The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-11

The death in washington recently of
Captain George +. Tyson, one of the
leaders of the Inflated Polaris Arctic
expedition OF 1871, recalls one of the
most extraordinary adventures i'm the
history of Polar explorations, says the
New York Evening Post. With eighteen
companions. Captain Tyson lived for
six and one-half months on an Ice foe,
despite suffering from exposure. Final
~, picked up by the whaler Tigress, the
rescued party brought news that the
Polaris expedition had reached 81 de-
grees, 10 minutes, the highest northern
latitude attained up to that time.
Captain Tyson had lived an adven-
turous life before joining the govern
ment expedition under command OF
Captain Charles F. Hall. Born in Red
Bank, n. j.. December Is, 1929. he be-
came a member OF a whaler's crew
when 10 years old. He soon made rep
utation, and became an officer. He had
made several voyages 10 the Arctic re-
gions before Captain Halls attention
was attracted 10 him. during which time
ne had become an authority in the nav
igation of those difficult waters. He
had commanded five ships i'm the whai-
ing service when. in 1865. he met Cap
tain Hall at Repulse bay. while the
latter was on one of his earlier explor-
ing trips. When the government pur-
chased the Periwinkle and renamed her
the Polaris, with the intention OF send
ing her to obtain further facts about
the loss of Sir John Franklin and his
crew and to seek the pole, Captain Ty-
son was naturally chosen ice navigator
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 29 via
New London. During the trip from st.
Johns, Captain Tyson spent much Of
his time in the crows nest. The COM
plement of the Polaris consisted of
twenty-five white men and eight Eski-
mos. On October 10, Captain Hall
stepped upon ground more northern
than that which white mans foot had
ever touched before. After making a
short sledge expedition he returned TO
the POl7ris. dying suddenly on Novem-
Der s. 1871, under supposed suspicious
circumstances. but later an investiga-
ton proved that death was due to ap-
OpleXy and paralysis. on August 10.
1872, the PolaTis was made fast to a
large ice foe drifting southwark. Two
months later during a violent gale of
wind and snow. she was forced ND ON
the ice and thrown on her beam ends.
A portion of the crew. consisting of
4
dered to carry provisions to safe place
on the ice. While so engaged a storm
came up. the hawsers of the Polaris
I failed to hold, and she broke adrift. In
| few minutes she was out of sight of
| the party on the ice. Reports had il
| that the creW raised the anchor and
sailed away. but investigation showed
| that the separation of the ship was
purely accidental. The Polaris was af-
terward seen by the party on the ice
/ but they could not reach her. and dur
| ing the violent gale the ship and also
land were lost sight OF.
Six Months Adrift on Ice FIoe.
For more than six months and a half
! from October, 1872, until May, 1873, TIN.
nineteen men, women and children, nine
of the party being Eskimos, remained
upon the ice foe. which was originally
about five miles in circumference. They
existed on seal meat for the most part
and this was often eaten uncooked
with skin and hair on. Often the Es-
Eimo women and children suffered from
| the lack OF water. One day Captain
| Tyson shot a seal, but the men were 81
weak from their privatiOn and suffer
ing that they could not launch the ca
yak TO get it, The weather was so 5e
we're at times that the party could no
leave their snow huts, and then the
Eskimos would indulge their appetite'
freely on ooigook a species of very
large seal. Some of those who ate II,
liver of this animal lost the skin D
their faces. hands and chest.
Great difficulty was experienced il
keeping warm, and in making the fro
zen seal meat sufficiently soft to b,
cut up for cooking. One evening il
March a bear was discovered OH TIL
ice. and Captain Tyson attempted L
shoot it. The gun did not go off, an,
the bear pursued. Reloading his piece
Captain Tyson killed the brute, whicl
was used for fuel. On April 1, 1878.
was necessary for the party to abandon