Uriel Sebree (February 20, 1848 – August 6, 1922) was a career officer in the United States Navy . He entered the Naval Academy during the Civil War and served until 1910, retiring as a rear admiral . He is best remembered for his two expeditions into the Arctic and for serving as acting governor of American Samoa . He was also commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet .
151-614: After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1867, Sebree was posted to a number of vessels before being assigned to a rescue mission to find the remaining crew of the missing Polaris expedition in the Navy's first mission to the Arctic. This attempt was only a partial success—the Polaris crew was rescued by a British ship rather than the US Navy—but this led to Sebree's selection eleven years later for
302-532: A blacksmith and as an engraver , and for a couple of years had published his own newspaper, the Cincinnati Occasional (later renamed the Daily Press ). Energetic and enterprising, Hall enthusiastically wrote about the latest technological innovations; he was fascinated by hot air balloon travel and praised the new transatlantic telegraph cable . He was also a voracious reader, captivated especially by
453-405: A Samoan tax collector, circulated a petition requesting a change in the way the copra crop was taxed and asking for the Navy to cease governing the territory. The petition was sent to members of Congress and the cause was picked up by California representative Julius Kahn and gathered significant press coverage. This movement eventually reached President Roosevelt; his decision was not to act on
604-727: A Senior Scientist at the National Museum of Natural History , wrote that there is insufficient published evidence to support Sutherland's claims, and that the Dorset were using spun cordage by the 6th century. In 1992, Elizabeth Wayland Barber wrote that a piece of three-ply yarn that dates to the Paleolithic era, that ended about 10,000 BP, was found at the Lascaux caves in France. This yarn consisted of three s-twist strands that were z-plied, much like
755-619: A detailed list of instructions for the management of the ship in his absence. This likely did not sit well with a sailing master with over twenty years' of experience. Upon their return on October 24, Hall suddenly fell ill after drinking a cup of coffee. His symptoms started with an upset stomach, then progressed to vomiting and delirium the following day. Hall accused several of the ship's company, including Bessels, of having poisoned him. Following these accusations, he refused medical treatment from Bessels and drank only liquids delivered directly by his friend Taqulittuq. Hall seemed to improve for
906-401: A distant floe. However, there were never any orders to retrieve the stores or search for the castaways. Budington's decision to beach Polaris is equally controversial. He said that he "believed the propeller was smashed and the rudder broke". The official report of the expedition states that the vessel should have been abandoned because "there was only coal enough to keep the fires alive for
1057-399: A few days and was even able to go up on deck. Bessels had prevailed upon Bryan, the ship's chaplain, to convince Hall to allow the doctor to see him. By November 4, Hall relented and Bessels resumed treatment. Shortly thereafter, Hall's condition began to deteriorate; he again suffered vomiting and delirium, and collapsed. Bessels diagnosed apoplexy before Hall finally died on November 8. He
1208-413: A few days." However, the same report states that the propeller and rudder were in fact discovered to be intact after the ship was run aground, and the ship's boiler and sails were available. Even if she ran out of coal, the ship was perfectly able to travel under sail alone. In defense of Budington's decision, when low tide exposed the ship's hull, the men found that the stem had broken completely away at
1359-425: A few weeks, Hall was making preparations for a sledging trip with the aim of beating Parry's furthest north record. Mistrust among the men in charge showed again when Hall told Tyson that, "I cannot trust [Budington]. I want you to go with me, but don't know how to leave him alone with the ship." There is some evidence that Budington was an alcoholic ; on at least three occasions he raided the ship's stores, including
1510-503: A governor, he should be given the proper credentials and legal authority to do so. The Navy did not respond directly to Sebree's request, but he was given command of USS Wheeling three months later. Despite his protests, Sebree did act as the governor of the territory. During his administration, the United States Congress approved $ 35,000 to pay off debts related to construction costs for the naval station, and planning began for
