The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-06-11

five miles In leogth, which Captain
Hall named Robesons Channel, ate.
the Secretary OF the Navy. At yhs
northern extremity OF that cbnans! b.
found himselfin latitude so l6r The
land on the Greenland side here trendei
eastward, and another inlet or bay
opened, but the weather was TOO hsz,
in that direction to determine its extent
On the American side land was visiblt
to latitude 8S0, within four hundred anJ
twenty miles Of the Pole. What . glo-
rions chance ofsolving the problem o.
centuries. and winning the laurel crown.
Here the question arises, Why did moi
Captain Hall now press on He mel
with Ice at this point, bat it was by nc
means an impeuetrsble pack. lie
could have gone on, and wished to dc
30, and the responsibility OF turning
back must rest on Captain Buddington,
who concluded that it WAS unsafe to
advance, as no hsrbor might be found
in which to winter. What Q pity that
the party did not resolve to dare every.
thing, and seize the golden opportunity
which may not recur in the next hume
dred years. Possibly, had they done so
they might have found that Greenland
extends to the Pole. and that q watery
channel sewers ii from Grinnel Land
all the way; or possibly they might
hove found themselves in the open Po-
lar sea, some whre beyond latitude So.
The existence oil such sea is not yet
determined, but so far il seems that the
evidence is in favor OF Petermau's Q
theory OF Greenland being prolonged
over the Pole. Some other daring ex-
plorer will follow in his track and the
mystery OF the Pole may yet be solved.
THANK.OoD HARBoR-HALLs DEATH.
After turning south the Polaris again
passed through Robeson's Channel to
its southern extremity, where Captain
Hall discovered cape. which he named
Cape Lupton. At the head OF Polaris
Bay, in latitude SO 35, he found n
harbor, which he named "Thsnk-God
Harbor." where he wintered. 1t is re-
markable that the temperature here
did not sink lower thsn-5S0, and that
only for short time. and that musk
oxen were plentiful, also kind OF rab-
bit and q few birds. The expedition
in dog sledge which Captain Hall un-
dertook. resulted in the discovery OF
Newman's Bay, about Ave miles wide,
twenty miles north OF their winter quar-.
ters. This appears to be an arm Of
Polaris Bay. The death OF Captain
Hall was the result Of the aardships he
endured in this excursion. There Z. IL
not the slightest ground for the vulgar
suspicion expressed in some OF the
American newspapers, that his death
was the result Of foul play. No such
suspicion is entertained by any OF the
party here. DR.. Bessels attended him
on his death bed, and we may be sure
that every possible means was used, by
one 90 well qualified for his recovery.
EXPLORATIONS NORTH AND eoUrH.
With Hall died the hope OF carrying
out the object Of the expedition. From
some hints thrown out, / conclude that
after Captain Halls death discipline on
board was bnt imperfect. When spring
returned no northern expedition was
attempted along the ice. . matter much
to be regretted. DR.. Bessels and Mr..
Bryan surveyed part OF the coast be-
tween the Polaris' winter quarters and
Cape Constitution, but did not reach
the cape. In June q boat excursion
northward was attempted. but at tuch
an early period in the season it wss
vain to expect ia. find open water. The
boats had 10 return, and without wait
ing for the favorable time in August
and September, Captain Buddington
started for home. OF course there may
have been satisfactory reasons for all
these movements.
TaB VOYAGE ON TIE ICE.
/ have talked with several OF the
party regarding the misfortune by
which they were separated from the
ship, and all concur in representing il
as purely accidental. It may seem
strange that the EsquimauI women
and children were on the Ice, but il
seems that Captain Buddington. in the
hurry Of the moment, believing the. ship
in danger OF beng crushed ordered them
on the ice for safety. They are unable
to explain why greater efforts were not
made to rescue them by those on board
the Polaris, but none of them has any
suspicion ofsuch revolving barbarity as
their willful abandonment on the ice.
What is at present mysterious in the
movements OF the Polaris on the
day after the disaster will no
doubt be explained in due time.
WONDERFUL RUN OF TIE PoLARIs.
The wonderful good fortune which
attended the Polaris during the early
part OF her voyage 10 without . prece-
dent in Arctic exploration. She crossed
Melville Bay. the dread ofall Arctic
adventures, without encountering any
serious Obstacles from the ice, and reach-
ed the North Water without any trouble.
Thence her course up Smiths Sound
and Kennedy Channel was almost
through open water. Polaris Bay and
Robeson's Channel were found equally
clear Of impediment from ice; aud In
eight days after leaving Toesuc, the
the most northern port Of Southern
Greenland, the Polsris wss in latitude
82' lS, q most wonderful run 10 such
high latitudes. On the 1st Of Septem-
Der, 1871, her course Was arrested. 10
that short time, however. she did excel
lent service and made valuable discoy-
cries, which will have an important
bearing on future Arctic explorations.
All future expeditions will take the
route BY Smiths Sound. where II b now
sscsrtained that, at least occasionally,
the highway 10 the Polar sea or the