Year: 1873

l.
quest OF the lost Polaris and the rescue OF her
crew, presented an extraordinary spectacle OF
hustle and business yesterday. She lies at the
foot OF the Long Wharf, and hold, deck and rigging
alike swarmed with men all through the day. Ever
since her arrival at the Navy Yard, twelve days
ago, there has been no cessation OF labor on the
vessel The cakers and ship carpenters en-
poyed on her hull exteriorly while she was in the
dry dock worked from daylight until dark not
withstanding the fact that the eight hour rule pre-
walls in all the government yards and
shops. or course, they were paid for over
time The machinists and carpenters who worked
inside the ship wrought In day and night gangs,
and all through the darkness ''the note OF prepa-
ration, with clank OF hammers closing rivets up"
was heard. Even on the Fourth OF July, the one
national holiday, the workmen were busy. and on
Sunday last the vessel was redockcd in order to
stop leak. Two deckhouses have been put on
her; she has been fitted with new topmasts and
new fresh water tanks, having capacity of about
fhree thousand gallons: her smokestack has been
heightened six feet, new 1rebars have been
inserted In the furnaces, new bowsprit has been
put in, all OF her sails new and she has been
furnished with new set of running rigging. Her
bottom is not sheathed with "copper" for the reason
chat 1t would be


A WASTE OF MONEY


for the ice would tear it Off like wall paper. Her
bows, for about twelve or fifteen feet aft Of the cut
water, were originally armored with iron bands,
and, OF course, this protection remains In the
house built on deck amdsbips Will be provided ac-
commodations for the surgeons, paymaster's and
stewards offices and for the storage of some few
light articles The aft deckhouse is intended for
the use OF the Captain and executive oilcer and
VIII be occupied as their cabin, sleeping apartment
and chart room. 1t will be a cool dormtory for





this house, between decks, the quarters OF the
other officers OF the ship, very small apart.
ment, with hunks aud lockers ranged around
the sides. No OF the officers will
be able to stand erect in this cabin,
and there will not be room even for trunk The
clothing and effects OF each occupant must be
slowed away in little closet or locker over his
bunk, about two feet long, fifteen inches deep,
and, perhaps, eighteen inches high. This must be
room also.


BENEATH TIE FLOOR


hre small holds to be used for the Captains stores;
q small magazine OF ammunition for firearms and
the paymaster's effects There will be no arma-
ment on board save small arms for hunting pur-
poses. and, perhaps howitzer for signalling and
Balutng. The 1orecastle will be used for the stow
age Of sails, cordage and so forth, and the space
between decks, forward and mizzen, will be
=
Knds tucked into available crannies. Steam coil
pipes run all around the interior of the vessel for
heating purposes, to be Supplied from the boiler
when under steam but number of stoves with
supply OF pipe have been put on board for use in
the event OF the ship being frozen in or when the
steam boilers are not in use. In the lower hold
there are two hundred tons of COAL and all the re-
mainder Of the space in the hold and between
decks not above accounted for will be 1led
"ch0ck" with provisions and Clothing. The PROV
ender includes every variety OF canned meat and
vegetables. Instead oil taking the ordinary ration
Di beet however, the I1gress will take out only
about one-third or one-fourth OF the usual supply
which would be furnished TO


VESSEL OF HER SIZE


Tor regular cruise. Tne balance will be made OF
pork. In excess OF the ordinary allowance OF such
meat, as 1t is said that pork Is better food for
climate 80 extremely frlgid. About one hundred
and eighty bags OF navy thard) bread and 100 half
barrels OF flour will be comprised in the supplies
with about hundred haf barrels OF pork and
beef thirty boxes OF canned roast beef and twenty
or twenty-five boxes OF pemlcan. vast amount
Of onions, tomatoes, pickles potatoes ana other
and 1t is calculated that she viii have two years.
supply Tor about forty persons. OF course this Is
use by the Junata to Disco. The bulk OF this lat
ter vessels cargo Is understood to be coal for the


Two large New Bedford whaleboats have been
made for the rough work of the expedition. and a
smaller and neater boat which will doubtless serve
as the "Captan's gig" on


STATE OCCASIONS AT UPERNAvIK


or Tessnsac in calling on the Danish authorities
About a dozen large saws OF the ''cross-cut" or
"gang" pattern and three tripod derrlcks, shod
and spiked with iron are included in the eXtraor-
dinary portion OF the snio's outfit. These saws VIII
be used to cut the vessel clear ice under certain
circumstances. The derrcks will be erected on
apex OF the tripods by a block and tackle A lever
or crank will be used to force the saw on the
downward cut and the blade will be drawn up
ward by the block and pulley. This would SEEM
however, to be a rather aoorious and complicated
way OF working things, as q single man may cut
six-foot ic rapidly, using saw with cross-piece
handle, In the ordinary upright fashion In which
logs are sawn in pits or on trestles.


peculiar portion OF the ships cargo. however,
and extremely suggestive OF her mission and Its
possible extent, was The


EiGnr sLEDGE RUNNERS


that were shipped last evening. These runners
are made OF Two and hali-lnch spruce plank, and
are each about sixteen feet long, by absut twelve
inches deep. They are sloped or cst away at either
end, so as to resemble rudey the runner OF a
ho!legg sled such as Is used by the poorer
capped with band iron, and the lower
or friction edge OF tie runner, which comes in di-
rect contact with the snow, is shod with a band of
whalebone about half or three-quarters OF an inch
IN thickness. This becomes very smooth after
little use, and is much lighter than iron shoeing
pierced with numerous holes. The bed bottom
OF the sled is composed OF Stats OF tough wood
resemble barrel staves The ends Of the Stats are
provided with two notches, and these ends viii be
Of the runners the thongs being finteraced
through the holes above described. These
sledges are built after the most approved
EsquimauX fashion, and one OF them will
carry fifteen or twenty persons. In the event OF
their being called into requsltion to search over
land, or rather over ice, for the Poaris, each
sledge would carry four five persons and all the
clothing and provisions they would need for ten
days journey.


FIFTEEN TWENTY-FIVE DOGS


are needed for each sledge according to the weight
or number OF persons to be carried


A set OF spare spars and spare topmast and
topgallantmast lie on the deck TO meet emergent
needs They may be used lor fuel or To build raft
before the snip gets back.


There will be no scientific apparatus on board
the vessel as her voyage will not be one OF ex-
ploration, but purely q rescue search Her full
complement of officers and men Will not exceed
fortv and these have all been selected As the
vessel Is so very small and every mouth will need
a daily ration, there will be no ornament tai people
on board. Everybody must make himself USE
h, and the captain, executive onlcer and pay
naster have dlsne nsed with the usual assistance