Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-23
ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS.
The Inception of Captain Halls En-
terprise.-The Lost Vessel--Her De-
parturc from New York Harbor.


Captain Hall was an old Arctic
explorer, but owed his distinction
chiefly to his search for the remains
of the Sir John Franklin expedition.
The absorbing theory of his life was
the existence of an open polar sea,
which he felt it was perfectly posi-
BILE to reach by crossing its ice
bound margin Oh sledgcs. Captain
Hall wrote and lectured a good deal
on the subject of the North Pole,
and like all men imbued with sin
glcness of purpose, he made his
way in the long run to the attention
of the public. Finally Congress
voted an appropriation OF $4,000
to fit out an expedition for the OBJ
jec, of giving a practical test to the
theory of Hall and aiding the pro-
gress of science and civilization
There was great deal of interest
felt throughout the country in the
enterprise, and this became more
evident when Congress, which just
then happened to be i'll parsimo-
Nous mood, appropriated liberal
means for its equipment. A gov
ernment vessel was set apart to be
fitted up specially with a view to
arctic navigation. This was the
Polaris, formerly the Periwinkle.-
She was exceedingly staunch and
we'll fitted, and Captain Hall gave
his days and nights to superintend
her equipment.
She was about 400 tons measure
ment, larger than the Advance, in
which DR.. Kane undertook his form
er voyage. She was planked all
over her sides with six inches of
solid white oak timbers, and was
throughout nearly doubled in
strength, her bows being almost a
solid mass of timber shcathcd with
iron and terminating in a sharp iron
plow, with which TO cut through the
ice. Her engine, which was built
some years ago at Messrs. Neatles
& Levy's " orks, Philadelphia, was
exceedingly compact and powerful,
and took up comparatively little
space. The propeller was arranged
in such a manner that it could be
unshippcd and lifted up on deck
through shaft or propeller well in
the stern. a supply Of extra blades
were provided, SO that if one should
by accident get broken it could al
ways be replaced. There was also
an extra ruddcr on board, and sew
eral suits of sails and sets of spars
of all dimensions. OF the two boil.
ers one was supplied with an appa-
ratus to use whale oil for the gener-
alton of steam, not only to furnish
the propclling power, but also to
heat up the vessel throughout by
steam. The Polaris was rugged as
a foretopsail schooner, and fully
able to sail and steer under canvas
only. She also had a new life-pre-
serving buoy placed on the outside
in the stern that could be lowered
into the water by touching spring
placed near the pilot house. By
touching another spring an electric
light affixed to the buoy, about two
feet above the water, could be ignit
ed by completing the circuit of al
electric current from galvanie
battery on board; and thus the buoy
could always be distinctly seen, and
a man falling overheard would
know in what direction to swim fol
help.
SKETCH OF CAPTAIN HALL.
| Captain Hall was about five fee
eight inches in height, with com
pact, firmly knit frame, indicative
Of great vigor and strength, ant
weighed probably about 100 pounds
He had large head. with a profu
sion of thick, brown hair and heavy
brown beard, inclining to curl. Hi
forehead was broad and massive
with a full development Of the TEN
poral and coronal regions. His eye
were blue and the whole expression
of the countenancc firm, but yer,
agreeable, kind and pleasant. Cap
tain Hall hailed from Cincinnati
where he was once engaged in tn
newspaper business, publishing tn
Occaasionul and afterward tn
Daily Penny Press. In his Garlic
years he was q blacksmith, workin.
at the forge, and his robust deyel
opment, beyond question, was il
some measure attributable to tn
exercise of that ardent occupation
He was in no wise a scientific 0
highly educated man, but had re
markably practical mind, with
great deal of force of character. H
had never studied the science Q
navigation even, though he was
through experience and aptitude, a
competent to navigate ship o
conduct an overland exploring ea
pedition as any of the daring ban
of discoverers that had endeayore'