1661-483: A hut with lumber salvaged from Polaris , and on October 24, extinguished the ship's boilers to conserve coal. The bilge pumps stopped for good and the ship heeled over on her side, half out of the water. Fortunately, the Etah Inuit helped the men survive the winter. After wintering ashore, the crew built two boats from salvaged wood from the ship, and on June 3, 1873, the crew sailed south. They were spotted and rescued by
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#17328843582101812-454: A large quantity of arsenic in the last two weeks of his life. Coupled with recently discovered affectionate letters written by both Hall and Bessels to Vinnie Ream , a young sculptor they met in New York while waiting for Polaris to be outfitted, suggests Bessels had a motive, besides the means, to kill Hall. In 1827, Sir Edward Parry led a British Royal Navy expedition with the aim to be
1963-493: A large snow bank where they dig a den in which to spend the winter and later give birth. The polar bear population here is one of 19 genetically distinct demes of the circumpolar region . Red foxes can be found predominantly in the southernmost areas of Baffin Island, away from the harshest of winter weather, though some individuals may forage and explore elsewhere. The Arctic foxes can usually be found where polar bears venture on
2114-585: A major goal of the fleet, and in June, the fleet was displayed at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition . President William Howard Taft led the exposition's opening ceremony, and many American dignitaries were in attendance. Sebree's final mission before his retirement saw him lead the Pacific Fleet on a tour of ports in east Asia. The fleet left San Francisco on September 5, 1909, sailing west to
2265-825: A notable guest and California Governor James Gillett as toastmaster. In retirement, Sebree continued to attend Navy functions. In 1916, Sebree reported that the United States Navy lagged behind the world's other major navies. A single dreadnought , he claimed, could ravage the entire Pacific Fleet which was at that time relying on submarines for defense. The Atlantic Fleet already had dreadnoughts in commission. Sebree died at his home in Coronado, California , on August 6, 1922. He and his wife, Anne Bridgman Sebree, are buried in Arlington National Cemetery . They had one son, John Bridgman Sebree (1889–1948), who served in
2416-466: A note to Bessels, reminding him to wind the chronometers at the right time every day. In his book Trial by Ice , Richard Parry postulated that such a note from the uneducated Hall must have rankled Bessels, who held degrees from universities in Stuttgart , Heidelberg and Jena . It was another example of Hall's micromanagement of the expedition. Before he left on the overland trip, Hall gave Budington
2567-681: A recommendation to the United States Congress to assemble a panel to consider the territory's status and requested that an Assistant Secretary of the Navy come to the territory to meet with him. Both requests were refused. A further example of this ambiguity came in March 1902, when Sebree received orders to give up command of the Abarenda to give him additional time as commandant and "governor". To these orders, he responded that he still had not been officially made "governor" and that, if he were to act as
2718-407: A rescue of those stranded on the ice floe. Tyson was perplexed as to why the ship could not see them eight miles (13 km) distant, a group of men and supplies waving a dark-colored flag in a sea of white. The day after the storm was clear and calm, and the men on the floe could see the ship was under both steam and sail. Aboard the ship, Chester reported that he could see "provisions and stores" on
2869-614: A second in 1864 . These experiences established Hall as a seasoned Arctic explorer and gave him valuable contacts among the Inuit . The renown he gained allowed him to convince the U.S. government to finance a third expedition: an attempt on the North Pole. In 1870, the United States Senate introduced a bill in Congress to fund an expedition to the North Pole. Hall, aided by Secretary of
3020-586: A second expedition to the Arctic. That mission to rescue Adolphus Greely and the survivors of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition was a success. Sebree was subsequently appointed as the second acting governor of American Samoa . He served in this position for only a year before returning to the United States. In 1907, he was promoted to rear admiral and given command of the Pathfinder Expedition around
3171-502: A ship. He had managed to secure the position of expedition commander based on his authority on the subject of the Arctic. Polaris departed from New York City in June 1871. Barely underway, the expedition already found itself hampered by poor leadership. Insubordination loomed, mainly at the instigation of chief scientist Emil Bessels and meteorologist Frederick Meyer—both German—who looked down on what they perceived to be their unqualified commander. Bessels and Meyer were supported by
