation.
On the night of the 18th of Oct, in about
latitude 70 53 north, during a vic lent gale
of wind and snow, the ship was suddenly
beset by q tremendous pressure of ice
which was driven against her from the
southwark and forced under her, pressing
her up and out of the water and by success
sive and violent shocks finally throwing her
over on her beam end. Capt, Bdddington
directed the provisions and stores, out in
partial rediness before, to be thrown over
board on the ice and ordered half the crew
upon the ice to carry them upon thicker
part of the hammock where they would be
comparatively safe. He also sent all the
Esquimaux with kykacks out of the ship
and lowered the two remaining boats upon
the foe. While so engaged in the darkness
OF an arctic night iu the midst Of a fierce
gale and driving snow storm, the hawses of
the Polaris failed to hold her aud she broke
adrift from the foe and in a few minutes
was out of sight of the party were at that
moment on the ice.
1t is the uniform opinion Of the witnesses
and our unanimous conclusion from their
testimony and from the circumstances de-
tailed that the separation of lthe ship from
the men, women and children upon the foe
was purely accidental.
The Ship Still Visible.
After losing sight Of the ship some of the
men and large part of The provisions were
found to be af0st on a separate piece of
ice. The men were rescued by means OF
hoats which had haen saved on the ice and