Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-12-21
THE POLARIS
EXPEDITION
It y Recalled by the Death at Wash.
ington Of Capt. George e.
Tyson.
NiNETEEN IMPRISONED ON ICE
The Men Kept Alive For More Than
Five Months by Chance Bears
and Seals.

VI Ao'i' ASSoAS OuS VI Jue IuOot cAIi d
ordinary adventures in the history
of polar expeditions. With eighteen
companions, Captain Tyson lived for
five an one-half months on an ice foe.
despite suffering from exposure. Fin
ally picked up by the whaler Tigress,
the rescued party brought news that
the Polars expedition had reached
50 degrees, 10 minutes, the highest
northern latitude attained up TO that
time.
Capital Tyson had lived an adven-
turous life before joining the govern
ment expedition under command of
Captain Chas. F. Hall. Born in Red
Bank. n. j., December Is, 1929, he
became member of whaler's crew
when IS years old. He soon made a
reputation and became an officer.
He had made several voyages 70
the arctic regions before Captain
Halls attention was attracted to him,
during which time he had become an
authority in the navigation of those
difficult waters. He had commanded
five ships in the whaling service when,
in 1865, he met Captain Hall at Re-
pulse Bay which the latter was on
one of his earlier exploring trips.
Start on III-Fated Trip
When the government purchased the
Periwinkle and renamed her the PO-
laris, with the intention OF sending
her to obtain further facts about the
loss of Sir John Franklin and his
crew and to seek the pole Captain
Tyson was naturally chosen ice navi-
gator and master of sledges.
On June 10, 1871, the Polaris left
the Washington navy yard for this
city, Captain Tyson joining the party
here. The vessel then sailed on June
20 via New London. During the trip
from ST. Johns Captain Tyson speE.
much of his time in the crews nest.
The complement of the Poaris con
sisted of twenty-five white men and
eight Eskimos.
On October 10. Captain Hall step
pod upon ground more northern than
that which white mans foot had ever
touched before. After making a short
sledge expedition he returned to the
Polaris. dying suddenly on November
| s, 1871, under supposed suspicious cir
cumstances. but later an investigation
proved that death was due to apoplexy
and paralysis. On August 49, 1872
the Polars was made fast to large
ice foe drifting southwark. Two
month later during a violent gale OF
wind and snow she was forced up on
the ice and thrown on her beam ends
Morooned on an Iceberg.
A portion OF the crew, consisting of
Tyson and eighteen others. was or
lered to carry provisions to d safe
place on the ice. While SO engaged a
storm came up, the hawsers of the
FOlaris failed to hold and she broke
aurift. In a few minutes she was out
OF sight of the party on the ice. Re-
ports had it that the crew raised the
anchor and sailed away, but investiga-
ton showed that the separation of the
ship was purely accidental. The Po-
! laris was afterward seen by the party
on the ice, but they could not reach
her and during the violent gale the
ship and also land were lost sight of.
| For more than six months and a
half, from October, 1872, until May,
1873, the nineteen men and women
and children, nine of the party be-
ing Eskimos, remained upon the ice
foe, which was originally about five
miles in circumference. They exist
ed on seal meat for the most part and
this was often eaten uncooked with
skin and hair on. Often the Eskimo
women and children suffered from the
lack of water. One day Captain Ty-
son shot a seal, but the men We're so
weak from their privation and suffer
ing that they could not launch the
cayak to get it.
Bear Burned for Fuel.
The weather was so severe at times
that the party could not leave the
snow huts and then the Eskimos
would indulge their appetites freely
on ookgoOk, a species of very large
seal. Some of those who ate the liv-
er of this animal lost the skin on their
faces, hands and chest.
Great difficulty was experienced in
Keeping warm and in making the froz-
en- seal meat sufficiently soft to be
cut up for cooking. One evening i'll
March bear was discovered on the
ice and Captain Tyson attempted TO
shoot it. The gun did not go off and
the bear pursued. Reloading his
piece, Captain Tyson killed the brute,
which was used for fuel. On April |.
1878, it was necessary for the party
to abandon the foe, which had wasted
so that it was no longer safe. The
small boat Was made ready, but as i,
! was only intended to carry eight m,2a
With all the members on board it was
difficult to handle the oars. and still
more difficult TO launch it.
/ Often the party would land on a foe.
only to abandon it. The men wera
generally half drowned, cold and with
out shelter. Another bear was shot
and his blood was acceptable, for they
were suffering from extreme thirst
But for the rifles the party could not
have existed.
| Divide Up Seal.
/ Another seal was secured on the
morning of April Is, and eaten raw
Carefully dividing ii into sixteen
parts, nothing but the gall being re-
jected. one man turned his back and
called the others in succession, eacn
taking his share. Then general con-
tributiOn was made of blubber and
rags for fire and soup was cooked.
I Toward evening of the 10th the sky
wds threatening and the swells be-
came heavy. About 8 O'Clock sea
struck the foe. and. washing over il.
carried away everything that was
loose. There was barely time TO put
the women and children and some few
things into the boat before success
sion of seas followed.
! At last there came a large wave