Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-05-10
THE POLAR EXPEDITION.
Death of Captain Hall-Fitcen Of the
crew and Five ESqnilnauX Pick
ed Up-ParticuIars OF the
ExpeslitiOM, &c. &c.

Uu-HaFt1culHfS oA aAC
Expedition, &c. &c.
NEW York, May l0.-A special dispatch to
the Herald from Washington, says AFTER
general matters relating to the government had
ben discussed in the presence OF the President
after his return to this city this evening" ASsl5-
taut Secretary Davis. acting Secretary OF State,
brought the following important dispatch to the
notice of the Executive IRON the United States
Consul at ST. Johns, New toundlanu:
"Sr JouNs, New FoUNDLAND, May g
English sailing ship Walrus has just arrived,
and reports that the steamer Tigress picked
nm on the ice, at Grady Harbor Labrador, on
3lrh Of April last, fifteen of the crew and live
| Esouimaux of the steamer PolarlS, Of the Arctic
expedition. Capt. Hall died last summer
The Tgrcss is hourly expected at 81. JONI s.
+. n. MALLoY, u. S. Consul.
On receipt Of this dispatch the acting Sccre,,
tary of State at once telegraphed to Consul
| Malloy to ascertain the names OF the saved that
those having relations or friends on land might
he relieved from further anxiety. At the time
Of the deuarturc of the Polaris her iait was pre-
dcted by experienced naval Seatnen who have
carefully studied the charts and pronounced the
| massage taken by Capt Hall as only Il waste OF
money. The news Of the disaster to the Puiar!s
affected the President deeply rs he had hoped
that the enterprise Of the government IN tins
direction would rebound to our National honor.
New YORK, May lO.-A special dispatch
from St. Johns New Foundland, dated The
OH instant says The steamer Narus ar
rived from the seal fish ny at st. Johns this
morning bringing the news thar the steamer
| Tigress had came into Bay Roberts, IS miles
from here, having on board ~ survivors OF
| Halls arctic expedition The correspondent
Raw p,,En Ian n
the particulars. The Tigress was at anchor
| and the rescued men we're assembled on deck.
They furnishes. the following deeply thrilling
narrative OF the adventures of the expedition,
the death of Captain Hall and the tiual escape
of the surv, RS who were taken from an Ice
berg by the sress on the 30rh OF April last IN
latitude So. 50 after having spent 1876 days on
the foe. The ,Dlowlng are the names oil the
rescued H. /. Tyson, assistant navigator;
Fred. Meyer, mr,eoraagist; John Heron, stew
ard; W. G. kr ger, seaman. Fred. Jalnka,
seaman: VIM. N;udcmann, seaman; Fred. An
tiner. seaman; Gustaves r. Linguist, seaman:
Peter Johnston, scaman; VIM. jackson, cook;
Esouenaux Joe, interpreter; Hannah aud
child, Es,luemaux; Hans Christian, OF Kane $
expedition; Hans Christian ) wife and four chill
,lren, the youngest only eight months old
This party Which had been landed from the
Poaris, we're driven from her by gale which
burst her mornings on the 18th OF October,
| 1872, in latitude - So When they last saw
the Po!aris she was under steam and canvass
making for the harbor on the, cast side Of
Northumberland Island She had no boats
left of six she had brought with her from New
| York. Two were lost in the northern cXpedl-
ton. TWO were landed on the ice with Captain
Tystn's party, one was burnt as frewood TO
| make water for the crew. and the other Is on
board the Tegress. The Polaris was IN com
maud Of Capt Buld!ugtou, who had thirteen
of the crew aloug with him and plentiful
| stock Of PROVISIONS She was making good
deal Of water, but as Captain Budd!Dgton iu-
| formed the correspondent she was not more
leaky than when he was ou board all The prcyl-
Gus fall and winter. The Poaris was some
what damaged and it is the opinion of the
survivors that they will be unable to get clear
until July, and even then if the ship is unsea-
worthy, they would have to make new boats
TO effect an escape On the Sth OF October,
1871, in lat. 81. IS, long. Gl.44, Captain Hali
| died OF apopexy and was buried on shore,
where they erected wood cross to mark his
grave He had recently returned from the north,
ern sedge expedition, in which he had attained
lat 81. iC, lie seemed in his usual health and
had called all hands into the cabin to encour,
stimulate them to renewed exertions when he
was suddenly struck down and expired, to the
grief of those around, to whom he had eudcared
| himself by his Kindness AID devotion. In Sept,
1871. the Poaris entered into winter quarters
and left August Eth, 1872. The ice was very
heavy and set IN 4 southern direction; she was
forced South and so continued drifting till
CAPTAIN Tyson and party were driven from her.
| The sledge party crossed kane's Polar Sea
| which they pronounced to be a strait about 10
miles wide. There was the appearance OF
omen water to the north. The rescued party
suffered very much during their dreary drift,
| from hunger and cold. For the last two
months they ate raw seal and polar bear, as
| they could get it. When met by the Iigress
they showed evident signs Of their great suffer
| ing but duriug the nine days they have been on
board they have improved vastly and are now
in fair health. The party is IN charge OF the
| United States Consul and will arrive IN ST.
Johns Monday next. The following statement
was furnished the correspondent by Captain
tyson on August 9th, 1871, we lett Tlssln
sac and went through Smiths Sound. We
succeeded in getting as far north as latitude 81,
Is when we returned and 'wlntercd at Polarls
Bay, at 81 80 longitude 6l,44. We were
frozen up until the 9TH Of September. On the
10th of October Captain Hall started on the
sledge Journey north and returned on the 9th,
when be was taken sick and died on the Sth OF
Nov Hc was buried on the 18th; The attack
that carried him off was said TO be apoplcxy.
We passed the winter at Polarls Bay On
the Sth of June 1872, VIC attempted to reach
the north with ? boats. We hauled our other
boat on shore and returned overland on the
sth of July. We started for home on the 18th
OF August and on the 18th we were beset with
ice in latitude 5000. We dritted from there
down to latitude 1855, When we encountered
heavy southwest gale, the ship being under
heavy preSsue. On the night OF the 10Th,
we commenced landing provisions &c. on theice,
the vessel bcius reported leaking very badly
at times We continued landug provisions for
two or three hours when the pressure ceased,
went on boar the vessel aud asked the sailing
master if the rcssel was ma king any more wa
ter than usua! Hc reported she was not, L
then went to tie pumps and ascertalncd that
81 1cl,n RI