St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-08


William A. Mintzer, fine-looking,
gray-haired man with very erect and
rather military carriage, registered at
the Clifton hotel yesterday morning.
After his name were written the words
United States navy. Mr.. Mintzer stated
to reporter for the GLOBE that his
presence in the city was caused by the
coming up in court of the will of his
uncle, the deceased DIR. Mintzer, for
merly one of the best known Of st.
Paul's wealthy citizens. He died
ten years ago, and his will was of
a character to tie up the property for the
term of ten years. The administrators
of the will notifed the heirs that the
will would come up in the probate court
this week, and Mr.. Mintzer, as one of
the heirs, promptly responded. AS
naval officer the experiences of MIR.
MintZer have been many and varied.
He has sailed in every sea on the face of
the globe and he has been in every
country. He has made three trips into
the Arctic regions and served during
the war on various frigates and naval
vessels.
TIT
II was a member of the crew of the
Tigress, the vessel which was sent into
the Arctic regions in search of the crew
of the Polaris, Dr.. HALLS vessel, which
was lost in the year 1871 or thereabouts.
The searching party was i'll charge of
Commander Greer, now Commodore
Greer, of the navy. The PolariS had
been supposed lost for some time, and
no search was made for vessel or crew
until portion of them were picked
up by the Tigress from ali ice
foe on which they had been living
for 1876 days, one of the most wonderful
things known in the history of Arctic
explorations. The Tigress was at the
time in the sealing business. and one
day she sighted the foe and rescued
the people. She brought them into the
port of st. Johns. and the United States
consul wired our government Of their
rescue. The rumOr that DR.. Hall had
been poisoned by CAPT. BuddingtOn was
also sent, and an investigating commit
tee was sent to discover the facts in the
case.
TIT
"In the year 1878 the TigresS was
fitted out for relief expedition, and |
was one of the volunteers. The COM
mander was Commodore Greer, and the
chief engineer was the present chief
engineer of the United States navy, Mr..
Melville. | went as his assistant. The
Juanita was sent ahead as the supply
vessel, and she was destined for Uper-
navik, the most northern point Of civil
iZati0n in Greenland: She arrived there
some time before we did, and Roe. the
commander of the Juanita, gave the
privilege to Lieut.. Chip and Capt. De
Long of taking the steam launch for
trip up farther north iii the hope of
finding some trace of the missing peo-
pie.
TT
t'You see the crew of the Polaris had
become Separated'in peculiar manner.
A part OF them had been set out OH the
ice for the purpose of unloading por-
ton of the stores of the ship, and while
they were at work the ice parted be-
tween them ana the ship. They tloated
away and were rescued, as [ have said
before, by the Tigress. The crew took
the launch and sailed away. On arriv-
ing at Upernavill with the Tigress We
heard of this and after taking on board
some dogs and fur clothing we started
north. The launch ha made a brave
dask to the north. They went as far as
Cape York, the entrance TO Smith
Straits, but they could get no farther.
Three days afterWard we met the launch
on its return. We had been carefully
scanning the coast line for evidences Of
buildings, and it was about O'Clock i'll
the morning when the launch was sight
cd. Although the hour was night, IL
was light, as it was in the middle of the
season. All hands were reused when
the launch was sighted, and the cooks
were ordered to get hot meal ready for
them. We were going to give them
banquet OF coffee, etc. They came
aboard and reported that they had dis
covered nothing. and after short chat
they started on their return. We con-
tinued northward in the Tigress.
IL
"Fhe water was very open, and we
had no difficulty in getting near the
shore so as to keep a good lookout We
had sailed as far as Smiths sound, and
had gotten into it at about latitude 70,
when hut was sighted on the shore.
Boats were at once called away and
started for the shore. L was one of the
party. On arriving at the hut we saw
that it had been made out of
portions OF the Polaris. AS l
had sailed on her when she
was n avail vessel. and [ knew her tim
other parts of her. In the hut were the
remains of the stores which they had
been unable to carry away Ill the boat,
which we found out they had made of
some Of the timberS of the vessel. The
boat is now. l believe, i'll the Smith
sonian Institute museum. 1t was flat
bOttOmed affair with runners Oh it so
that it could be dragged over the ice. 1t
was about twenty feet long and is
queer-looking affair.
TT
''They had left no trace Of the course
taken in the boat. but we thought they
had probably gone towards Cape York.
We rescued the stores which had been
left and started south. had made a
discovery of valuable mineral deposits
and afterwards made return trips. We
returned to pernavik, looking ont for
the people of the Polaris on our way.
Now | am not in position to say any
thing about the course taken, but 1t was
the impression of the entire crew that.
the Polaris people had gone to Cape York.
1t is known by almost everyone that
every year feet of Scotch whalers
leaves Dundee for the Arctic ocean.
They go as far as Cape York, and then,
after sighting it, they go into the whal-
ing grounds. We thought they had
probably made for the cape in the eX-
pectaton of meeting this fleet and being
taken on board. But our commander
thought different, and he started south
for Lancaster sound. where the Juanita
had gone on leaving Upernavik.
TIT
HE was instructed by the commander
of the Iuanita who Outrankpd him to