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#17328843582103322-484: A similarly constructed collapsible boat that could hold twenty people. Food packed on board consisted of tinned ham, salted beef, bread and sailor's biscuit. They intended to prevent scurvy by supplementing their diet with fresh musk ox, seal and polar bear meat. In July 1870, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Hall as the expedition's overall commander, to be referred to as captain. Although he had abundant Arctic experience, Hall had no sailing experience and
3473-576: A steam pipe burst, instantly killing two officers and wounding ten others, three fatally. Witnesses reported that Sebree and other officers had left the boiler room only 50 seconds earlier. In August 1908, the full Pacific Fleet was dispatched to numerous ports in the Pacific Ocean on a diplomatic mission similar to the one undertaken by Sebree in South America the previous year. On this voyage, Sebree and Swinburne met with leaders and representatives from
3624-539: A supplementary opinion requesting clemency for Nicholson. However, Rear Admiral Evans, the commander of the Asiatic Squadron , rejected the verdict as inadequate and requested that the court reconsider the decision. The court reconvened and returned the same judgment and sentence. In response, Evans wrote a scathing critique of the process, calling it a "travesty of justice" and stating that Nicholson's actions were "less reprehensible than his judges". This critical essay
3775-633: A temporary mining community there. Baffin Island is home to the Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the Bowman Bay Wildlife Sanctuary . The Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary, named for J. Dewey Soper , is located on the western side of Baffin Island from Bowman Bay to the Koukdjuak River . It is an 8,159 km (3,150 sq mi) area that was classified a wetland of international importance via
3926-615: A whole. This lower percentage of Indigenous peoples on Baffin Island results from Iqaluit being 59.29 per cent Indigenous and 40.65 per cent non-Indigenous. Of the total population 72.17 per cent are Inuit , 0.92 per cent are First Nations , and 0.73 per cent are Métis . Except for a few First Nations people in Arctic Bay all non-Inuit Indigenous peoples live in Iqaluit. The hamlets of Kinngait (population: 1,396 ) and Qikiqtarjuaq (population: 593 ) do not lie on Baffin Island proper. Kinngait
4077-656: Is Mount Asgard , located in Auyuittuq National Park , with an elevation of 2,011 m (6,598 ft). Mount Thor , with an elevation of 1,675 m (5,495 ft), is said to have the greatest purely vertical drop (a sheer cliff face) of any mountain on Earth, at 1,250 m (4,100 ft). The two largest lakes on the island lie in the south-central part of the island: Nettilling Lake (5,542 km ; 2,140 sq mi) and Amadjuak Lake (3,115 km ; 1,203 sq mi) further south. Baffin Island has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, first by
4228-672: Is at a similar latitude. Sea ice surrounds the island for most of the year and only disappears completely from the north coast for short, unpredictable periods from mid- to late June until the end of September. Most of Baffin Island lies north of the Arctic Circle —all communities from Pangnirtung northwards have polar night in winter and midnight sun in summer. The eastern community of Clyde River has twilight instead of night from April 26 until May 13, continuous sunlight for 2 1 ⁄ 2 months from May 14 to July 28, then twilight instead of night from July 29 until August 16. This gives
4379-583: Is one of the major nesting destinations from the Eastern and Mid-West flyways for many species of migrating birds . Waterfowl include eiders , Canada goose , snow goose , cackling goose , and brant goose (brent goose). Shore birds include the phalarope , various waders (commonly called sandpipers ), murres including Brünnich's guillemot , and plovers . Gull species also nest on Baffin Island and they include Sabine's gull , glaucous gull , herring gull and ivory gull . Long-range travellers include
4530-538: Is situated on Dorset Island , which is located a few kilometres from the south eastern tip of the Foxe Peninsula . Similarly, Qikiqtarjuaq is situated on Broughton Island , which is located near the northern coast of the Cumberland Peninsula . The Mary River Mine , an iron ore mine with an estimated 21-year life, at Mary River , may include building a railway and a port to transport the ore. This may create
4681-516: Is so little regularity observed. There is no stated time for putting out lights; the men are allowed to do as they please; and, consequently, they often make nights hideous by their carousing, playing cards to all hours." For purposes unknown, Budington chose to issue the ship's supply of firearms to the crew. There is some evidence of a morally questionable plan being formulated among the senior officers that winter. On January 1, 1872, Tyson wrote in his diary: "Last month such an astonishing proposition
