Year: 1873

mlIieu 10 make GD6 D6SG OF his way
southwark to the United States as
soon as the fee would permit. They
started southwark in August, 1872,
and slowly made their way along the
western shore ill the next day when
the ship, having got further in mid
channel, was beset by ice in lat. (about)
so deg. 40 sec. north. She was III dam
ger of wreck for some hours, when she
was freed again. On the 10Th August
the ship was made fast to large floe
of ice in lat. SO deg. min. north and
long, about IS deg. west, and while
still fast to this foe drifted south
through Smiths Sound, nearly to
Northumberland Island. In pur-
suance of the usual orders under sim
circumstances a quantity of provisions
and some fuel had been placed on the
deck of the steamer in readiness to tie
removed to the ice should the safety
of the ship become endangered, and
it was ordered and understood that if
a crisis should be imminent, not only
these stores, but clothing, paper rec
ordS, instruments, guns, ammunition
&c, were also to be put upon the foe
in order to preserve the lives OF the
party and the result of the eXpedit


ion, should it become necessary to
abandon the ship and take refuge on
the ice: A canvas had also been erec-
ted upon the foe for shelter, should
the ship be lost On the night of the
18th of October. in about latitude 1888
north. during violent gale of wind
and snow, the need for such prepar-
alton became apparent, as the ship was
suddenly beset by tremendous pres
sure Of ice, which was driven against
her front the southwark and forced
under her, pressing her up and out OF
the water, and by successive and viO-
lent shocks finally throwing her over
on her beam ends. Capt. BuddingtOn
directed the provisions and stores out
in partial readiness us before described)
to be thrown overheard on the ice, and
ordered half the crew upon the ice to
carry them upon thicker part of the
hammock, where they would be com
paratively safe. He also sent all the
EsquimauX with their kyacks out of
the ship, and lowered the two remain
ing boats upon the foe.


TYSON's PARTY SEPARATES


While so engaged, in the darkness
of Arctic night, in the midst of fierce
gale and a driving snow-stOrm, the
hawsers of the PolariS failed 10 hold
her, and she broke adrift from the foe
and in few moments was out of sight
of the party, who were at that mo-
ment buisly at work on the ice. II is
the uniform opinion of the witnesses,
and our unanimous conclusion from
their testimony and from the circum-
stances detailed, that the sep
aration of the ship from the men, wO-
men and children upon the tlOe was
purely accidental After losing sight
of the ship some of the men and large
part of the provisions were found 10
be aflOat on separate piece of ice.
The men were rescued by means Of the
boats which had fortunately been saved
on the ice, and the party thus collected
on the main foe passed the night as
well Is they could. The next day they
made several attempts to reach land
with the boats. but failed notwitstan-
ding their NEST persistent efforts,
owing to the obstruction of the ice and
violence of the wind.


PARTING VIEW OF THE POLARIs.


While thus striving TO get on shore
but at what particular time of day
was not exactly ascertained-the PO-
laris came in sight to the nOrthward,
apparently coming toward the foe un-
der STERN and sail. An India rubber
blanket was hOisted with air and dis
played from the top of the hammock,
the colors were set and other signals
were made to attract the attention OF
the Polaris and as she approached so
near to them that they plainly saw her
down to her rail and could distinguish
her escape pipes, and kept on towards
until ther 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 little
while they could be again on board
In this they were disappointed. The
Polaris altered her course and disap-
reared behind the shore. Sometime
afterward. as the foe drifted away, she
was again seen by some men, under
the land with her side furled and APP
parently at anchor, made fast to the
shore or ice. 1t is most probable that
the party on the ice was seen from the
Polaris. The hut erected on the foe,
the ships boats, the cOlOrs, the eleva-
ted signal blanket, and the group of
nineteen persons standing III rellei
against O white background, could
scarcely have remained unnotIced.-
1t was natural under these cilcum-
stances that the party on the ice should
have felt deeply disappointed at the
failure of the ship to come to shelr re-
lief. and should at the same time have
ascribed it to over caution, If not in
difference, rather than inability on
the part of her responsible command
er. Neither is it unnatural that this
feeling. fostered during the weary
watches of this long winter upon the
ice. should remain to affect III great
er or less degree their present Judg-
ment. and must not be assumed as the
foundation of censure against persons
acting under circumstances so trying
and uncertain, who, by reason OF their
enforced absence, have no opportunity
for explanation. it seems most llkely
that the actual condition of the Polarls
was such as to impose upon her COM
mander the duty of getting her, with
the lives and property which remained
under his charge, at once into posi-
tion of safety Under the shelter OF
Northumberland Island, where she
was last seen by the party on the foe.
If sucb were the state of the case, the
first duty of Capt. BuddingtOn under
such circumstances was to looKto nv
vessel particularly as he probably be-
lieyed that the party on the ice could
by aid of the two boats, the kyackS;
and the scow in their possession, nnu
their way back to the Polaris quite as
easy as he could force his way to them
opinion on this subject, the te,eIfine!E elements
Shortly after the Polaris had been
sighted for the second time, a vlolent
gale from the northeast sprung up the
weather became thick, the snip anu anu
land were lost sight of, and the ice noe
drifted away to the southward win
the nineteen persons still on It. In d
view of the circumstances detailed, !!
is therefore our unanimous judgment
that this final separation from the snip
was also accidental