Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-22
THE POLaRIs.
The Death and B,drial of Capt. Hall.
Probabilities OF His Having Besn
Poisoned. -
SailinS nS-Master BuddiDgton Accused
of the Dark Deed.
The CastaWays Deliberately Aban'
dened.
The Simple Story of an Esquimanx.


The Simple Story Of an Esquimanx.
The Open Polar Sea In Sight
When Miserable Quarrels Balk Fur
ther Progress.
NEW YORK, May 21 John HerroD,
steward of the. Polaris, makes the follew-
ing statement concerning the sickness OF
Capt. Hall; Capt. Hall had good health
up to the time Of his returning from the
sledge expedition. He was [not] sick
when he came on board, but complained
soon afterwards and said that the heat Of
the cabin affected him. 1 asked what he
would have. Was anxious to get Bim
something nice. He didn't care about any
thing but cup of coffee, and didn't drink
even that. He was sick a fortnight and
talked very little. lie was perfectly delri-
Gus the last few days. I think he was par
alyzed in one side. There was nothing
sudden about his death. He was attended
by DIR. BesseIs and Mr.. Morton who did
everything in their power to alleviate his
sufferings. His death made US all feel very
SAD.
Capt. Tyson, speaking of Capt. Halls
death, says Hall was sick fifteen days. He
started from the ship on the sled expedi-
ton northWards on the 10th of October.
He was absent fourteen days and returned
on the 24h of October to the ship. Ga
the Sth of November he died, and was bu-
fied on the llth. His grave bore south
southeast and about five hundred PAGES dis
tant from the observatory in Polsris Bay,
which was in latitude 81 deg. 36 min., lon
gitude 81 deg. Al min., on shore. We
erec,ed board over his grave with an in
scription giving his name, age fifty years,
date of death and command of North Polar
expedi. Ion. All hands except the cook
attended his funeral. 1t was dark, dis
nal, cold, windy and disagreeable day.
The wind was mournfully bowling and the
hearts Of all were enveloped in the deepest
sadness. held the lantern, and by the
light of it the beautiful service of the Epis-
copal church was read by Mr.. Bryant. Few
of those present at the burial will forget the
deeply affecting scene. Old sailors whose
faces had been bronzed by the summer
suns and frozen in Arctic seas wept aloud.
Capt. Hall was universally beloved, and his
death at the time when the enterprise prom
ised so hopefully was felt by his survivors
to be an irretrievable loss. Those thoughts
were uppermost in the minds of all, and
when the funeral party returned to the ship
there was q hushed silence attending the
p riormanee of every duty.
Esquimaux Joe, in a published state
ment, speaks in disapproving way OF Capt.
Buddington, the sailing master OF the Po-
laris, and says Hall was
Poisoned,
and that Hall so expressed himself to him,
saying there W as something bad ID the coffee
which he drank on returning from the
Sledge expedition; that it made him sick,
and that he had burnir G sensation. Hans
Christians statement is to the same effect.
The prevailing impression among the un-
fortunate nineteen who were left behind,
was that Buddingten bad wilfully aband-
oned them to their fate. He had becn an
ticipating the breaking up of the ice fol-
some time, and if he had wished to have
taken Tyson and bis companions on board
he could easily have represented matters to
them in snch light that they would not
have ventured to be absent at so critical a
iuncture. But no such intimation was Civ
en- to the men on the ice. The vessel did
not drift away SO suddenly that the
men could not have been rescued from theil
perilous position.
Tyson says: [ could have got aboard tht
vessel that night and been there now, but
would not leave the women and children
NV duty was ON the ice. | thought he
would get back to US the next day.. which
he could have done. The breaking away
Waa caused b7 the foe to which the ship
was fastened drifting between the land anC
some icebergs that were jammed. The jan
broke up the foe ind the vessel broke away
1t was about nine or ten o'clock at night
The temperature was about zero that eve
ming. 1t had be en- nineteen degrees above
Capt. Tyson thinks the i'll feeling anc
bad designs of Buddington and few 9th
ers who were bis accomplices had contin-
ued from the first on account Of Capt
Halls determination to go as far north a
possible, and Buddington's determii alton
from fear or whatever cause, that ha shoult
not. After Halls death most of the other
were In favor of continuing and pushing
north, and Tyson says that BuddingtOn seV
eral times expressed his determination Il
send them dyson and his party) on
The Road to Hell
as soon as opportunity offered. He charaC
terizes Buddington as a great scoundrel
and declares that he purposely abandOne
them to destruction. He gives Myers tn
character of being energetic and qualifie'
in his department, but thinks he was no
sufficiently aware Of the condition OF affair
at the time of the separation and the poss
bility of rescuing them, to be able TO Civ
any opinion npon it. The Germans, az
cording to his account, ruled the ship sfte
Halls DEATH, and there was neither law no
system on board, every one working entire
ly on his own account.
Capt. Ty son did not speak fully as to th
death of Capt. Hall. He appeared to b
deeply gri eyed and retlcsnt upon the su
ject conn ected with his adventures that es
pecially touched his feelings, even his owr
sufferings. No doubt Capt. Tyson AM
Mr.. Myers are in possession of information
which they are unwilling to communicat'
vet, but which will doubtless be made pub
lie at the proper time.
The Esquimaux's Story,
Joe says, partly in answer to inquire
and partly speaking on his own accoun
without beiIig interrogated at all:
Very fond, of Capt. Hall. Didn't ik
Buidington; always talking behind bacl
asking story all the time. Some men her
in st. JohnS and some in ship used to qua
rel. l went with Capt. Hall on purpose
60 osedge to north. After Hall died But
dington wouldn't go. tell Buddington
c7me to go north. He wouldn't let me g
Buddington and / qusrreiled good de-
about It. / went with Hall on last sled al
| Hans and Chester the mate. We went tift
miles nor ID of the ship on ice and lanf
Found musk OK tracks on land. Sun neal
ly gone. When come back to ship Ha
told me- when sick somebody give hi
sometb ing bad. He was sick two week
Buddington did not take care OF him.
think it not right. Msde me feel ba
Sick man, good man too. Throat swellt
something. Could not drink. Said
burn inside. / stopped up with him eve
night with another man. Hall was In caDl
talked to Hall much. He no talk to OF
ers much as me. 1 didn't see Hall on tir
night after he came from sled. Can
aboard with him IN afternoon. He look
well, happy, and spoke nice. The four
ns (Hall, Chester, Hans and JOEY had ct
fee when came aboard. | had mi
in nv own room unde
neathsz cabin. Hall in cab
81 at