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4832-932: Is the capital of Nunavut. The Inuktitut name for the island is Qikiqtaaluk , which means "very big island" ( qikiqtaq "island" + -aluk "very big") and in Inuktitut syllabics is written as ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ . This name is used for the administrative region the island is part of ( Qikiqtaaluk Region ), as well as in multiple places in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories , such as some smaller islands: Qikiqtaaluk in Baffin Bay and Qikiqtaaluk in Foxe Basin . Norse explorers referred to it as Helluland ("stone land"). In 1576, English seaman Martin Frobisher made landfall on
4983-830: Is thought to have been a trading post. The Saga of Erik the Red , 1880 translation into English by J. Sephton from the original Icelandic Eiríks saga rauða : They sailed away from land; then to the Vestribygd and to Bjarneyjar (the Bear Islands). Thence they sailed away from Bjarneyjar with northerly winds. They were out at sea two half-days. Then they came to land, and rowed along it in boats, and explored it, and found there flat stones, many and so great that two men might well lie on them stretched on their backs with heel to heel. Polar-foxes were there in abundance. This land they gave name to, and called it Helluland (stone-land). In September 2008,
5134-506: The Azalea . The fallout over this incident caused enough of a stir that the military had to respond to it directly. Under Navy rules, the eleven officers and crew members of the No. 58 were denied pay while they were recovering from their injuries and until they were posted to new vessels under a regulation that prohibited pay to sailors whose ships had sunk. The sailors appealed to Sebree, as Secretary of
5285-579: The Nunatsiaq News , a weekly newspaper, reported that Patricia Sutherland , who worked at the Canadian Museum of Civilization , had found archaeological remains of yarn and cordage [string] , rat droppings, tally sticks , a carved wooden Dorset culture face mask depicting Caucasian features, and possible architectural remains, which indicated that European traders and possibly settlers had been on Baffin Island not later than 1000 CE. What
5436-658: The 2021 Canadian census was 13,039 giving a population density of 0.03/km (0.07/sq mi). The population accounts for 67.37 per cent of the 19,355 people in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, 56.51 per cent of the population of the Arctic Archipelago , and 35.38 per cent of the population of Nunavut. As of the 2016 Canadian census the majority, 74.06 per cent, were Indigenous peoples and 25.83 per cent were non-Indigenous. This compares to 88.85 per cent and 14.12 per cent Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for Nunavut as
5587-498: The Academy of Sciences . Tyson was the first to appear for questioning and related the friction between Hall, Budington and Bessels, and Hall's deathbed accusations of poisoning. The board also inquired about the whereabouts of Hall's journals and records. Tyson responded that while Hall was delirious, he instructed Budington to burn some of the papers, and the rest had disappeared. Later, journals of other crew members were discovered at
5738-459: The Arctic tern , which migrates from Antarctica every spring. The varieties of water birds that nest here include coots , loons , mallards , and many other duck species. In the water (and under the ice), the main year-round species is the ringed seal subspecies, the Arctic ringed seal . It lives offshore within 8 km (5.0 mi) of land. In winter, it makes a number of breathing holes in
5889-555: The Baffin Island wolf , a grey wolf subspecies, are also year-round residents of Baffin Island. Unlike the grey wolf in southern climes, Arctic wolves often have smaller social networks, due to the barren landscape and minimal resources, thus resulting in unique hierarchies when compared with wolves found further south. For example, Arctic wolves often do not hunt in packs, although a male-female pair may hunt together. Nesting birds are summer land visitors to Baffin Island. Baffin Island
6040-650: The Baltimore when its sailors were attacked in Valparaiso, Chile in October 1891, and gave testimony toward the events during the later investigation. From September 1892 to July 1893, Sebree served as assistant to the inspector of the 3rd Lighthouse District . Sebree taught at the Academy from 1893 to 1896. At the end of his time there, he was briefly given command of USS Wheeling (PG-14) before being put in command of
