Year: 1873

on receiving the party on board, de
termined TO make the best of his wa


south TO the United States as soon a


the ice would permit. They staftet


south Ia August, 1872, and slowly mad


their way along the western shore unit


the next day, when the ship having 60


farther in mid channel, she was beset b,


ice In latitude (abOut) eighty degree


forty seconds north, and was in DANCE


Of wreck for some hours, when she wa


freed again. On the sixteenth of Angus


the ship was made fest &c a large foe o


ice, in latitude eighty degrees two min


utes north and longitude about sixty


eight degrees west, and while stil


fast to this foe, drifted soutl


through Smiths sound nearly: Il


Northumberland Island. In pursuanci


of usual orders under similar circum


stances, a quantity Oh provisions anS
/ some fuel had been placed on the dech
Of the steamer, in readiness to be re


moved TO the ice should the safety of tn,


ship become endangered, and it was or


dered and understood that if a crisis


should become imminent, not only


these stores, but clothing, papers
records, instruments, guns, ammuni'


ton, ETC., should also be put upon the
| foe, in order to preserve the lives of the
I party and the result of the expedition
| should it become necessary to abandon


the ship and take refuge on the ice. A
canvass had also been erected on the
foe for shelter should the ship be lost.


ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 18TH,


in about latitude 790 So north, during g


violent gale of wind and snow, the need
for such preparation became apparent,
as the ship was suddenly beset, by a tre-
mendous pressure of ice which was driv-
en- against her from the southwark and
forced under her, pressing her up and
out Of the water, and by successive and
violent shocks finally throwing her ovel
on her beam ends. Captain Bud
dington directed the provisions and
stOres-out in partial readiness, as be-
fore described-to be thrown overheard,
and ordered half the crew upon the ice
to carry them upon a thicker part
of the hammocks, where they would be
comparatively safe. He also sent all the
Esquimaux with their vyacks out ot
the ship, and landed the remaining
boats upon the fat. While so engaged,
in the darkness of an Arctic night, in
the midst of a fierce gale and driving
EuOm SUI III AAAC La " oCl6 VI N1C Oldl1E
failed to hold her, and she broke adrifi
from the foe, and in a few moments
was out of sight of the party who al
that moment were busily at work on the
ice. 1t is the uniform opinion of the
witnesses, and our unanimous opinion
from the


TESTIMONY,


and from the circumstances detailed, that
the separation of the ship from the men,
women and children upon the ice-fiOe
was purely accidental. After losing
sight of the ship some Of the men and a
large part of the provisions were found
to be afOat on a separate piece of ice.
The men were rescued by means of
boats which had fortunately been saved
on the ice, and the party were thus col
lected on the main foe, and passed the
night as well as could be expected.
Next day they made several attempts to
reach land with the boats, but failed, not
withstanding their most persistent ef-
forts, owing to the obstruction of the ice
and violent wind. While thus striving
to get on shore, but at what particular
time of the day has not been exactly
ascertained, the POlaris came in sight to
the nOrthward, apparently coming to-
ward the foes under steam and sail. An
Iudia-rubber blanket was hoisted in the
air and displayed from the top of ham
mock, the cOlOrs were set, and other sig
mails were made to attract the attention
of the POlaris, and as she approached so
near them that they plainly 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 of. They felt
sure she could force her way through the
ice TO their position, and that in a little
while they would be again on board. In
this they were disappointed. The Po-
laris altered her course and disappeared
behind the shore. Some time afterward,
as the foe


DRIFTED AWAY,


she was again seen by some men under
the land with her sails furled and ap-
parently at anchor, or made fast to the
shore or the ice. It is most likely that
the party on the ice was seen from the
Polsris. The hut erected on the foe,
the ships boats, the colors, the elevated
signal blanket and the group of nine
teen persons standing in relief against a
white background, could scarcely have
remained unnOticed. 1t was natural,
under these circumstances, that the par.
ty ON the ice should have felt deeply
disappointed at the failure of the ship to
come TO their relief, and should at the
the same time have ascribed it to over
caution, If not indifference, rather than
inability on the part Of her responsible
commander. Neither is il unnatural
that this feeling, fostered during the
weary watches Of their long winter upon
the ice, should remain to affect, in a
greater or less degree, their present
Judgment on the subject. But it must
not be forgotten that they, like our
selves, were and are without full infor-
nation of the actual condition of the
POlaris at the time spoken of, and can
not know how far the real dangers
Of their position were understood and
appreciated by those on board of her.
Such information and knowledge are
absolutely necessary to a


CORRECT JUDGMENT,


and must not be assumed as a founda-
ton Of censure against PERSONS acting
under circumstances so trying and un-
certain, who, by reason of their enforced
absence, have no opportunity for expla-
nation. It seem that the actual cOndi-
ton of the Polaris was such as to impose
upon her commander the duty of get
ting her out with the lives and property
which remained under his charge at
once into a position of safety under
shelter of Northum berland Island,
at which place she was last seen
by the party on the foe. If such was
the state of the case, it was the duty of
Captain Buddington, under such cir
cumstsnces, to look to his vessel particu-
larly, as he probably believed that the
party on the ice could, 10y the aid of two
boats in their possession, find their way
back to the Polsris quite as easily as he
could force his way to them; but what
ever may have been his opinion on this
the elements quickly determined the
question. Shortly after the Polaris had
been sighted for the second time,


A VIOLENT GALE FROM THE NORTHEAST
sprung up. The weather became thick,
the ship and the land were lost sight of,
and the ice-flOe drifted away to the
southwark with these nineteen persons
still upon it. In view of the circum-
stances detailed, it is, therefore, our
judgment that this final sep
aration from the ship was also accident
al. The report next details the adven-
lures Of the party on the foe till rescued
by the Tigress on the last day of April,
1873. At the time of their separation
from the Polaris every one belonging 10
the expedition was in good health.
The Polaris had plenty of provisions, but
not much coal-probably enough to last
through the winter. She was last seen
apparently st anchor under NoTthum-
berland Island, where it is most likely
She remained for winter quarters. DR..
Hays's friends, the Esquimaux,
are residing on that island.
and the EsquimauX settlement
at Nayick is close by. Communication
with H. r,nnr,ln conld he easily nr,onoI