Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-09
Wy. Hayes on the British Arctic
Expedition.

sa sH4 #.
Dir, 7. L HAYES writes to the New
York World with reference to the
failure of the British Arctic Expedi-
ton
The Alert and Discovery are two
fine ships; both are screw steamers.
Never was there any expedition fitted
out by any Governmentso bountifully.
Nothing was wanting. They had
every scientific appliance, and the ex-
peditiou cost not less than S750,O00.
1T was to go to the North Pole and
make discoveries there, and the Brit
ish flag was to be planted on the north
ern axis of the earth, and of course
the world was to be astonished at
British energy and British pluck.
What is the result? One year of trial,
ice eighty feet thick, and no chance of
getting to the North Pole. In plain
terms, ! don't believe a word of it,
and ] don't believe that the expedition
had any right to return when it did.
Why, ! did nearly all they did with my
little bit of q schOOner-United States
which was not much more than half the
size of the DauntlesS. [ had no steam,
and could not work to windward
among the ice fields of Smith Sound,
and. becoming entangled, [ was forced
TO 90 into winter quarters in a
crippled condition, in latitude seventy
eight degrees seventeen minutes, at
the mouth Of that Sound. There [ re-
maiRed ten months before the ice
broke up and liberated me. With
steam ! could have gone further, but I
had no other alternative than to await
the spring, and tayel over the frozen
sea with dog sledges. [ marked, as
nearly as could be determined, lati-
tudc eighty-two degrees-say, $50
miles from the pole.
The journey was begun April 4, and
the highest latitude was reached May
is, after toilsome march of 700
miles. The return journey was short
CT, but in all [ estimated my journey
at 1,50o miles, and it occupied sixty
days. TO do this | travelled over a sea
which the English expedition sailed
over ii The summer, because they had
steam. They reached, therefore, by
water the point which | reached with
sledges-that is to say, Lady Franklin
Bay, which | crossed and explored.
Practically, therefore, the English ex-
pediti0n began where [ left off; and
why, with Il winter harbOr in Lady
Franklin Bay, they did not go on is
more than l can understand. My
winter harb0r was in latitude rs deg.
II min. rs | have said; DR. Kane, with
whom | served as surgeon, wintered
an latitude rs deg. 81 min.-both on
bhe Greenland side of Smith Sound.
Kane reached on the Greenland side
near latitude 81 deg. Icrossed over to
the Land Of my own discovery, Grin
nell Land and went some sixty miles
further and looked out as Kane did
upon an open sea. Kane was there in
June, in May, and yet both were in
terrupted by open water. Neither of
us had boats, the journey being made
with sledgeS. The ice over which we
travelled WIS thin and rotten at the
further north. [ saw but little ice be-
yond The last point. The northern
most land seen | named Cape Union.
which | fixed, not accurately, but as
near as possible, in latitude 50 deg. As
min, and for this discovery [ received,
after my return, medals and other
tokens from most of the civilized ma
tions Of the earth for having discovered
and actually stood upon the northern
most land ever reached by civilized
man.
The Alert seems to have reached
Cape Union. Beyond this, Capt. Hall
Thought he saw land, which he named
President Land. The English expedi-
ton reports that this land does not ex-
list. IN this | believe they are correct.
We are all apt to be prejudiced in ia
YOr Of our own views. | have ALWAYS
believed in the existence of an open
polar sea. l think l stood upon it's
shores iii 1861. [ believe that sea
nayigable, and l am utterly at loss
TO understand why the Alert and Dis
covery did not sail upon its waters,
unless we assume that the spirit
which animated Baffin, Ross, Parry
and the long list of arctic heroes has
died out with the advance of steam.
the telegraph and home comforts.
Now, please remember that this great
English expedition really started where
l left off. The North Pole was only
approached by some eighty miles
nearer than approached it. 1t is said
that the ice was eighty feet thick. In
plain English, | don't believe it, and T
don understand how it happened that
a grand expedition, fitted out with
such a great flourish of trumpets. at
such enormous cost, should have got
riUnfpOp1 after ono wintor o-,d INV