The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-11

OF captain Hal was destroyed from the
diaries and log books that were found in the
abandoned hut where Buddington and his
thirteen men had passed the winter before.
What does this mean? We recall at once
which gave to the lonely grave Of Captain
Hall q shockingly painful interest and
which pointed to some among his
fellow voyagers as worthy of degradation
which is made at once the climax of shame
and the end of life. We believe that the
official investigation dissipated the murky
cloud thus cast upon the good repute of those
whose fate is still mystery 80 far as it could
be dissipated there. Until we are enabled
to say whether this destruction Of all
reference to the death of their commander is
merely accidental or bears the evidence
of deliberate intention we shall reserve any
opinion on what it portends. Surely the
death of Captain Hall was pitiable enough to
cause q comment of some kind from the
hardest heart in all the company. The
statement of the Inspector Royal of
North Greenland is very important, as
coming from DISTINGUISHED party. He states
that the feeling of INSTRUMENTATION to Captain
BALL was promoted by DR.. Emil Bessel the
scientist, who is said to have wanted the
charge Of the expedition and wished "to give
it q German character" Oh, what unwcrthi-
ness and unmanlness are conveyed in the
bare assertion Of such characterization, where
unity cheerfulness and discipline were the
first things required! The point where the
deserted hut was found is undoubtedly the
spot where the party ON the ice-foe last saw
the persisted Polaris. 1t was so recognized
by Captain Tyson. We should be reader to
believe that the calculations of MIR. Meyer
were in fault than that the eye Of the man
should be who had once associated the physi-
cal features of the place with those i'm
pressive ones which have the haunting
power of despair. Northumberland Island
is sixty miles south Of Littleton
Island, and as the ship had drifted in the ice
pack from latitude 80 degrees OF minutes
southwark the mistake may be accounted for
ing that terrible night Of the 18th October, 1872.
1t is little thing to note, however, when
we recur to the fate of the fourteen beings
still missing of the crew. Ere this, if res
cued as they hoped, they should have been
heard from at least the tidings should soon
be to hand. Unless we hear of their safety in
O very few days the inference will be forced
upon the public that their fate has been in all
probability even more fearful than that of the
party separated from the Polaris and finally
rescued by the Tigress last spring.
We read in this narrowing intelligence an
other terrible but timely lesson of the folly of
exposing SO many valuable lives in an ill-con-
ceived endeavor and badly provided ship
among the relentless terrors of the icy ocean.
Every similar endeavor since the time when
the dauntless navigator Sebastian Cabot
undertook to find the royal road to
India has proved forlorn hope of geographic
ambition Thus far the explorer has made
but little progress in that perilous passage
for which Cabot and Willoughby sought,
attempted since so much in vain, and seeming
to be shut by jealous Nature with eternal bars.
Desperate as the chance may be on which the
safety of the Buddington party depends, we
shall yet cling to the hope of their rescue.
Never could be said more appropriately
Hope, like the glimmering taper's light,
Iilumes and cheers the way;
And still, as darker grows the night
Emits brighter ray.