New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-02

to Halls death. Captain Buddington makes
a long statement, covering the whole voy.
age from the time the Polaris left Tessul ls-
SAX IN August. 1871. and gives brief ac'
| count OF Halls death.
On the 1wenty-:ourth Captain Hall re.
turned, having reached the bay. which he
named Newmans bay. Not long after his
| return Captain Hall was taken seriously
ill. and DR.. Bessel said his disease was
! apoplexv. For two weeks he continued in
| bad health. but now and again he would
! rally and appear wei! and then relapse
| suddenly. ON the morning of the eighth he
| died. and on the tenth we buried him halt a
| mile TO the south of the observatory.
We We're now n peculiarly embarass-
| ing condition; but considered il still Our
| duty to press toward the north pole. In
| consequence Of some little differences which
had occurred before Captain Halls death,
as we'll as from the novel situation in
which we. found ourselves. the har:
| mony which had previously prevailed
broken. On the thirteenth of November,
DIR. Bessel drew up paper. and asked
me TO sign it. which / did. 1t was
repetition of the instructions given by the
Navy Department to Captain Hall, prOvid
ing that l should continue as sailing and
vice master and control and direct the
movements Of the vessel, DR.. Bessel to con-
This paper concludes as follows: Ut is
our honest intention to honor our flag and
| to hoist 1t upon he northern point OF the
earth" Captain Buddington next describes
the separation from Tyson's party. and
says the POlacis was in most critical con-
ditiOn.
1t was only by the most strenuous efforts
that she was kept atioat until steam was
stal .ed and the deck pump got to work. by
which means the vessel was bailed out.
On the morning Of the sixteenth they
found they had drifted few miles north Of
L;ttleton island, in Smiths straits. They
looked from the masthead for their COM
panious, but could find no traces of them
Captain Buddington surveyed the Po-
laTis. and found the stern end entirely
broken Oft below the six.fOot mark. He
therefore considered her a lost vessel. and
immediately prepared to leave and live on
shore. In doing this they wels ably assist
ed BY party OF Esquimaux. After getting
every available thing on shore they stopped
the steam pumps. and let the Polaris fill,
While in their encampment they were Wis
tied by number of natives, who were very
kind.
The winter was passed in household
duties and in making preparations foS their
journey south in the spring.
The captain OF the Ravenscraig,' which
rescued the party. says when they were
first discovered they were thirteen or four
teen miles distant. making their way over
the ice to their ship. Eighteen picked men
were sent to their assistance. and it took
the entire party seven hours to make their
way back to his vessel.
This arose from the soft and slushy state
of the deep snow covering the ice. while
myriads OF huge hummacks were piled and
heaped everywhere over the surface, which
was also much split and full of treacherous
holes. into which many a founder took
place.
The party were delighted to hear of the
safety of their comrades. They never ex.
pected to hear from them more, and we1a
much surprised at their miraculous escape
from what appeared a lingering if not a
speedy death. Ii was. doubtless, also a
pTovidential circumstance that placed the
kavenscraig in position to pick this party
of eastaways up.
Had such not happened, it is highly prob.
able that none of them would have ever
reached the Danish settlement. When we
consider their resources as regards food,
the state of their boats and the impracti.
cability of travelling on foot a distance of
at least 800 miles over such treacherOus ice
as then covered the eXpanse of Melville
bay. Only about six weeks provisions
were let'. Although divided with the ut.
most economy. and even with plenty of am.
ilunltlon and arms. sufficient food could
not in all probability have been obtained to
support fourteen men during so long a
march. Bears, seals and birds are scarcely
to be got at.
The boats of the Poiaris crew both got
stove as sOon as they got entangled in She
Melville pack ice. Tne fist portion of
their voyage had been performed in open
water for the most part, SO that their great.
est difficulties were op'y begun when we
sighted them.
Moreover, the rest Of the journey must
have been attempted without shelter of any
kind. In fact. they were totally unpre.
pared. both as regards boats and clothing,
for such an arduous undertaking.