Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1873 — Captain Hall’s Arctic Expedition. [ARTICLE]

Captain Hall’s Arctic Expedition.

New York, May 10. A dispatch from St. Johns, N. F i( of May 9, says: “The steamer Walrus arrived from the seal fishery at the port of St, Johns this morning, bringing the news that the steamer Tigress had come into Roberts’ Bay, eighteen miles frqtn here, having on board nineteen survivors trf Hall’s Arctic expedition.” The following are the names of the rescued: H. C. Tyson, assistant navigator; Frederick Meyer, meteorologist; John Heron, steward’; W. C. Kruger, seaman; Frederick J-amkn, seaman; William Nindeman, seaman; Frederick Anting, seaman; Gustavus F. Sininiist, seaman; Peter Johnson, seaman; William Jackson, cook; Esquimaux Joe, interpreter, with Hannah and child, Esquimaux; Hans Christian, of Kane’s expedition, and Hafts Christian’s wife and- four childr,eu,.tihc youngest only eight months old. CAPTAIN T YSON ’S N ARE AT IV E. The following statement is furnished by Captain Tj>on : “On tlie 24th of August, 1871, we left Tessinask and went through Smith’sSound. We sticceedM in getting as far north as latitude S 3 degrees 16 minutes, when we returned and wintered at Polaris Jlay,-latiUide-Sljlegr££s_3Biniiiu.tesJ[.ongL-_ tude 61 degrees 44 minutes. We were frozen up until the sth of September. Ou the 10th of October Captain Hall started on a sledge journey north, and returned on the 24th, when he was taken sick and died on the Bth of November. He w:is buried on tlie 11th. Tlie attack that carried him off was said to be apoplexy. We passed the winter at Polaris Bay. On the Bth of June, 1872, we attempted, to go north with two boats. We hauled our other boat on shore and returned overland on the Sth of July. We started for home on the 12th of August, and on the 15th were beset with ice in latitude 80 degrees 2 minutes. -We drifted from there down to latitude 77 degrees 35 minutes,when are encountered a heavy southwest gale, the ship being under heavy pressure. On the night of the 15th, w<y coninieneed landing provisions, etc., on the ice, the vessel being reported as leaking very badly at times. We continued landing provisions for two or three hours when the pressure ceased. I went on board and asked the sailing master if the vessel was making any more water than usual. He reported that sheivas not. I then jvent to the pumps and ascertained that "she was not making any more water than she was doing in the summer. I went on the again, and shortly after it began to crack’,’ and in a few minutes afterward broke in many pieces. The vessel broke from her fastenings, and was soon lost to sight in the darkness and storm. On the broken ice were most of our provisions to sustain the party through the wfhter,- and, seeing nothing of the vessel, we attempted to reach the shore in IjopesAif findhig-natives to assist us in living through the wiiil'T. Getting about half-way to shore with our heavily-laden boats, our progress became hard by the drifting ice, and I was compelled to haul bn the ice again. At this time I succeeded in saving fourteen cans of pemmican, eleven and a half bags of bread, ten dozen one and two-pound cans of meat and soap, hams, one small bag of chocolate weighing twenty pounds, some musk-ox skins, a few blankets, a number of rifles, and abundant ainiiiunition. In the morning, knowing that 1 had Hot provisions enough, and other articles of food, clothing, compasses, etc., on an abatement of the gale I tried to shoot as many seals as possible, both tor food, light and fuel, but could only get three, owing to the bad weather having set in. I supposed the wind to be about southwest. On its clearing up I found myself within about eight miles of what I suppoked to be the east coast, and about thirty or forty miles below the ship.* The ice being weak, I could not transport the boat and provisions to land until it grew stronger. While here. I discovered my other boat, bread, etc., and saved all. The ice grew firm, and I made another attempt to reach the shore, carrying everything in boats, and dragging them on their keels. The ice being exceedingly rough, we stove both boats. We succeeded on the Ist of November in getting about half-way to the shore, Night came on us and very stormy weather. In the morning the ice was broken, and we we'fe drifting southward very fast? We saw no more land for many days, the bad weather continuing all through the. month of, November. We built a snow house and made ourselves as' comfortable as we could. We were ten white men, two Esquimaux, two women, and five children in all. We succeeded in killing a few seals,. which furnished us with light and fuel with which to warm our scanty allowance of food through the darkness "Us "TlltrAretic winter. In the hitter part of February we lived principally upon birds, and in March commenced to catch seals. Through that month we supported ourselves on bears’ and seal#’ flesh, wasting neither skin nor entrails. We collected enough food in this wtfy to last until the middle of May, had we not been driven to sea by a strong westerly gale in the latter part of March, our tloe-plece being then reduced from five miles in circumference to about twenty yards in diameter .2 “We left the place on the Ist of April and abandonedTiearly all our nieat7aJafge“ amount of ammunition, clothing, skins and other articles, taking a portion of meat in a boat, which we were obliged to throw overboard on account of the boat being so deeply laden. I; regained the ’outer edge of the pack of ice on the 3d of April, and succeeded in getting a little further in on the pack. Cta the 4th a heavy northeast gale ret in, a heavy aea rumuDg under the ice, which broke it in small pieces, so that we had to live on a small scale, as we could not put our boat out; neither could we find seals for food, and we reduceil-almost lo starvation. On the 21st of April we sighted a polar bear. Every person was ordered to lie down and .imitate the .seal, while, two Esquimaux, secreting themselves behind a piece of ice, enticed the bear near enough to us to kill him.» A few days after this we got our boat in the water and worked our Way west and southwest, and continued to work every opportunity to the westward, in the hope of reaching the Labrador coast and getting temporary relief. We were picked up by the ’steamer Jigress,. Captain Bartlett, on "the 30th of April, in latitude 53 degrees 35 minutes north, longitude 55 degrees' west, or near Wolf Island, and about forty miles from land.”. In reference to the way in which tire Polaris got away from the party which was rescued frqin off the ice, Captain’Ty* son states Yfcrt he felt little anxiety at first, thinking she would soon come to their relief. “I set my colors,” he said, “as she steamed down along the shore, but the vessel Was soon lost to sight in a bend of the lamL and behind /what 1 took, to he Nor, thumberland Island. The piece of ice I was oh commenced drifting southward. As the wind hauled to the northeast, opening a little bay to the northeast ot Northumberland Island, I saw a vessel in the harbor there. Her sails were furled. Nd smoke was issuing from her smoke-stack that I could see. I then Attempted to bring my boats across the floe in an easterly direction, hoping to find water and reach the/shore. itccecded in dragging one- boat across, bird took to the water and attempted to reach the shore some distance below the vessel. YVe were then drifting very fast, and the gale was blowing fresh, with great violence, from the uorthwhst, and snowing very fast was driven back in the ice again and compelled to haul my boat out. Night closed on me and carried us to the southwest. In

