Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-23

Oeen tne common properly OF INC
world.
DR.. Emil Bissels was the chief of
the scientific corps of the expedition,
and a member of a former enterprise
sent out under the auspices of the
Prussian Government to discover
the North Pole. DIR. Bissels was a
young man of very high reputation
as a scientist. He was a graduate
of the famous University Of Heidel-
berg, and was highly indorsed by
such men as the celebrated DR.. Pc
termann, of Gotha, the greatest liv-
ing geographer in the world, and
Professor Agassiz. He was a neph-
ew of the renowned astronomer, DR..
Bissels, who first determined the
exact distance from the earth Of the
star Alpha, in the constellation OF
the Swan, and several others of the
fixed stars. In person he was slight.
ly and gracefully built; large and
Intellectual head, with a heavy, dark
beard; profusion of dark hair,
handsome dark eyes and regularly
nodded features. He was most
enthusiastic naturalist, and fully
caught the electric enthusiasm OF
his chief.
Mr.. William Morton, the famous
discoverer of Kane's open sea, acted
as second mate. He was with the
first Grinnell expedition, twenty
three years ago, and was thorough
ly convcrsant with all the mysteries
of arctic navigation. Mr.. Morton
was the firm friend and right hand
man of DIR. Kane, and was eminent
ly qualified for the duties of his po'
sition. He was about five feet ten
inches high, with firm, bold, hand
some face, light brown hair, auburn
beard, prominent nose, and a very
quiet and modest, but firm and de-
termined bearing. He hailed from
Jersey City. He discovered the
open Polar Sea in 1854, near the
eighty-third parallel. Moving north
ward over the ice barriers in Smith s
Sound, Morton and his party reach
ed an iceless sea, having tempera-
ture of about forty degrees above
zcro-eight degrees above the freez-
ing point of fresh, and twelve de-
grees above that of salt, water
Large waves dashed on the beach
with the swell of the ocean; seals
were sporting, and innumerable wa
ter fowls feeding, in it's waters, and
it was marked by the phenomena of
regular tides. The discovery of this
sea made Morton at once famous all
over the world.
The second in command of the
Polaris was Captain Sidney 0. Bud
dington, whose title was sailing and
ice master, and who had been a
whaler for thirty-one years of his
life; H. c. Tyson, assistant naviga-
tor; Hubbard G. Chester, chief mate;
Emile Schuman, chief engineer, a
native of Saxony; A, A. Odell, as,
sistant engineer; w. F. Campbell,
fireman; John w. Booth, fireman;
John Heron, steward; VIM. Jack
son, cook; Nathan J. Coffin, carpen-
ter; Hermon Simons, Frederick Ant,
ing, J. w. G. Kruger, Henry Hobby,
Joseph B. Manch, G. w. Linguist,
Peter Johnson, VIM. Niedeman,
Frederick Jamka, Noah Hayes, all
seamen; r. w. ID. Bryan, astrono,
mer and chaplain; Frederick Meyer,
meteorologist, ETC.; Joe, Esquimaux
Interpreter and general assistant;
Puny, daughter of Joe and Hannah;
Hans Christian, dog driver, hunter,
etc.; wife of Hans Christian, three
children of Hans Christian-in all
thirty-nine souls.
PLAN OF THE VOYAGE.
1t was Captain Halls design, af-
ter leaving New York, to go to ST.
Johns, Newfoundland, staying there
to get a few dogs and certain stores
for arctic navigation, which are
more easily obtained at that port
than elsewhere. From thence he
was to steer for Disco, in Green
land, and perhaps touch at Holsteln-
bourg. At Disco he was to estab.
lish rendezvous, whittier he could
resort for supplies If needed, instead
of coming nearer home. Vessels
could be more heavily ladened up in
Baffin's Bay and the contiguous wa
ters (they being smooth and lake
like in charactcr) than they could
with safety to meet the heavy swells,
the fierce gusts, or the storms OF the
Atlantic. Hence, as a storeshlp
the United States steamship Con
gress followed the Polaris with pro
visions and all materials necessary,
to be debarked at Disco, the south
erly rendezvous of the expedition
He was to obtain his dogs from Up
ernavik, Disco or Tissonack, tho
most northern settlement in Green
land, and thereafter at such point as
he might need them. After leaving
Disco he was to strike boldly-across
Baffin's Bay into Jones' Sound, il
latitude seventy-six, and after sail
ing about 200 miles to strike off sud
denly to the northward. He was in
different, he said, about winterine
in Jones' Sound, having hopes O
getting his vessel into winter quar-
ters of latitude eighty degrees. II
was in the month of April Of last
year he calculated to commence
sledging it toward the pole, which
he was so confident of reaching. H'
also reckoned that if Ellesmere
which extends from Jones' Sount
northward, continued upward to tn
pole, he would have no difficulty il
reaching it within 100 days. Ha'
he found the land and ice terminal
in an open polar sea, he was prepar
ed 10y means of boats to complete
the trip. He lndulged the hope o
anchoring the Polaris right over tn
North Pole itself.
Captain Hall was an adept il
sledge travelling. He travelled il
his time over 10000 miles i'll sledg
es, and considered himself acquaint
ed with all the minutia of such ;
manner of locomotion. He intende'
to essay the irksome task of trainin!
his men to adopt the customs OF tn
native Esquimaux in their food an
1 H. Lo,o1 +o hr;uu hic fnl