Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-21
POLARIS CREW.
Narrative Of the SufFerings Of
Captain BuddingtOn and his
Companions Of the
POlaris.
How, Where, and When the
Steamer was AbandOned-A
Story Of Suffering and
Endurance.
Means Of Eseape-HOw it Was
AccOmplished-The Rescue
No Reason to Believe the
Mutiny Story.

No Reason to BeIieyethe
Mutiny Story.
New YcRK, September D.-The
T5-ibstneis cable special from Dundee,
Scotland, says: The whaling steamer
Arctic, Captain Adams, arrived az this
port from Davis straits, having on board I
the hien Of the Polaris expedition, who
were picked uPsby the whaler Ravens
craig, on the twentieth OF July. The !
raefi are alI well, and show marks Of
ernaciati0n such as might have been ex-
peeted after their terrible experiences.
The following
NARRATIVE OF INCIDENTS,
which occurred after the separation OF |
the crew, il gathered rom conversation
with several Of The Party;
The Polaris had been leaeIng badly /
before the fifteenth of October, ls'zi I
and her situation ultimately became so /
alarming that it was deemed advisable /
to make preparations TO abandon her.
This was srrived at on the fifteenth OF i
October, at which time they were In lat /
itude 79e. Some of the crew remained \
aboard, while others landed on the ice, |
and they began to get out the stores I
with the intention Of taking everything l
they would need for long sojourn in /
those frozen regions. Between ten i
and twelve O'Clock at night, while this
work was proceeding, a very severe gale |
snrang up, and snow began % fall /
heavily, with a strong, but variable |
wind. Operations were commenced, /
and after great effort the boats We're got !
upon the ice, and large supply of pro- |
visions taken out. Suddenly the |
anchors, by which the ship was made |
fast to the ice, gave awsy-one swapping /
and the other tearing. This occurred |
about midnight. The anchor in start |
ing tore OFF large piece from the foe, /
with three men on it, and as the POlaris /
drove past them, they cried out, in an
agony of terror,
WHAT ARE WE TO Do?"
Captain Buddington shouted back that |
be could do nothing for them; they had |
boats and provisions, and must shift for /
themselves as best they could. INOTE- |
These three men, Sergeant Meyer and |
two Others, were saved with the Tycoon /
party. Signed-EDITORs.l In a few |
moments those on the POlaris saw q boat |
launched and manned by three men, |
making for the place where their COM |
rades were stationed. In a short time 4
the storm and darkness shut cut every !
thing from their view. The feelings of /
the men can be imagined as, with half |
the crew left to perish, as they supposed, I
in a desert of ice and snow, the ship /
drifted away helpless, until at last she |
brought up at LifebOat Cove. The pros |
pect was now gloomy enough. There |
seemed to be little prospect Of their re-
naming in the Polaris, as she still |
leaked fearfully, and in her damaged
condition
BUDDINGTON HAD NO HOPE
of getting further south with her. 1t
was, therefore, determined to beach her,
but the question was how could that be
done. The wind being favorable, an
opening in the pack was finally discOv-
cred, and the ship was bore through
under canvass. everything apparently
favored the work, but though the ship
was only few miles from shore, it took
twelve hours to get her close in. The
next consideration was to provide shell
ter for the men on shore. All the tim
bers from between decks were torn out,
and the provisions were deposited on the
ice. The coal was removed, and every
thing useful was secured. The walls of
a house we're then built of heavy planks,
jointed to exclude wind, and the root
was made OF sails. In such home the
long winter was passed. Some help
was received from three Esquimaux,
who discovered the wrecked ship and
- 2
visions over the ice from The vessel.
They gave still more
VALUABLE AID
by supplying skins for clothing, of which
the crew were greatly in need, for many
of their clothes were worn out and many
more lost when the vessel broke away
on the night of the fifteenth. The Es-
quimAux had plenty, and though they
were filthy smelling garments, the cast
aways gladly accepted the Esquimaux
costume OF fur trousers, coats, hats and
boots. Through the long, dreary winter
the men kept up their spirits remark
ably well. The snow fell heavily, but
it served to protect their frail habitatiOn
and make 1t more comfortable. Their
arrangements we're so complete that no
visit to the ship was necessary be-
fore January 9th, when they went
for q supply Of wood. Fresh water
was obtained in abundance by collecting
parts Of icebergs and melting them.
Toward the end of winter, Chester sug-
gested that some means should be agreed
on to extrieate the party from their
PERILOUs POSITION.
The provisions were gradually dimin-
ishng, and fuel, of which only six tons
had been obtained from the ship nearly
exhausted. The Polaris was still available
for materials, and it was now proposed
to build two boats. A survey by Ches-
ter showed that the lining of the cabin
could be used, and this was accordingly
stripped sff.
During spring months, with the ther-
nometer twenty-three degrees below
zero, and frequent and binding drifts,
the building of boats went on. The
situation grew daily more discourage g,
but work was never relaxed, and the
courage of the men never failed. Ad-
vancing steadily, the crew were ready to
depart by the end of June, with a de-
termination to push forward. Just at
this moment, when everything wss in
readiness, they were alarmed by
APPEARANCE OF sCURvY.
Happily, however, the attack proved
slight, and the plentiful supply of wal
rus liver they got from the Esquimaux
enabled them to avert the disease.
When the boats were launched they
leaked a good deal, but the men deter
mined to trust them, and slowing
aboard all their remaining provisions
and ammunition, they said farewell TO
Life-bOat Cove. If not p rfectly
tight, the boats proved themselves ex-
eellent sailors and remarkably easy TO
row, and on the first day the voysgers
reached SOutOg bay. After remaining
there q short time, 70 regain their
strength, the party made for Hacklaugt
island, where it was brought to a
staadstill by a tremendous gale, which
blew three days, with
CONTINUOUS FALL OF SNOW.
for that time. Immense docks OF ducks,
a bird of the Penguin species, were en-
cOuatered here, however, and as the
men could easily take up their guns and
kill ten OF them at a shot there was
plentiful supply Of provisions which
were very thankfully received. Ocea-
siOnally their tiny crafts were sadly be-
set, and it was feared they would come
to grief, but they were among the ice
and there was nothing to be done but to
force a passage southward at all haz-
ards. After enduring perils, from
which their escape seemed almost mi
raeulOus, they succeeded at last, through
great exertion, in reaching Cape Perry,
a few miles below at Cape Clarresa
rock. An encampment was made every
night. When the labOrs of the day
were over, the boats were hauled upon
the ice and everything taken cut, and
the only hot meal was prepared. The
apparatus for cooking was Of the most
primitive character. Each boat carried
a quantity of rigging from the Polaris
and q can of oil; with these fire was
made in the bottom Of an old bucket.
and tea was the only thing we made on
such an apparatus. We suffered, but
not seriously. The life was
ROUGH, LABoRIoUS AND MONOTONoUs,
but though dangers occasionally pre-
sented themselves, calculated to inspire
the greatest fear, no serious accident oc-
Cured. On the twenty-6rst of June
the boats reached Cape York in safety.
Here they were again closely beset with
ice. On the tWenty-third their troubles
came to an end. A whaler was deserted
a few miles of, and then the whole party
was at once in turmoil Of excitement,
a great fear seemed to take possession
| 4. a tl,aro a1I 81 ouoo that the chin r,afvl,t