Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-05-19
SEARCH FOR THE NORTHWEST
PASSAGE AND THE NORTH
POLE.

POLE.
Navigators have for many years sought
to find passage around the American
continent upon the north, by which they |
could pass to and from Asia. Many uD-
successful attempts have been made, in
which much time and money have been
expended, and many valuable lives have
been lost. In our remembrance, the
expeditions of Franklin. Kane, Hayes
and Hall have failed to accomplish the
desired object Three of the command
ers Franklin, Kane and Hall, with many
of their crew, lost their lives in these
attempts, while the fate of the ship Po-
laris, with part of its officers and men,
is unknown. No great advancement has
been made toward the northwest from
the most northerly ports in Greenland
by vessels, but by means of sledges drawn
by the Esquimaux dogs point within
about five hundred miles of the north
pole has been reached and open water
found. If a vessel could reach this open
polar sea it is probable that the mystic
rious and long sought axis of the earth
could be reached, and man could stand
where at one time in the year the sun
would be directly over head and appar-
emily as motionless as a star and where
the only point of compass would be
south. The last attempt to reach this
goal has been fraught with sad conse-
quences. Capt. Hall is dead--a portion
of his crew became separated from the
others and having foated away on an
ice island, lost sight of their vessel and
companions, endured untold suferings
and were providentially saved after
floating hundreds of miles to the south
ward, by vessel cruising off the coast
of Labrador. 1t will be remembered
that the navy department of the United
States fitted out small vessel called the
Polaris in 1871 and gave it to the COM
mand of the veteran Arctic explorer
Capt Hall, who with select board of
officers, q number of scientific men, and
an experienced crew were to make new
attempt to reach the open waters of the
polar sea, and if possible the north pole.
The ship left the northern port of Green
land in the latter part of August 1871,
and nothing had been heard from her
or her daring officers until the late news
just received from the rescued portion of
her crew. Capt. Hall sailed as far north
as the ice would permit, and then by
means Of sledges, reached latitude of
82.16 north. Being unable to proceed
farther he returned to his vessel and
went into winter quarters where he soon
after died of apoplexy. The following
dispatches will briefly give an account
of all that is known of the expedition,
and the rescue of part of the crew {:
"ST. JOINS, N. F., May 8.
"Just returned from Bay Roberts =
Capt Tyson reports having reached north
latitude 80. reached winter quarters
in September, 1871. in latitude 81.38,
longitude GA A. Capt Hall died Of
apoplexy. October s, 1871 was buried
about half mile southeast of ships
winter quarters. Crossed Kane's polar
sea sailed said to be strait about
fourteen miles wide, with appearance Of
open water north. Left winter quarters
on August II, 1872; got on beam ends
18th same month thence drove south tc
77.35, in ship, when, owing to heavy
pressure of the ice, vessel was thrown
up, and while landing stores, etc., vesse
broke away from her mornings with &
part Of her crew, and drifted away south
The vessel was at last seen under steam
and canvas, making for harbor on the
east side of Northumberland island. =
The Polaris is without boats Of thu
two landed on the ice with Capt. Tyson
one was burned to make water for tn,
crew, and the other is now in Bay Rob
erts. The crew lost the vessel on tn,
18th of October, 1872, and were picke(
up, last April, by the Tigress, in lati
tude So deg 80 min., having been 10,
days on the ice. No lives we're lost.
FROM CAPTAIN TYSON.
''We succeeded on the lst of Novembe
in getting about half way to the shore
when night came on us and very storm
weather. In the morning the ice wa
broken and we were drifting southwark
very fast. We saw no more land 70
many days. Bad weather continuing al
through the month of November, W
built snow houses and made ourselves a
comfortable as we could. We were tel
white men, two Esquimaux, two wome
and five children in ALL We succeeds
in killing few seals, which furnishe
us with light and fuel with which t
warm our scanty allowance of foo
through the darkness of the Arctic win
ter. In the latter part of February W
lived principally upon birds, and i
March commenced to catch seals.
Through that month we supported oul
selves on bears and seals flesh, wastin
neither skin nor entrails. We collecte
enough food in this way to last us unit
the middle of May, had we not bee