the morning we were about thirty miles southwest of where the ship went into harbor; A heavy sea was running, which broke' up iriy floe-piece, separating from six bags of bread and one boat. I saw a vessel under steam and canvass rounding the point to the northwest. Thinking she would come to our lelief I gave myself no extra-anxiety; but soon we were doomed to disappointment, and from that time until the Tigress rescued us we have never got a glimpse of the Polaris.” The Tigress tell in with the party in a dense fog, and, providentially, struck the very floe on which they -were; otherwise th:y must have perished. Thev all seemed tolerably well. Captain Tyson complained of swelled legs and feet, but nothing serious is the Hia’fter with him. When thev left the Polaris all on .board were iq goou health. OFFICERS AND tStF.'V OF THE rI'LABIS. The lullowing is a correct list ufjthe. officers and crew of the ill-fated Polaris: C. F. Hall, Captain,Cincinnati; Hubbard UrUhester, first mate, Noank, Conn.; Sidney O. Buddington, sailing master, Groton, Conn.; William Morton, second mate, New Jersey ; Emil Schuman, chief engineer, native of Saxony, lived at Hoboken: Dr. Bessels, leader of scientific corps, native of Heidelberg, Prussia; Fred M. .Ever, meteorologist of signal corps. Washin'gton; John Wilson, second engineer, native of Scotland, lived in New York; Walter Campbell, fireman, native of Scotland, nephew of John Wilson ; 8. Bergrcn, fireinan, native of Hamburg; A.,C, Tyson, ice. pilot, Brooklyn; Charles Brunt, cook, native of Hamburg: John Porter, steward,* native, of Scotland; Herman Siemons, native of Prussia; Henry Hobby, native of Prussia: Fred Antig, native of'Prussia; Will Jessup, native of Hull, England;, G. W. Singuist, native of Sweden; Joseph Mauch: J. W. C. Cruger, native of Prussia; Peter Johnson, native of Denmark; Eseptiinaux Joe and child. Captain Hall leaves a wife and two children—a daughter and a arc living at Cincinnati. Emil Schuman, chief engineer, has a wifefliving in New Y'ork city: Joseph Mauch, one of the seamen, was . a brother of the celebrated African traveler Mauch. St. Johns, N. F., May 12. Intense excitement prevails here owing to the landing of the Tyson party this afternoon. Tyson and Meyers remained on board until they were .supplied witli clothing by the American Consul. All look well, and are in good health and spirits. Captain Hall died fifteen days after returning from the first expedition. He was paralyzed before his death, and gradually sank, dying at 3:35 a. m. Meyers says he never gave up the hope of being rescued, but never wants to get into so tight a corner again. The party never could have reached here but for the.Esquimaux. Meyers niakes-the following statement: Captain Hall returned from the sledge expedition on October 24, and was taken ill on the same night. The next morning he found tiv' left side of his body paralyzed. He remaintd in that condition for three days, when lie-got better. In a few days he relapsed atlv became delirious, .and so continued until the niorning of November 8, when he died. When the party- separated from—tlie ship it was quite dark, and the darkness continued fororer two months, y'hh but a couple of hours of light daily. We managed, well so long as we had a snow house to shelter us, but we had to take to the boat and get on another ice field, whicli was too small for A house, and ,we were only kept warm by swallowing seal-fat and blood, and burning fat in pans, the last of which also served as a signal light at night. We have suffered most since April. On the night of the 22d of April, the sea washed over the ice with great force. The women and. children were under the boat, while the men were outside, trying to keep the boat from being washed away. Some of the men , were washed off several times. After being rescued their feet and hands swelled, and sickness set in, but they recovered, and are now almost entirely well.