6191-566: The Brooklyn Navy Yard on June 29, 1871, the expedition ran into personnel troubles. The cook, a seaman, a fireman and assistant engineer deserted . The steward turned out to be a drunk and was left in port. The ship stopped in New London , Connecticut , to pick up a replacement assistant engineer, and left on July 3. By the time the ship reached St. John's in Canada, there was dissension among
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6342-581: The Colorado , those failures led to the deaths of two crewmen due to a steam pipe explosion. From Hawaii, the fleet moved on to Manila where the ships performed target practices and exercises, as well as being cleaned and repainted, before resuming their primary mission by sailing to Yokohama , Japan . In Japan, the fleet dispersed and small groups of cruisers were dispatched to the ports of British-controlled Hong Kong , Wusong in China , and Kobe, Japan . Afterwards,
6493-503: The Davis Strait , before returning to St. John's for fuel. Once there, they learned that the Polaris survivors had been rescued by a British ship and that their search was over. After returning to New York the Tigress was transferred back to civilian use. After this expedition, Sebree was assigned to the screw frigate USS Franklin where he remained for three years. In 1878, he
6644-578: The Gulf of Boothia and Lancaster Sound separate Baffin Island from the rest of the Arctic Archipelago to the west and north. The Baffin Mountains run along the northeastern coast of the island and are a part of the Arctic Cordillera . The highest peak is Mount Odin , with an elevation of at least 2,143 m (7,031 ft), although some sources say 2,147 m (7,044 ft). Another peak of note
6795-475: The International Union for Conservation of Nature . Baffin Island has both year-round and summer visitor wildlife. On land, examples of year-round wildlife are barren-ground caribou , polar bear , Arctic fox , red fox , Arctic hare , lemming , and Baffin Island wolf . Barren-ground caribou herds migrate in a limited range from northern Baffin Island down to the southern part in winter, even to
6946-568: The Pinta collided with the civilian brig Tally Ho off the coast of Nantucket . Sebree was not held directly responsible for the collision, as he was below deck at the time, but it was alleged that he did not do enough to determine whether the other ship was damaged before sailing away. Charges were brought against him in November and in December he was found guilty of "culpable negligence and inefficiency in
7097-613: The Powhatan , Sebree was transferred again, this time to serve as the executive officer of USS Thetis for another trip into the Arctic. In 1881, Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greely had left on an expedition to establish a base at Lady Franklin Bay on northern Ellesmere Island (now part of the Canadian territory of Nunavut ). Greely was left with provisions for three years but was to expect supply ships in 1882 and 1883. Both attempts to resupply
7248-570: The Ramsar Convention on May 24, 1982. It is home of the world's largest goose colony and supports a large number of barren-ground caribou . The Bowman Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is also located on the western side of Baffin Island near Bowman Bay in the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak . It is 1,079 km (417 sq mi) and is classified as Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) under
7399-618: The Territory of Hawaii , the Philippines , Western Samoa , and Panama . While visiting the Western Samoan capital of Apia , Sebree was presented with a souvenir album of Samoan scenery in honor of his time as governor of neighboring American Samoa. On April 15, 1909, Admiral Swinburne, the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, announced his retirement, and Sebree was appointed to replace him on May 17. Good public relations remained
7550-727: The Thetis , which was doing survey work off the coast of California . In 1897 he was promoted to commander . During the Spanish–American War , Sebree again commanded the Wheeling in the Pacific for the duration of the war. His assignment was to patrol the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands , far from both the Caribbean and Pacific theaters of the war, and he saw no significant action. After
7701-480: The Tigress' s success, the Navy chartered the ship, temporarily rechristened her USS Tigress , and used her to launch a rescue attempt to locate the remainder of the crew. For this attempt the ship would be commanded by a group of eight navy officers, led by Captain James A. Greer , although much of the original civilian crew was retained. Lieutenant Sebree was one of the officers chosen for the mission. This rescue mission
