Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-07-01
THE POLARIS.
The Official Report of Secretary
Robson and the COmmiss-
ION of Inquiry.
CAPT. HALLS SLEDGE ExPEDET-
ION TO NEWM4NNs BAY AND
SUMMERS EEADLAND,
THE WINTER DRIFT HOME
WARDS.

ABSTRACT OF THE INVESTIGATION.
The following is the result of the in
vestigation and examination of Capt.
Tyson, Frederick Meyer, Esquimaux
Joe, and others of the rescue crew,
At midnight on the Sd of Septem-
Der, 1871, Capt. Hall landed with a
boat on the east shore of POlariS Bay,
and in the name of God and the Pres
ident of the United States raised the
American flag on the land he had dis
covered. On one occasion, while beset
in Robson Straights, the POlaris
seemed to be i'll such danger Of being
crushed that provisions Wee placed on
the ice and measures taken to be in
readiness for leaving her, but she hap
PLY escaped without injury. Imme-
diately after securing the ship in win
ter quarters. Capt Hall made prepaT-
alton for sledge journey nOrthward,
and other work. He commenced by
landing and setting up an observatory
and getting scientific observations un-
der way, surveying the harbOr, clear
ing up the ship, and making snug for
winter.
CAPT. HALLS SLEDGE EXPEDITION.
On the 10th of October Capt. Hall
left the Polaris, accompanied by MI.
Chester, the first mate and the Esqui-
maux Joe and Hans, with two sledges
and fourteen dogs. Setting out on this
expedition, the first step taken by
Capt. Hall he fell upon land more
northern than q white mans foot had
ever before touched. In the progress
of the journey, unhappily the last that
Capt. Hall was to make toward the
pole he discovered, as appears 10y his
dispatch, a river, lake and a large
inlet, the latter in latitude 81 degrees,
81 seconds north. He named this
Newan's Bay, calling its north point
Cape BrevOOrt, and the southern one
Summers Headland. At Cape Bre-
WORT, in latitude SO degrees, seconds
north, longitude 81 deg. 20 sec. west,
he rested, making there his sixth snow
encampment. On October 20 he wrote
his last dispatch to the Secretary OF
the Navy, the original draft of which
was found in his own handwriting
and on his own desk, on its eXami-
nation in Washington, after its deliv-
cry to the Secretary of the Navy by
EsquimauX Joe, who had kept the
desk in his custody from the time ii
was picked up on the ice after the
separation of the rescued party from
the ship. A copy of this dispatch, go
singularly preserved, accompanies this
report. Capt. Hall himself deposited
a transcript of it in cairn in the side
Of a mountain at Cape BrevOort.
HIS RETURN AND DEATH:
Capt. Hall, it appears, had hoped
when he left the POlaris on this jour-
ney to advance northward at least one
hundred miles but after having gone
about fifty miles, he was compelled by
the condition 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. lie
reached the ship on October "A, ap-
parently in his usual fine health but
was attacked the same evening with
sickness of the stomach and vomiting,
and taking to his bed was next day,
found seriously i'll. His most marked
SYMPTOMS seem from the evidence to
have been such as indicated congestion
OF the brain, accompanied by delirium
and partial paralysis of one side. The
witnesses all state that his attack was
called apopleXy, and some of the M
speak of their own knowledge of his
paralysis and delirium. He recovered,
however, some days after, sufficiently
to leave his bed, to move about the
cabin little, and to attempt to attend
! to business. But he soon had a re-
lapse, became again delirious, and
,fN
! Three days after he was buried on
shore. From personal examination
Oh all the witnesses and from their
testimony as given, we reach the un-
aulnloGs opinion that the death OF
Capt' II; resulted naturally from dis
eaee' "lInOut fault on the part of any
one All the persons examined testi-
y 10 the uniform kindness and care OF
Capt han, and to the good order and
eIhclent condition of the Polaris while
under his command. '1-'0
CAPT. BURLINGTON TAKES Co,,,,,~
On the death of Capt. Hall Rrd-
! dipgton succeeded to the Command ~
| the Polaris, as had been provided fo,
| in the instructions for the voyage is.
sued by the Secretary of the NAVY
The winter was passed as usual in the
Arctic regions.
! CHESTER AND TYSoN'S EXPEDITION.
Early in June, before the PoIari.
was released from the ice, Capt. Bud
dington dispatched Mr.. Chester anC
Tyson with boats to endeavor to get a.
far north as practicable. With much
difficulty and delay. they got as fal
north as Newman's bay they there
awaited the possible opening of the
ice till the middle of July, when writ.
ten orders from Capt. Buddington dir
ected their return TO the ship.
BUDDINGToN's RETREAT SOUTHWARK
While they were away, and some
time in June, the Polaris had broken
out of her winter quarters, and haC