Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-19
THE POLARIS EXPEDITION.
What it accOmpIished-Su mm:ary
Of the Results o DIR. Peter
man. of (sOtlla.

What it accOmpIished-Su |
of the Results o DIR. Peter.
man, of GiOtha.
The summary of the results of the |
Polaris expepition, prepared by Prof.
Peterman, of Gotha, and by him trans
mitted to the Secretary of the Navy, |
shows that he regards the expedition |
as having been a substantial success
Its general results he gives as follows. |
THE POINT NEACHED.
While DIR. Walker prophesied that |
the first season of the expedition would |
pass without any results whatever, be- |
cause it had started SO late, the Polaris,
on the contrary, steamed through |
Smith Sound AMI Kennedy Channel, |
and through a new-t iscovered strait, |
which was named Robson Channel,
grees Is minutes north, and wintering
in latitude 81 degrees 80 north. The
highest latitude attained by any YES
sci before was 81 degrees 40 minutes
north, (north of Spitzbergen, by the
Swedish expedition, on Sept. 10, 1922
and ip,the region of Smith Sound, only
70 degrees 81 minutes north, (Rensse-
laer Harbor, kane's Winter quarters
in 1S53-55.) The northernmost Win
ter quarters of Europeans was also that
of the Swedish expedition, 1S72-73, in
Mossel Bay, on the north coast of
Spitzbergen, in latitude 70 degrees so
minutes north Thus, as is seen, the
American expedition had wintered still
two degrees further north. Compar-
ing these results with those of the Ger
man North Pole expedition, under
Capt. KOldeweyss command, it APP
pears that Capt. Hall reached, with
his vessel, nearly seven degrees fur
Their north than Capt. Koldewey, who
reached only as high as latitude rs de-
grees 81 minutes north. Even to the
high latitude of 50 degrees Is minutes
north seven degrees further north
than that of which Koldewey and his
companions spoke as an ice barrier
and a 'bullwark built for eternity and
| that it was their conviction no vessel
| will reach higher'-their remarks will
not apply. 1t was rather the fault of
the actual nautical commander of the
Pularis, Capt. Buddington, who, it
| would seem, did not possess interest
nor devotion enough for the grand OBJ
| ject, that the expedition did not attain
higher latitude. 1t is not only the
high latitude reached by the Polaris
| that is remarkable, but rather the
peculiar nature of the Polar Sea, where
| it has been attained, viz. through
Smiths Sound, Kennedy and Robson
| neck of hottie, and would seem to be
| especially favorable for the blocking of
| ice. Experience also teaches that
Smith Sound is particularly adapted
| for the accumulation of immense
| nf 100 NV -l,inl, Gov nrto
Kane and Hayes were debarred from
| going with their vessel further north
than latitude IS degrees 81 minutes.
| This was also one of the reasons that
caused me to urge the proposition to
| pursue North Pole explorations not
exclusively through Smiths Sound,
although before Hall no suitable
| steamer had ever made trial there.
| But it is now proven that even in this
relatively difficult and icy region it
| cannot be said that eternal ice exists
| and, furthermore, it was seen that adj
vancing in the vessel is the best means,
and that sledge journeying is to be re-
| lied on.
| WHAT CAPT. HALL ACCOMPLISHED.
! The short distance from Cairn Point
to Cape Hawks (torty-six nautical
miles, was made by Hayes and twelve
men in sledges with supcrhuman eff
| forts in thirty-One days, while Capt.
| Halls vessel made six times that dis
lance in scarcely two days. The Po-
| laris passed Port Foulkc in latitude
| rs degrees, Il minutes, 80 seconds on
| Aug. y, 1871. At 800 p. m, reaching
Rensselaer, Harbor ut 9 p. IN. and
| Cape Frazer at s o'clock on the morn
| ing of Aug. %, where Capt. Hall and
| five men landed in boat to examine
the coast for harbor. Streaming
thence further north they encountered
| great masses of ice, yet they passed at
II p. N. of the same day Cape Consti
! tuition, which is the northermost point
that was reached by Kane 0S54) i'll
slcdges. On August %, at l l a. IN,
they passed by Cape Lieber, in lati
| tude 81 degrees, 30 minutes north,
| furthermost point Of Hayes cxpcdi-
ton in 1861. Thus the Polaris made
| the distance from latitude IS degrees,
| II minutes. 30 seconds north to 81 de-
grees, 30 minutes north in forty-three
| and half hours. which by tie course
| taken, equals distance of ut least 30
| nautical miles. From Cape Licbcr
| their progress further north slackcncd
| III speed, yet already on the 3D. of
| tItN IitNt ltSt(lltNt tiit
| est latitude, 50 degrees, IS minutes
| north. On this latter track the ship
| met heavy floating ice, and had also to
| contend with fog and strong northern
| winds; still boats were repeatedly sent
| out to explore the coast. The Polaris
| then went back to latitude 81 degrees, So
! IN. north, where they made their Winter
! quarters Underall circustancesi it must
| be conced that this is the most impOr-
| tant expedition that ever went to the
| North Pole
TIE LAND DISCOVERIES.
| Regarding the land discoveries of
| Halls expedition, it is seen from the
| report that they set foot on land as
! north as 50 degrees: minutes !; the
| highest latitude OF land troddcn by
human foot before being on Cape
| Lieber, in latitude 81 degrees, 30 min
| utes, on May Is, 1861, by Hayes. In
latitude 50 degrees, minutes, they
| assembled an elevation of l, 700 feet,
from which they saw land extending,
| as they believe, as far as latitude 81
| confirms my formerly expressed Opin-
ions that Greenland extends northward
to the Behring's Straits, either as
finding of drift wood on Hall Land
makes it appear not improbable that
the land there is divided into lands. or
that perhaps the small Robeson chan
mel may afford the avenue for Asiatic
driftwoOd. On the other hand, the
occurrence of numerous musk oxen
would seem to point to the conclusion
that East Greenland, which the second
German expedition explored up to II
degrees north, is IN uninterrupted con-
nection with Hall Land up to 50 de-
grees, 80 minutes north.
THE ICE-FLOE DRIFT.
Besides their decisive successes, the
expedition met with the sad fate of
losing its highly-meritoriou COM
mander, Hall, who died i'll the Autumn
of the first year. In the second Sum-
mer on her return to latitude 80 de-
grees, 2 minutes north, the Polaris was
beset with ice and drifted down to