Year: 1873

Captain Buddingtan dispatched Mr.


Chester and Tipon with boats to en-


deavor to get as far north as practica.


BILE. With much difficulty and delay


they got as far north "a Newman's


Bay. They there awaited a possible


opening Of the ice till the middle ol


July, when written orders from Cap.


tain Buddington directed their return


to the ship. While they were away


and sometime in June, the Polaris


had broken out of winter quarters and


had made several attempts to proceed


northward to pick up the party with


boats, but the ice was found to be i'm


passable. and Captain Buddington, on


receiving the party on board. deter


mined to make the best Of his way


southwark to the United States rs soon


as the ice would permit. They started


southwark IN August, 1872, and slowly


made their way along the western


shore, until the ship, having got fur


ther in mid channel, was beset by ice


in latitude about SOo 4Ot north. She


was in danger of wreck for some
| hours, when she was freed again. The


ship was made fast to u large foe of


ice. in latitude 500 2, north, and longi-


tude about $50 west, and while still


fast to this foe drifted south through


Smith 8 Sound, nearly to Northum-


bezland Island. In pursuance OF usual


orders, under similar circumstances a
quantity Of provisions, and some fuel


had been placed on the deck OF the


steamer in readiness to be removed to
the ice should the safety Of the ship


become endangered, aud II was order


ed and understood that If crisis


should be imminent not only these


stores, but clothing. papers. records.


instruments, guns, ammunition, ETC..


were also to be put upon the foe in


order to preserve the lives Of the par


ty, and the result Of the expedition,
should it become necessary to abandon.
the ship and take refuge on the ice. A
canvas had also been erected upon the


foe for shelter should the ship be lost.
On the night Of tue 18th OF October,
in about latitude 100 l5t north, during
violent gale Of wind and snow, need


for such preparation became apparent.
as the ship was suddenly beset by u


tremendous pressure of ice, which was
driven against her from the south


ward and forced under her, pressing


her up and out of water, and by sue
cessive and violent shocks finally
throwing her over her beam ends.
Captain Buddington directed the pro-
visions, stores, and material in readi-
ness, as before described, TO be thrown
overheard on the ice, and ordered halt
the crew upon the ice to carry them
upon thicker part to the hammocks,
where they would be comparatively
safe. He also sent all the Esquimaux,
with their kyacks, out of the ship.
and lowered two remaining boats up
on the foe. While SO engaged, in the
dark ness Of an arctic night, in the
midst of a fierce gae and driving snow
storm, the hawsers Of the Polaris fail
ed to hold her, and she broke adrift
from the foe. and in few moments
was out Of sight Of the party, who at
that moment were .busily al work on
the ice. 1t is the uniform opinion of 8
the witnesses, and our unanimous con
clusion from their testimony and from
circumstances detailed, that the sepa-
ration of the ship from the men, wo-
men and children upon the ice foe
was purely acciden tai.


After losing sight of the ship some
OF the men and large part Of the pro-
visions We're found to be afloat on
separate piece of ice. The men were
rescued by means of boats, which for
tunately had been saved on the ice,
and the party thus collected on the
main foe and passed the night as well
as they could. The next day they
made several attempts to make land
with the boats but failed, notwith-
their most persistent efforts,
owing to obstruction Of the ice aud
violence Of the wind. While thus
striving to get on shore, but at what
particular time of day not exactly as.
the Polaris came in sight
to the northward, apparently coming
toward the foe under steam and sail.
An india rubber blanket was hoisted
on All oar, and displayed from the top
of the hammock. The colors were set,
aud other signals were made to attract
the attention of the Polaris, and as she
passed 80 near to them that they plain
ly saw her down to her rail and could
distinguish her escape pipe, and kept
on toward them until they supposed
her to be not more than four miles off.
They felt sure she could force her way
through the ice to their position, and
that In little while they would be
again on board. In this they were
disappointed. The Polaris altered her
course aud disappeared behind the
shore. Some time afterward, as the
foe drifted away she was again seen
by some of the men under the land
with her sails furied and apparently at
anchor or made fast to the shore or
ice. It is most likely that the party
on the ice was seen from the Polaris.
The hut erected on the foe, the ships
boats, the colors, tile elevated signal
blanket, and the group OK nineteen
persons standing in relief against .
white background could scarcely have
remained unnoticed. It was natural
under these circumstances that the
party on the ice should have felt deep
~ disappointed ct the failure of the
ship to come to their relief, and should
at the time have ascribed 1t to over.
caution II not indifference, rather
than imbeciiity oD the part OF her re-
sponsible commander. Neither is 1t
unnatural that this feeling, fostered
by the weary watches Of their long
winter upon the ice. shoald remain to