The Tipton advertiser., 1876-11-09

The British Arctic Expedition mas
returned, finding it impossible to PEN
citrate to that mythical place called the
North pole. The expedition consisted
of the two vessels the Alert and the
Discovery. under, Captain Mares
The account given by the Captain Is
one Of interest.
The Alert and Discovery left Port
Faulke on July 18th, and entered the
ice of Cape Sable. After severe and
continuous struggle they reached the
north side Of Lady Franklin Bay
where the Discovery was left In win
ter quarters. The Alert pushed on
and reached the limit of navigation
on the Polar Sea, where the ice varied
in thickness, being in some places lSl
feet deep. President Land does not
exist.
The Alert wintered in latitude s.,
81. At this point the sun was inyisi-
l42 days, and temperature the lowest
ever recorded was experienced. A de
tachment with sledges was dispatched
norfhvard. II was absent seventy
DAYS, and reached latitude So, %. An
other party rounded Cape Columbia,
the northern-most point OF America,
and traced % miles westward from
Greenland, and also explored far to
the eastward. These sledge parties
met with no game, and suffered
from scurvy. Hans Peterson died
from frost bite. John Porter, of the
Alert. and James Hans and Charles,
Paul, of the Discovery, died on the
sledging expeditions No Esquimaux
were seen, nor were any icebergs met
with beyond Cape Union.
The expedition encountered great
difficulties in returning. The Alert :
rudder-bolt was damaged The vessels
Ieft Smiths Sound Sept 9. They sig.
mailed the Pandora Oct Is. all we'll
The Alert parted from the Discovery
in 3 gale on Oct. 10. She viii shift
her rudder at yalentia, and proceed
TO Queenstown to coal The Admiral
at Queenstown telegraphs that the
Discovery is expected to arrive hourly.
The lowest temperature during the
winter was loi degrees below the freez-
ing point,
During the sleige journeys the ice
was 20 rugged that ii was only posi-
ble to advance mile day. During
the winter rich collections in the de-
partment of natural history were made
and many valuable scientific obeerva-
tons taken. Excellent coal was found
near the place where the Discovery
wintered- The expedition experien-
ced the coolest weather ever register
Cd, the temperature being 50 degrees
below zero for fortnight, and falling
once 10 iu5 degrees oxio~ line freezing
point.
The Pandora, when spoken by the
Alert, reported her screw slightly dam
aged by ice. The Pandora called at
Littleton Island and Cape Isabella,
but was unable to reach Cape Sabine.
As the expedition did not touch at
Littleton Island on his return, it mis-
tine tine letters lefi 10y the Pandora
The health Of the crews, with the
exceptions already mentioned, has
been good. Frostbites were severe,
but not numerous. Peterson, the in
terpreter, died in forty days after
both feet had been amputated for frost
bites.
All the members of the expedition
declare it impossible to get nearer the
pole than their northern exploring
party, which penetrated to within 40
miles of it. On the return from their
sledge journey the men were in very
helpless condition, and it was necea-
sary to draw some of them on the
sledges. The planking of the Alert
was much damaged by Ice.
A member of the expedition tele-
graphs to the Daily -NeWs that the
Northernmost land reached was in
latitude s3.07. After that there was
ice. The Point furthest west reached
was in longitude s.. Lady Frank
Inns Straits is really bay.
Petermann Fiord was closed by a
glancer. The northernmost point in
Greenland seen was in latitude s2.57