Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-13
The British Expedition.
FULL REPORTS OF CAPTAIN MARES FAILURE TO
REACH THE NORTH POLE.

)
REACH THE NORTH POLE.
The following telegram from Valeuia has been
forwarded to US by member of the expedition
"We have not reached the Pole. The passage
was mpracticable. We wintered in 81 deg ~
min. The highest latitude reached by the sledges
was SO deg. 20 mir. The highest land So deg. 7
min; the furtherest west, 81 deg. longitude.
Lady Franklin Straits is a bay. No Presidents
Land exists. Peterman Fiord was stopped by a
glacier. The most northern point of Greenland
seen was 81 deg. 81 min. Onr correspondent at
Valentia sends us the following telegram, dated
last night: This morning the Alert, one of the
two vessels which left England seventeen months
ago on the Arctic expedition, arrived in this har
Dor. The following are the details of her VOYAGE
After leaving Port Fouke, on the 29th july
1879, she entered the ice off Cape Sabine. After
severe and continuous struggle she reached the
north side of Lady Franklin Bay, where the Dis
coyery was left in winter quarters. The Alert
reached the limit Of navigation on the shore of
the Polar Sea, the ice varying up to $50 feet thick
Presidents Land does not exist. She wintered in
% deg u min. The sun was absent l42 days.
Spring travelling was intensely laborious; a de-
tachment journeying northward over the Polar
hoes was absent seventy days, and reached SO deg.
~ min. The party rounded Cape Columbia, the
extreme northern point of American land and
traced the shore 20 miles west. Greenland was
explored far to the eastward. The sledgers all
suffered from scurvy. They met no game. Hans
Christian Petersen died of frost bite; George Por-
ter OF the Alert; James Hand and Charles Paul
OF the Discovery, died while sledging. There
were no Esqumaux met with. All traces of them
ceased north of ol52. No cebergs were seen be-
yond Cape Union, one bear was seen during the
absence from the ship. So rugged was the ice
that sedges could only advance one mile a day
but they reached latitude SO deg. 20 min. after a
terrible struggle, being within 400 miles Of the
Pole.
While in winter quarters parties from the shin
made rich natural history collections and num-
Defs oil valuable scientific observations were TAX
en-. Coal, too, was found of excellent quality
near the Discovery, and beautiful fossil remains
OF coral were found in the extreme north. The
Expedition experienced the coolest weather ever
registered the temperature being 50 degree, be-
low zero for fortnight. The extreme lowest
temperature on any day was l0i degrees below
freezing point The Alert put into Valentia in
consequence of her rudder shifting She sighted
the Pandora all well south of Cape Farewell on
October 10; screw slightly damaged by the ice.
Inc Pandora called at the stations on Lttleton
Island and Cape Isabella, but was unable to reach
cape Sabine. The expedition not calling at Lit
Teton island on returning, missed the letters left
there by the Pandora. The Alert parted GONNA
ny with the Discovery on 10Th. The latter has
gone on to Queenstown. The health of the crew,
with the exceptions referred to above has been
good PROSTITUTES were severe, but not numerous.
Scurvy attacked several of the expedition There
was no sickness on the ice. Petersen the inter
prefer. died forty days after the amputaton of
both feet for frost-bite. Among the curiosities
brought home by the officers of the Alert is a
specimen OF wheat deposited by the Polaris when
That vessel was quartered in the Arctic regions.
Both officers and crew speak in unmeasured praise
OF Captain Mares. lie has in anxious times been
on deck, with the exception of few hours night
and day for thirty days, encouraging and assisting
ms weu-tried crew. Upon arriving at Vsentia
Captaln Mares with three officers, left immediate
y by special train to meet the evening express
from Killarney en- route to London. He takes
with him many interesting relics of the expedition
photographs, charts, &c. touching memorial
mas been erected by the officers and crew of the
expedition over the graves of ther deceased COM
rades, photographs of which have been taken and
preserved. The absence of fresh meat for snch a
iengthened period has been much felt by all and
next to home, the sight Of mutton has been the
long desired wish of their hearts.
An old whaler of great Arctic experience. who
mas been no less than twenty five times to the
Arctic circle, declares that no other expedition has
ever obtained such satisfactory results AS the pre.
eht, ana It's success has been much more than he
analcipateu. ne says the pole, of which they
were within 400 miles, is surrounded BY ice, the
thickness OF which he actually gave as 200 feet.
ine opinion OF all connected with the expedition
Is thsi 10 reach the Pole or to do more than has
oeen Gone by the Alert and Discovery is simply
mpracticabe." The same correspondent sepjs
the following additional particulars: "The Alert
parted with her escort owngi to severe weather
IN the Atlantic la latitude 81 80 they met with
iceoergs Zoo ieet deep. Both ships were at this
time ABOUT sixty seven miles apart, each sending
out separate sleigh expeditions on the ice, which,
looking northward, appeared intcrmnable. Each
TOOK different route. They returned to their re.
spectve ships after great exerton one party hav.
ing been away eighty -four days and the other sew
enty-five, and in each the men were in yerv
helpless condition, the officers being obliged to
prlng some of them back on the sleighs. In this
nlsh latitude they have not met many living
S6o, lucy sa" some traces OF the EsquimauX
scarcely any fowls were obtained. They were
exclusively used for invalids suffering from sour
Wy. Inc meeting between the inhabitants and
the ofhcers anu men was Of the most cordial des.
crlpuon. The Alert was not identified for some
ume' though flying the white ensign. The whole
OF her planking shows signs that She has suffered
considerably from the ices and her rudders (for
she had spare one) have both been yery much
damaged. One of these is at present being fem.
porarily repaired to enable her to reach Queens
town. whittier she proceeds for coal and to Join her
consort the Discovery.-London Daily Mems.
There is report that John Kelly is about to re.
tire from the leadership of Tammany Hall upon
his marriage which will it is said take place !, .