The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-05-20
The Arctic Expeditlon-Death Of Captain
Hall and Failure Of the Undertaking.

The Arctic Expedition-Death Of Captain
Hall and Failure Of the Undertaking.
About two years ago the Polaris under
command of Capt. g. f. Hall, left for the
Arctic regions. The expedition has proved
failure.
On Monday of last week Captain IL. G
Tyson, assistant navigator and party
consisting of Frederick Meyer, the meteo-
roiogist of the expedition, eight of the
crew, and nine Esquimaux arrived at ST.
Johns N. F., who report that they had
been landed from the Polaris just before
she was driven from her moorings by
gale, ON the 10Th of October, 1872, in lati-
tude 70 deg. 35 min. The survivors were
taken off from an iceberg by the British
steamer Tigress, April 30, in latitude 53
deg. 80 min, after having spent the in
credible space of 1876 days on an iceberg.
Captain Tyson reports that Captain Hall
died fifteen days after returning from the
first expedition. He was paralyzed three
days before his death, and gradually sank,
dying at 1886 a. m. Meyer says he never
gave up hope of being rescued, but never
wants to get into so tight corner again.
The party never could have reached here
but for the Esquimaux.
The narratives of the survivors are full
of interest After passing the winter at
Polaris Bay, or the 9Th of June, 1879, they
attempted to reach the North by two boats
returning on the Sth of July. In August
they were beset with ice in 80 02, when
they drifted down to n 80. On the night
of the 10Th they commenced landing pro-
visions, &C., on the ice, the ship being re-
ported as leaking very badly at times. This
went on for several hours, when the ice
began to crack, and the vessel broke from
her moorings, and was soon lost to sight in
the darkness and the storm. On the bro
ken ice were most of the provisions, and,
seeing nothing of the vessel, they attempt
ed to reach shore in hopes of getting help
from the natives, but were forced back
again. But Captain Tyson ought to be let
speak for himself. He says: "At this time
| succeeded in saving fourteen cans of
pemmican, eleven and a half bags of bread,
ten dozen one and two pound cans of meat
and soup, fourteen hams, one small bag of
chocolate, weighing twenty pounds ; some
musk OK skins, few blankets, a number
of rifles and abundant ammunition. In the
morning knowing that | had not provisions
enough and other articles of food, clothing,
compasses, &C., on the abatement of the
7 I Il
as possible, both for food, light, and fuel,
but could only get three, owing to bad
weather having set in. | supposed the
wind to be about southwest. On its clear
miles of what supposed to be the east
coast, and about thirty or forty miles be-
low the ship. The ice being weak, could
not transport boats and provisions to land
until it grew stronger. While here dis
covered my other boat bread, g., and
saved all. The ice grew firm. l made
another attempt to reach the shore, carry
ing everything in the boats and dragging
them on their keel. The ice being exceed
ingly rough, we stove both boats. We
succeeded ON November 1st in getting about
half way to shore. Night came on us and
very stormy weather. In the morning the
ice was broken, and we were drifting
southwark very fast. We saw no more
land for many days, bad weather continu-
ing all through the month of November.
We built snow houses and made ourselves
as comfortable as we could. We were ten
white men, two Esquimanx, two women,
and five children in all. We succeeded in
killing few seals, which furnished us with
light and fuel with which to warm our
scanty allowance of food through the dark
ness of the Arctic winter. In the latter
part of February we lived principally upon
birds, and in March commenced to catch
seals. Through that month we supported
ourselves on bears and seals flesh, wasting
neither skin nor entrails. We collected
enough food in this way to last us until the
middle Of May, had we not been driven ia
sea by streng westerly gale in the latter
part OF March, our foe piece being then re.
duced from five miles ia circumference to
about twenty yards in diameter. We left
the place on LIST of April, and abandoned
nearly all of our meat, large amount ol
ammunition, clothing, skins, and other ar.
ticles, taking portion Of the meat in the
boat, which we were obliged to throw over
board on account of the boats being SC
deeply laden. / Iregained the outer edge o
the pack of ice GA the Sd of April, anG
succeeded in getting a little further in Oh
the mack ON the 4th. a heavy northeast