The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-05-29
The PoIaris Expedition.

The PoIaris Expedition.
The mails have now brought from St.
Johns, Newfoundland, long accounts and
personal statements concerning the Polaris
expedition to the North polar region, the
illness, leath and burial Of Captain Hall,
and the drift of Tyson's party on the ice
t1oe. hey contain much that is of thrill
| ling interest. in addition to the te egraphed
accounts which were Published ten days
| ago, and if we are to credit the stories OF
| the EsqulnauX, and the differences which
are presened in other parts of the account
| as it comes to us, Captain Hall was MUIR
dered by poison Buddington the sailing
| master, is reported to be q scoundrel of
the worst sO,t, who by malicious misrep-
| resentations prevented Captain Hall from
pushing on With the expedition in the
winter OF 1871, and who heartlessly aban-
doned Tyson and his party to their fate,
when he might have got them all back on
the Polaris. On the other hand special
despatch to the Daily Advertiser SAYS that
the story OF Captain Halls poisoning is
discredited by the Secretary of the Navy,
and shows causes for personal enmity be-
tween Tyson and Buddington which may
account for the charges which the former
makes. From the accounts by mail the
following is made Up, beginning with the
story of Joe, the Esouimaux, whose state
ment is given in what purports to be sub
tantially his own words =
STATEMENT OF TIE EsoUIMAUX.
Very fond of Captain Hall Didn't like
Buddington; always talking behind back.
Ships stern broken. Blow hard when
drove from ship. Couldn't get aboard
Some men here Gin St. Johns) and some
! in ship used to quarrel. | went with Cap
tain Hall purpose to 90 sledge to north.
AfteriHall died Buddngton wouldn't 90. |
see with two eve and two ear. tell Bud
dington l come to 90 north. He wouldn't
let me go. Buddington and | quarrelled
a'good deal about it. went with Hall on
last sled and Hans and Chester (the mate)
Wewent fifty miles north of the ship on ice
and land. Found musk OK tracks on land.
| sun nearly gone when came back to ship.
llaIl told me when sick somebody gave
him something bad. He was sick two
weeks Buddngton did not take care of
him. Sick man good man. too. Throat
Swelled something; couldn't drink Said
he burned inside. | stopped up with him
every night with another man; he sleep
wake, | wake he sleep. Hall was in cabin
talked with Hall much. He no talk to
others much as me. | didn't see Hall in
hrSt night after he came aboard from sled
| Came board with him in afternoon. lie
looked well, happy, and spoke nice The
four OF us, Hall, Chester, Hans and Joe
had coffee when came aboard | had
NINE III my own room, underneath cabin.
Hall in cabin, and two others in galley,
At 10 O'Clock that night my wife told me
Hall very sick; vomiting; eat something.
Next morning | 60 see him and say,
What matter % He say, You pretty
well, Joe? ?" | say "Yes." He say, .'You
drink bad coffee last night ?" say ''No."
| ask him, did he drink bad coffee ?" He
say, Something bad in coffee | drink last
night, making me sick and stomach bad. "
Same morning he get very sick, vomiting.
After live days he feel better; wake up
and say he want to see my little girl, and
say to her he think he would leave her,
but didn't like. After he got better he get
four doctor books to try and see what
make him sick. He study hard, and say
TO me. THAT name is maxim me sick y
TJoe explained that he Captain Hall)
here pointed to name in one Of the
books, which he read out. 1t was some
thing about poison. | think After Hall
die everybody watching one another Me
no understand what they mean All afraid
somebody put down poison in water,
bread or something. 1t looked like it he
was poisoned to rae all same. Budding
ton didn't like to go to cabin. He was
quarrelling all time.
Hans Christians statement upon this
subject, although much briefer. is to the
same effect.
OTHER STATEMENTS CONCERNING CAPTAIN
John Heron, the steward, makes the
following statement; Captain Hall had
good health up to the time of returning
from the sledge expedition. He was not
sick when he came on board, but com
planned soon afterwards and said the heat
Of the cabin affected him. He got water
to wash and put on clean underclothing
/ asked him what he would have-was
anxious to get him something nice. He
didn't care about anything but a cup o.
coffee and didn't drink even that. haC
no conversation with Captain Hall when
he was sick, except to ask him if he was
better occasionally or how he was, anG
such like. He was sick fortnight anC
talked very little. He was perfectly de-
lirous for the last few days | think ht
was paralyzed on one side. Heard no one
say 50. 1t was my own opinion There
was nothing sudden about his death. He
was attended by DR.. Bessells and Mr.
Morton, who did everything in their power
to alleviate his sufferings, but without eff
feet. His illness cast gloom over the
entire company, and was the first dis
coIraging circumstance which had oc
CURED in connection with the expedition
His death made us all feel very sad.
Captain Tyson, speaking of Captain
Halls death says: Hall was sick fifteer
days. At the first he was paralyzed anc
then delirious. He was insensible wher
he died. He started from the ship on
sled expedition northwards on the 10th 0
October. He was absent fourteen days
and returned on the Path of October tt
the ship. On the 9Th of November ht
died. and was buried on the 11th. Hi
grave bore south-southeast, and abou
five hundred PAGES distant from the OBJ
servatory in Polaris Bay. which was il
latitude 81 degrees 80 minutes, Longitude
81 degrees A minutes, on the shore. W.
erected Il board over his grave, with al
inscription cut giving his name, age Gift,
years., date of death and command O
North Polar expedition. All hands, ex
cept the cook, attended his funeral. l
was dark, dismal, cold, windy and dis
agreeable day. l held a lantern and b.
the light of it the beautiful service of tn
Episcopal church was read by Mr.. Bryant
Few of those who were present at tn
burial will forget the deeply affectin,
scene. Old sailors wept aloud. Capital
Hall was universally beloved, and hi
death atd time when the enterprise promis
ed SO hopefully was felt by his survivor
to be an irretrevabe loss.
Captain Tyson thinks that the death {