The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-01-23
THE POLARIs SURVIVORS,.
A Strange story of. Captain HaIps Last
Moments.
From the New York Sun.


From the New York Sun.
The survivors of the Polaris expedi-
ton met recently in the Metropolitan
hotel to make arrangements to petition
congress for extra compensation In view
of their extraordinary hardships, they
having foated one hundred and ninety
six days on the ice before they were
rescued by the Tigress. Capt. J. Nor
rison presided. Among those in attend
ance were G. W. O. Kruger, Frederick
Jamke, VIM. Nindermann and Gus
Lindquist. Many of the survivors of
the expedition had returned to sea, and
Mr.. Morrison had been deputed by them
to act in their names. Several of them
were unable to attend in consequence of
sickness, and among these was "Esqui-
naux Joe, I" to whose faculty for procur-
ing food in the icebergs the survivors
owed their lives.
The chairman briefly announced the
object of the meeting, stating that as
he had, under the instructions of Capt.
Hall, selected the men for the Polaris,
and promised that if any kind of sue
cess was met with they would receive
such remuneration as would render
them independent for the rest of their
lives, he felt himself bound to aid them
to obtain some portion of that remu-
neration from congress. The chairman
asked if any of the survivors had sus-
picion that Capt. Hall was poisoned.
The unanimous reply was that they be
lieved Capt. Hall died a natural death.
Mr.. Kruger said that he had first heard
the rumor of the poisoning from
Capt. Tyson, and he believed it
originated from expressions used by
Capt. Hall in his delirium. The chair
man said that one Pat Coleman sailed
in the Polaris and died. In a former
expedition Capt. Hall fred,at Coleman
and wounded him for refusing to go for
deer. His death weighed very heavy
on Capt. Halls mind, and he used fire.
quently to say that Coleman had for
given him before he died. The Captain
was much disturbed during his illness
about this mans death, and it probably
served to upset his intellect and led
him to fear that his own life would be
ended by violence.
The question as to whether Capt.
Buddington had willfully separated
from the men on the iceberg was unani-
mously answered in the negative. The
chairman said that William Nindermann
had, on an occasion of great peril, when
q reward of one thousand dollars had
been offered by Capt. Buddington to
any man who would make fast an anchor
to an iceberg, accomplished the task,
climbing to height of eighty feet on
the ice, cutting steps as he went, and
doing the work gallantly; but the re-
ward had never been paid. He added
that the German government had given
to the survivors of the Hama arctic ex-
pedition eight hundred dollars each.
The Polaris survivors pay had been
eighty-five and one-third cents q day.
A petition to congress was read, set
ting forth the peculiar hardships which
the members of the expedition had I'M
dergone, and praying for some compen-
satiop for them and for Esquimaux Joe
and his wife. Mr.. Hewett read a letter
from Capt. Buddington, in which he
says: 81 am glad to hear you are
making efforts to have the crew of the
Polaris Justly compensated for the Ia
bors and hardships they underwent
while on the ice. I think they deserve
it, for better officers and crew I never
sailed with, including those on the ice
and those who remained in the ship
every man did his duty faithfully, and
my best wishes will always be with
them, and whatever I can do toward
them I shall do with the greatest
pleasure"
An address from Capt. Hall to his
crew, while the Polaris was lying in
Thank God harbor, was presented to the
meeting by Mr.. G. w. @. Kruger, who
had carefully preserved it through all
of his hardships, carrying it under his
flannel shirt while floating on the ice.
It read
United States Steamship Polaris, C. f. Hall,
Commanding:
SIRs-The reception of your letter of
thanks to me of this date I acknowledge
with heart that deeply feels and fully
appreciates the kindly feeling that has
prompted you to this act.
need not assure you that your COM
mander has and ever will have lively
interest in your welfare. You have left
your homes, friends, and country-in-
deed, you have bid a long farewell, for
a time, to the whole civilized world for
the object to aid me in discovering the
mysterious parts of the earth there
fore, must and viii care for you as
prudent father cares for his faithful
children. Your commander,
G. F. HALL.
U. S. North Polar expedition, in winter
quarters, Thank God harbor, lat. 81
deg. 38 min. N, Ion. 81 deg. Al min.
W., Sept. "a, 1871.
The reading of this document, COM
ing like voice from the arctic grave of
the gallant commander of the i'll -fated
expedition, deeply affected the hardy
sailors who had shared his hardships
and barely escaped his fate. It was
written in reply to a letter to Capt.