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#17328843582107852-588: The United States Marine Corps . Sebree Peak and Sebree Island , both in Alaska, are named for the admiral. Polaris expedition The Polaris expedition of 1871–1873 was one of the first serious attempts to reach the North Pole after that of British naval officer Sir Edward Parry , who reached 82° 45′ N in 1827. Funded by the U.S. government, the expedition's notable achievement
8003-413: The bowhead whale . Found throughout the Arctic range, one group of bowhead whales is known to migrate to the Foxe Basin, a bay on the western side of Baffin Island. Baffin Island lies in the path of a generally northerly airflow all year round, so, like much of northeastern Canada, it has an extremely cold climate. This brings very long, cold winters and foggy, cloudy summers, which have helped to add to
8154-437: The fast ice close to land in their search for seals. Arctic foxes are scavengers and often follow polar bears to get their leavings. They also are known to take ground-nesting birds and their eggs and chicks, such as ducks, geese, ptarmigan, seagulls, shorebirds and even snowy owls, on occasion. On Baffin Island, Arctic foxes are sometimes trapped by Inuit , but there is no longer a robust fur industry . The Arctic wolf and
8305-414: The fifth-largest island in the world . Its area is 507,451 km (195,928 sq mi) with a population density of 0.03/km ; the population was 13,039 according to the 2021 Canadian census ; and it is located at 68°N 70°W / 68°N 70°W / 68; -70 ( Baffin Island ) . It also contains the city of Iqaluit (with a population of around 7,000), which
8456-409: The ironclad USS Dictator . One episode in Sebree's early military history which influenced his later career was his participation in the second Polaris rescue mission. The Polaris expedition was an 1871 exploration of the Arctic that had aimed to reach the North Pole . The expedition was troubled from the start: its leader, Charles Francis Hall , died in mysterious circumstances before
8607-436: The permafrost , Hall's body, flag shroud, clothing and coffin were well-preserved. Tests on tissue samples of bone, fingernails and hair showed that he had received large doses of arsenic in the last two weeks of his life. Acute arsenic poisoning appears consistent with the symptoms party members reported: stomach pains, vomiting, dehydration, stupor and mania . Arsenic can have a sweet taste, and Hall had complained that
8758-476: The pre-Dorset , followed by the Dorset , and then by the Thule people , ancestors of the Inuit , who have lived on the island for the last thousand years. The Thule people genetically and culturally completely replaced the Dorset people some time after 1300 CE. In about 986, Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red , formed three settlements near the southwestern tip of Greenland. In late 985 or 986, Bjarni Herjólfsson , sailing from Iceland to Greenland,
8909-403: The Arctic, Bessels expressed his desire to see Ream again in a letter. Envy towards Hall over Ream's affections could be seen as motive. No charges were ever filed against Bessels. Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land ), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut , is the largest island in Canada , the second-largest island in the Americas (behind Greenland ), and
9060-426: The Arctic. His focus was directed towards the region around 1857, amid popular speculation about the fate of Franklin's lost expedition of 1845. Hall spent the next few years studying the reports of previous explorers and trying to raise money for his own expedition. As a result of his charisma and personality, he was able eventually to launch two solo expeditions in search of Franklin and his crew: one in 1860 and
9211-481: The English name for Frobisher Bay on which it is located, named for Martin Frobisher . That year the community voted to restore the Inuktitut name. To the south lies Hudson Strait , separating Baffin Island from mainland Quebec . South of the western end of the island is the Fury and Hecla Strait , which separates the island from the Melville Peninsula on the mainland. To the east are Davis Strait and Baffin Bay , with Greenland beyond. The Foxe Basin ,
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#17328843582109362-505: The Frobisher Bay peninsula, next to Resolution Island , then migrating back north in the summer. In 2012, a survey of caribou herds found that the local population was only about 5,000, a decrease of as much as 95% from the 1990s. Arctic hares are found throughout Baffin Island. Their fur is pure white in winter and moults to a scruffy dark grey in summer. Arctic hares and lemmings are an important food source for Arctic and red foxes and Arctic wolves. Lemmings are also found throughout
9513-411: The German half of the crew, further increasing tensions among a group of men that were already divided by nationality. By October 1871, the expedition was wintering in Thank God Harbor , Greenland , and making preparations for the trip to the Pole. Hall suddenly fell ill and died, accusing members of his crew — particularly Bessels — of orchestrating his murder. On the way southward, nineteen members of
