The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-11-10
THE POLAR REGIONS.
Return Of the Pandora to Ports
mouth, England.



Exciting Voyage OF the Vessel
an the Track Of Sir John
Franklin.
New YORK, Oct. l7.-Ao special
dispatch TO the Herald. dated Lon.
don rs, reports that th Pandora ar
rived safe and sound at Portsmouth
this afternoon, after an adyeutnrons
and eventful voyage on the Arctic
seas. The Pandora arrived safely
at Disco. and left that portion the
7th OF August. reaching Upernavfk
in time to leave there on the 18th.
After sailing from the port Of Up
ernavfz, the Pandora crossed the
dreaded Melville bay without, any
misfap. Contrary TO previous ex.
pecGation. the usual fields OF pack
ice we're not visible, and almost o
clear sheet OF water was found. con-
sequently the passage was made in
good time, AVID In smooth water.
fn due time the expedition reach
ed Carnss Island. where Commodore
Young anticipated finding dispatch
es that might have been left there
by Capt. Mares 10 be taken to tile
British admiral. In this he was dis
appointed. as no signs Of the gov
eTnment exploring expedition were
visible.
AS soon as the steamer Pandora
arrived at anchorage of Beechy is.
land. several Of the officers and crew
went ashore and made an examina-
tion Of the buiIdings. They found
store.house built for the benefit Of
the sailors or castaways OF ice.bonnd
vessels. On entering the building
they found the clothing and provis-
ions left there to be in O state of
terrible confusion. Everything Of o
movable nature was scattered about
in q most strange manner. At FIRST
il seemed to be the act of human be-
ings, but on further investigation
the PandOra people became satisfied
that the destruction Of The stores had
been accomplished by Polar bears,
as the tracks OF these animals were
visible in every direction, both in
eide anil outside the building. @
One OF. the discoveries made by
the Pandora's officers was that the
headboards over the graves Of Sir
John Franklin's men, who were ".
ing buried theres were still standing
upright, and In good preservation. !
On the 26th of August the Pando-
ra steamed away from Beechy Island
for Peel Strait; and then came the
most critical period Of the entire
voyage, for the steamer encountered
vast fields OF pack ice which made
the passage OF the vessel most diff.
cult and Iaborious. In struggling
through the pack ice, the Pandora
steadily worked her way onward. and
despite difficulty soon passed the
fartherest point reached bythe Fox.
when McClintoch was in search of
FrankliE's relics.
Soon after reaching this point the
pandora neared the island known as
King Williams Land. thus navigat-
ing tue sea were no ship was ever
before except that of Sir John
Franklin S. At this time most intense
excitement prevailed among the
officers and members of the expedi.
tiOn. as it was expected that some
thing important was at hand. Many
believed that they would be sure to
discover traces of Franklin's expedi.
tion and some were sanguine that
even Sir Johns papers would be
found. and that eventually they
would make Behring's strait.
| The Pandora stayed at this point
until the the 9TH of September when
finding no further progress was posi-.
BILE. Capt. Young and the officers saw
that they must decide either rtor remain
through the winter in the ice or return
| after mature consideration twas de.
cided to be useless to remain in win
ter quarters, and. that it would be
far better to return. The jo6rney
vas full of difficulties as the ice vas
sapidly forming, and the passage of
the Pandora was a constant series of
exciting scenes and narrow escapes
from moving ice foes.
Finally, escaping through Peel
Strait. the Ice still rapidly forming
and accumulating the steamer It
length reached Carn's Island in safe.
". There Capt. Young found the
long-looked for dispatches from
Capt. Mares for the British admiral
ty.-From Melville Bay the home
ward voyage was most eventfuI. The
dreaded bay once safely passed an
harmed. the Pandora steamed direct
for England and arrived safely in
port. s
Capt. Young reports that from the
prevalence OF north winds there Ia
-abundant promise that Capt. Mares
win prove successful. Should the ex-
pectations Of the Pandorass comman-
der be verified. Capt Mares will
proceed to the highest latitude pos
sible. ~
j =.