The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-02-04
THE POIARIS SURVIVORS.



A Strange story Of Captain TInlIz Inst
NnmCnts.
From the Now YorG Sun
The survivors Of tho PoIaris expodi.
tion met recently in the metropolitan
| hotel to make RrrangCmcntg to petition
congrcea for cxtrn compensation in view
Of their extraordinary hnrdRhipa, they
! having fIoaiCd ono hundred md ninety
Fix dayR on the ice before they wcro
rescued by the HigrcaR. Capt, J. Nor
riaon presided. Among those in attend
nnco worc &. w. G., Kruger, Frederick
Inmko, VIM. Nndcrmnnn and Gua
Tiudquist Many of tho survivors Of
the expedition hnd returned to gen, and
Mr.. Morria0n had boon doputed by them
to act in their names. Several Of them
woro unable to attend in consequences Of
sickness, and among thoRO Wna "Eauul-
mnux Joe, " to whoao fncuIty for procur-
ing food in the icobcrga tho survivors
owed thoir lives.
Tho chairman briefly announced tho
object Of the meeting, stating that na
he Ind. under tho instructlona Of Capt.
EThlI selected the men for tho polara,
and promiRcd TINT if amy kind of auc-
Cosa wna met with they would receive
such remuneration na would render
them independent for the roet Of their
lives, hc felt himself bound to aid thom
to ohImin Romo portion Of TINT rCmu-
ncrntion from COnFrCHR. The chairman
asked if my of tho survivors had HIa-
pici0n that Capt. Hall wns poisoned.
Tho unanimous reply was that they be
loved Cnpt Hall di0d n natural death.
Mr.. Kruger said, TINT he had first hoard
the rumor of the poisoning from
Cnpt. Tyson, md he believed it
originated from oxproRaona used hy
Capt. Hall in his delrium. Tho chair
mnn anid TINT ono Pat Coleman sailed
in tho PoIarR and died. IN n former
expedition Capt Hall fired Mt Coleman
and wounded him for rcfuaing to go for
deer. His death weighed very heavy
on Cnpt. Halls mind, and he used fire.
quontly to any that Coleman had for
given him before he died. Tho Captain
was much disturbed during his ilInosa
about this mans dolth, and it probably
served to upset hiR intellect md lod
him to fear thnt his own life would he
cndod by violence.
The question M to whether Capt.
Buddington had willfullv separated
from tho men on tho iceberg waH unRni-
mously answered in the negative. The
chairman said that William Nindcrmann
had, on m occasion Of great peril, whom
n reward of ono thousand dollars had |
been offered by Capt. BuddinFtOn to |
any man who would mako fast an anchor
to IN iceberg, accomplished tho tnsk. |
to n height of eighty feet on
the ice, cutting stops 0s he went, and |
doing the work Rallantly; but tho re-
ward had never been paid. He added |
that tho German government had given |
to tho survivors of the Hama arctic Cx-
pedition eight hundred dollars onch.
Tho Polnris survivors pay had been !
and one-third cents 3 day.
A petition TO congress- was rend, set |
ting forth tho peculiar hardshipa which |
the members of the expedition had nm
dergone, and praying for some compeu-
sntion for them and for Esquimaux Joe
md his wife. Mr. Hewott read n letter
from Cnpt. BuddingtOn, in which he
says: al am glad to hear yOu are
making efforts to have the Grew of tho
PoIaris justly compensated for tho Ia
bors and hardshlps they underwent
whiIo on the ice. II think they deserve
it, for better officers md crew | never
aniled with, including those on tho ice
md those who remained in the ship;
every man did his duty faithfully, and
my best wishes will always be with
hem, and whatever I can do toward
hem | shall do with tho greatest
lleasure.'
An address from Capt. Hall to his
rev, whiIo tho Polaris was lying in
Thank God harbor, wng presented to the
Meeting by Mr.. G. w. g. Kruger, who
md carefully preserved it through all
If his hardehipg, carrying it under his
Innnel shirt whiIo HoatinR on the leo.
It read
United States Steamship rolarR, G. r. Hall,
Commanding
S1Rs-The reception of your letter Of
hanks to me of this date | acknowledge
With heart that deeply feels and fully
appreciates the kindly foeling that has
you to this act.
need not assure you that your COM
nander has and over will have n lively :
interest in your welfare. You have left
our homes, friends, and country in
Iced, you have bid long farewell, for
time, to tho whole civilized world for
he object to aid me in discovering the
Mysterious parts of the earth; there I
ore, must and will care for you rs n
,rudent father cares for his faithful
Your commander, 6
G. +. HALL.
J. s. North Polar expedition, in winter ]
quarters, Thank God harbor, lat. 81 !
deg. 80 min. n. lon. 81 deg. Al min. {
W, Sept. d, 1871. !
The reading of this document, COM {
az like voice from the arctic grave Of 4,
ho gallant commander of the i'll fated !
xpodition, deeply affected the hardy :
pilors who had shared his hardships {
nd barely escaped his fate. 1t was 1,
,ritten in reply to n letter to Capt.
Tall from his ships company, assuring
i'm of their answering fidelity.
Following a Buck TO Sea.
IL i. ...,... re, |