New Orleans Republican., 1873-06-22
THE POLARIS.


Secretary RObeson has completed his re-
port of the investigation of the POlaris
matter and forwarded it to the President.
The following are some of it's most i'm
portant features:
Secretary Robson says it must be clearly.
understood tba. the department: neither
make nor declare any tudgmen: against
who has TO opportunity for
an explanation Of facts. which show that,
though he was perhaps wanting in enthu-
siasm for the grand objects Of the expedi-
ton, and at times grossly lax in discipline
and though he differed in judgment as to
the possibility. safety and propriety OF
taking the ship further north-yet he IS an
and careful navigator. and
a man not addicted to liquor, Of which
none remained on board at the time Of
separations: and safe and competent com
mander. The Secretary gives details OF
measures taken by him to send the steamers
Juniata and Tigress to the relief, if possible,
of the Polaris and the remainder of her
crew. The Tigress he proposed 70 purchase
and strengthen for the service required in
the search in the Arctic regions. Captain
Tyson, Esquimaux Joe and all the rescued
seamen will accompany the expedition,
being anxious TO rescue their comrades and
bring out their old ship. The following is
the result of the investigation and exami-
nation Of Captain Tyson, Frederick Meyer,
Esquimaux Joe and others of the rescued
crew:
At midnight on the third of September,
1871, Captain Hall landed with boat ca
the east shore Of Polaris bay, and i'll the
name of God and the President of the
United States, raised the American flag On
the land he had discovered. On one occa-
sion, while beset in Robeson straits, the Po-
laris seemed to be in such danger, being
crushed, that the provisions were placed on
the ice, and measures taken to be in readi-
ness for leaving her. She happily escaped
without injury. Immediately after securing
his ship in winter quarters, Captain Hall
made preparations for a sledge journey
and the other work was COM
meaced landing and setting up an Observa-
tory, getting scientific observations under
ship and making all snug for the winter.
On the tenth of October Captain Hall left
the Polaris, accompanied by Mr.. Chester,
first mate, and Esquimaux Joe and Hans,
with sledgec and fourteen dogs. Setting
out on this expedition, the first step taken
by Captain Hall tell upon land more north
ern than a white mans foot ever before
touched.
In the progress of the journey, unhap-
PLY the last that Captain Hall was to make
toward the pole, he discovered, as appears
fch IoE
inlet, the latter in latitude $40 81 north
He named this Newman's bay, calling the
northern point Cape Brevoort and the
southern one Sumner headland. At Cape
in latitude S2o 9 north, longitude
Go 20' west, he rested, making there his
sixth snow encampment. On the twentieth
of October he wrote his last dispatch to the
Secretary of the Navy, the original draft
of which was found in his own handwrit-
ing and in his desk, on its examination in
Washin gton after it was delivered to the
Secretary of the Navy by Es9uimaux Joe,
who had kept the desk in his custody from
the time it was picked up on the ice, after
the separation Of the rescued party from
the ship.
A copy of this. dispatch, so siDgularly
accompanies this report. Cap
tain Hall himself described a transcript OF
it in a cairn on the side of a mountain at
Cape Brevoort. Captain Hall, it appears,
had hoped, when he left the POlaris on this
Journey. Ito advance northward at least
one hundred miles, but after having gone
about fifty he was compelled, by the condi
ton of the shore and of the ice, and by the
state of the climate, to return and await
the approach of spring for another attempt.
He reached the ship on the twenty-tourth
of October, apparently in his usual fine
health, but was attacked that evening with
sickness of stomach, and vomiting, and
taking to his bed, was found next day to
be seriously i'll. His most marked symp
toms seem from the evidence to have been
such as indicated congestion OF the brain,
by delirium and partial para
lysis of one side.
The witnesses all state that his attack
was called apOplexy, and some of them
speak of their own knowledge of his paraiy-
sis and delirium. He recovered some days
after sufficiently to move about in the cabin
q little, and TO attend to business. but soon
relapsed and became again delirious, and
died November s, 1871. Three days after
be was buried on shore. From a personal
of all the witnesses, and from
their testimony as given, we reach the un-
animous opinion that the death of Captain
Hall resulted naturally, from disease, with
Dut faults on the part of any one. All the
persons examined testify to the uniform
kindness and care OF Captain Hall. and to
inc good order and efficient condition of the
POlaris, while under his command. On the
leath Of Captain Hall, Buddington. as had
been provided for in the instructions for
The voyage. issued by the Secretary of
The Navy, succeeded to the command of
,he POlaris. Tho winter was passed !
as usual, in the Arctic region. Early
IN June, before the Polarls was released
from the ice, Captain BuddingtOn dis
patched Mr.. Chester and Captain Tyson
with boats. to endeavOr to get as far north
as practicable. With much difficulty and
ielay they got as far north as Newman's
Day. They here awaited a possible opening
n the ice until the middle of July, when
written orders from Captain Buddington
directed their return to the ship. While
hey were away, and some time in June,
he POlaris had broken out of her winter
quarters, and had made several attempts to
proceed northward to pick up the party
with the boats. but the ice was found
20 be impossible. and Captain Budding
;On. on receiving the party on board,
determined to make the best of his way
he ice would permit They started south
n August. 1872, and slowly made their way
along the western shore until the next day.
when the ship having got further in mid
channel. she was beset by ice in latitude
aboutI SO 40' north. and was in dan.
ger of wreck for some hours. when she
was freed again. On the sixteenth OF
August the ship was made fast to a large
loe of ice. in latitude 500 north and
ongitude about 6So west. and while still
iast to this foe drifted south through
Smiths sound nearly to Northumberland
sland. In pursuance Of usual orders under
similar circumstances a quantity of pro-
visions and some fuel had been placed on
she deck Of the steamer, in readiness to be
TO the ice should the safety of the
ship become endangered, and it was ordered
and understood that if crisis should be-
come imminent, not only these stores but
.iO@b;nv panars rac0rlS at trumapra INNS