Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-27
NO. ISL.
CAPT. HALLS ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Omcial Report of the Secretary OF the
Navy.
CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY. !

CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY
On the night of the 18th of October, in
about lat. 10 degrees 53 minutes north,
during violent gale and snow. the need
for such preparation became apparent, as
the ship was suddenly beset by tremend-
Gus pressure of ice, which was driven
against her from the southwark and forced
under her, pressing her up out of the wa
ter. and by successive and violent shocks
finally throwing her on her beam ends
Captain Buddington directed the provis-
ions, stores and materials in readiness as
before described, to be thrown overheard
on the ice, and ordered half of the crew
upon the ice 10 carry them upon thicker
part to hummCcks, where they would be
comparatively safe. He also sent all the
Esquimaux with their kyocks out of the
ship, and lowered the two remaining boats
upon the foe.
While SO engaged in the darkness of ln
an artic night, in the might OF Il fierce gale
and driving snow storm, the hawsers OF
the Polaris failed to hold her. and she
broke adrilt from the foe, and in a few
minutes was out OF sight of the party,
who were at that time busily at work on
the ice. II is the uniform opinion of the
witnesses, and unanimous conclusion from
the testimony and from the circumstances
detailed that this separation of the ship
| from the men, women and children upon
| the ice tloe was purely accidental. After
losing sight of the ship, some Of the men
and large part of the provisions were
| found to be atloat on Il separate piece OF
| ice. The men were rescued by means OF
boats, which fortunately had been saved
on the ice, and the party thus collected on
q
they could.
The next day they made several attempts
to reach the land with the boats, but failed,
Notwithstanding their most persistent ct-
forts, owing to the obstruction of ice and
the violence of the wind. While thus
striving to get on shore, but at what par
ticular time of the day is not exactly as-
certained, the Polaris came in sight to the
northward, apparently coming toward the
foe under steam and sail an India rubber
blanket was hoisted on an oar and dis
played from the top of the hummock, the
colors were set and other signals We're
made to attract the attention of the POlaris,
and us she approached SO near to them
they plainly saw her down to her rail and
could distinguish her escape pipe and
kept on towards them until they supposed
her to be not more tlan iDHr miles OF
they felt sure she could force her way
| through the zee to their position, and that
in little while they Wonla lle again op
board.
| In this they weie disappointed; the Pol
aris altered her course and disappeared
behind the shore, some time atterward.
as the foe drifted away she was again
seen by some of the men under the land
with her sails furled and apparently at
anchor or made fast to the shore or ice. 1t
is most likely that the party on the ice was
seen from the Polars: the hut erected on
the foe, the ships boat. the colors, the
elevated signal blanket, and the group of
nineteen persons standing in relief agains.
u white background, could scarcely have
remained unnoticed. 1t was natural, un-
l.der these circumstances, that the party ON
the ice should have felt deeply disappoint-
ed at the failure of the ship to come to
their relief and should at the time have as
cribed it to overcaution, if not Indifference
| rather than inability on the part of her re-
sponsible commander.
, Neither is it unnatuii. that Ibis feeling,
| iostered during many watches of their
! long winter upon the ice, should still le-
main to affect, in greater or less degree,
their present Judgment on the subject, bu,
it must not be forgotten that they, like
ourselves, were and are without full intor-
| nation Of the actual condition of the Po-
aris at the time spoken, and cannot know
| how lar the geal dangers OF their position
were understood and apprehended by
subject dispassionutely. ana remenber-
ing that the Polaris had been SO roiliigla.
handled by the ice the night before that
both the captain and the crew thought she
would be lost, and attempted the removal
of her provisions and materials to the foe
that when she broke away and was swept
off by the gale her steam pipes, valves
and connections were found solid and
that she WAS for hours without steam, un-
manageable and in floating ice; that she
Twas still leaking from her broken stern.
and / I'D probably received other injuries
at,e. a,.s went adrtt, and that she was left
without !, single boat ofany kind. it seems
most likely t at her actual condition was
such as to impCSe upon her commander
the duty of gettias ler. with the lives and
property OF those GQdar his charge, at
once into Il position OF safety under the
shelter OF Northumberland Island, where
she was last seen by the party on the noe,
If such were the state OF the case. the
first duty of Captain Budd!ngton under
sncb circumstances was to look to his
vessel, particularly as he probably be-
ley,d The party on the ice could by the
lid of Two boats. the kyocks and scow in
in in their possession. find their way back to
ihc Polaris quite rs easily As he could
i.,rce his way to them. Shortly after the
Il po!aris had been sighted the second time,
a violent gale from the northeast sprang
Lap, tie weather became thick and the
land lo-,t sight of; the ice drifted away to
the southward, with these nineteen per-
sons upon it. In view of the circumstan-
ces detailed, it is therefore our unanimous
Judgment that this final separation from
The ship was also accidental.
| From Oct. 10, 1872, until April !, 1878,
when they We're picked up in latitude
about fiity-nine degrees north, these nine
teen men, women and children remained
through the whole Of a dark and dreary
winter upon the ice In their first endeay
or to reach land they occupied for a tim,
different pieces Of floating nee, but wer'
Z roraal pallv IA abandon all hone in fli