The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-21
any one of the seething dishes which are set
before them almost hourly, favored with
small grain of some fresh seasoning.
The POlaris Survivors and Halls
Death-The Government Search.

small grain OF some fresh seasoning.
The Polaris Survivors and Halls
Death-The Government Search.
Our special dispatches from Dundee, Scot
land, bring us the emphatic denial of DR.. Bes-
sci and Emil Schumann, the chief engineer of
the Polaris, concerning the rumors of foul
play in the death of Captain Hall. We have
always held that these rumors should be care
fully handled, in default of full information
from all sides. What we now learn from the
two members above named of the expedition
is to the effect that he died of apoplexy, and
that it was only during the delirium OF illness
that he manifested great fears of being shot or
poisoned. 1t would be reasonable enough to
suppose that all this is true, but we hope to
see the matter set SO clearly before the world
that there can be ''no loop or hinge to hang
doubt upon" The necessity which exists for
having the entire truth told will doubtless act
upon the parties concerned and actuate an en-
tire laying bare of all the facts. We must re-
member, however, that though the groundwork
upon which the poisoning rumor took shape
was noticeable for want of frmness, yet that
the facts which gave the strongest coloring to
its probability are daily receiving stronger
confirmation. We refer to the lamentable
spirit of INSTRUMENTATION which divided the
command against the commander. The
graphic and interesting letters of our CORE
spondent from Greenland contain, among
other matters of great interest, remarkable
inf rxyiax will Syni ba n,
Inspector of Greenland. His evidence on the
matter leaves no doubt on our minds Of the
deplorable decentralization which existed on
board of the Polaris, just as her commander
was about to venture forth in the fearful
wastes of the frozen cline. There.was snap
of the spirit of true authority in the proposal,
to be found elsewhere, of the late Captain
Davenport, of the United States steamer Con-
gress, to end the matter at once. Mr. Smiths
statements are direct, and tally fully with
Captain Davenport's report upon the insub-
ordination that existed, except that they spe-
city directly who were the cause and instru-
ments of this reprehensible action. We
can imagine no situation on board ship in
which the most cheerful and complete dis
cipline could be more emphatically needed.
The fear-flled mutterings of the Pickering
spirit of Captain Hall, before it went out for
ever in the desolate gloom of the Arctic night,
indicate that the knowledge of this insubordi-
nation, where it should least exist, had caused
him the bitterest agony, even in perfect
health. The poisoning of Captain Hall would
have been crime of the most infamous mag
nitude; but the accusations Of envy of COM
mand, impatience of restraint, fomenting of
discord and objectionable contempt of legal
authority are things that, if proven, will take
deep tint in the rank of transgressions. The
persons implicated will do well to bring all
their knowledge of the facts to bear, in order
that the world may see their conduct through
out in the light which they would desire it to
be seen in We would wish to be able to say
that no stain to American honor remained
from an expedition in the cause of
science which achieved much, though fail
ing of its ultimate object; which has
the ill-timed death Of great explorer
like martyrs aureole upon its record, which
in q miraculous chain Of events brought all,
save the great explorer, safe through the awful
perils of savage soitudes, wherein ice, cold,
snow and hyperborean darkness commihgled,
to the warmth and light of home and friends.
Such is our earnest desire, and, in default of
it's being gratifed, we can only sadly resolve
to distribute the blame where it is deserved.
Our Greenland letters also graphically de-
scribe the search made by the Tgress for the
missing men. That it might have been more
thorough at Littleton Island and more inteli-
gent afterwards is an opinion largely held.
We shall know more of the motives governing
it when Commander Greer returns, as we
hope he soon may. prosecution of the now
useless search in the Arctic waters, if ex-
tended many days longer, may defer his re-
turn for whole season, as every day makes
the chances greater of the Tigress being frozen
in. 1t is but Just to state that she is well pre-
pared for this contingency.
Sal 0ANlx nppsD