9664-479: The Isortoq River. Although in the 1970s parts of Baffin Island failed to have the usual ice-free period in the summer. Climate tables from south to north The Hall Peninsula of southern Baffin Island includes the Chidliak Kimberlite Province , which had been found to include kimberlite pipes of diamond -bearing kimberlite . The Mary River iron ore mine began operating in 2015, and shipped 4.2 million tonnes of iron ore in 2023. The White Dawn
9815-401: The Lighthouse Board, but he did not or could not accommodate them. Instead, the officers were given commendations by Secretary Victor H. Metcalf and "preference in future appointments". Admiral Dewey and Captain Sebree made a second recommendation, which was approved, that Captain Gibbs receive a commendation and a pay increase for his service. Sebree was promoted to rear admiral in 1907 and
9966-406: The Navy George M. Robeson , successfully lobbied for, and received, a $ 50,000 grant to command the expedition. He began recruiting personnel in late 1870. Hall secured the United States Navy tugboat Periwinkle , a 387-ton screw-propelled steamer. At the Washington Navy Yard , the ship was fitted as a fore-topsail schooner and renamed Polaris . She was prepared for Arctic service by
10117-412: The Pathfinder Squadron, with the California and others, became the 2nd division of the United States Pacific Fleet , with Sebree remaining in command. Rear Admiral William T. Swinburne was placed in command of the full fleet. On June 5, 1908, Sebree was nearly killed during a speed trial of the Tennessee off the coast of California. He had just completed a tour of the starboard boiler room when
10268-399: The Philippines, with only brief stops en route. Speed testing was a major goal of the early part of the voyage and he and his fleet of eight ships broke speed records by sailing to Honolulu in just over four days. Six of the eight ships were able to make the voyage in that time; the Colorado and West Virginia had mechanical failures which prevented them from completing the voyage on time. On
10419-425: The South American coast before being appointed commander of the 2nd Division of the Pacific Fleet and then commander-in-chief of the entire fleet. He retired in 1910 and died in Coronado, California , in 1922. Two geographical features in Alaska — Sebree Peak and Sebree Island —are named for Admiral Sebree. Uriel Sebree was born in Fayette, Missouri , on February 20, 1848, to Judge John Sebree, called "one of
10570-443: The United States, landing at Portsmouth, New Hampshire , on August 1, 1884. Schley later reported that a delay of just two more days would have been fatal to the remaining six members of the expedition. Sebree and the other members of the relief expedition gained fame from the voyage. Even ten years later, in 1895, a report by The New York Times celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy listed Sebree as one of
10721-496: The addition of solid oak timber all over her hull, and the bow was sheathed in iron. A new engine was added, and one of the boilers was retrofitted to burn seal or whale oil. The ship was also outfitted with four whaleboats , 20-foot long (6.1 m) and four-foot wide (1.2 m), and a flat-bottomed scow . During his previous Arctic expeditions, Hall came to admire the Inuit umiak —a type of open boat made of driftwood, whalebone, and walrus or seal skins—and brought
10872-482: The alcohol kept by the scientists for the preservation of specimens. Hall had complained about Budington's drunken behavior, and it came fully to light in the crew's testimony at the inquest following the expedition. With Tyson watching over the ship, Hall took two sleds with first mate Chester and the native guides Ipirvik and Hendrik, leaving on October 10. The day after leaving, Hall sent Hendrik back to Polaris to retrieve some forgotten items. Hall also sent back
11023-684: The ancient Arctic people, the Dorset and Thule, needed to be taught how to spin yarn: "It's a pretty intuitive thing to do." ...the date received on Sample 4440b from Nanook clearly indicates that sinew was being spun and plied at least as early, if not earlier, than yarn at this site. We feel that the most parsimonious explanation of this data is that the practice of spinning hair and wool into plied yarn most likely developed naturally within this context of complex, indigenous, Arctic fiber technologies, and not through contact with European textile producers. [...] Our investigations indicate that Paleoeskimo (Dorset) communities on Baffin Island spun threads from
11174-453: The circumstances and symptoms detailed by him, and comparing them with the medical testimony of all the witnesses, we are conclusively of the opinion that Captain Hall died from natural causes— viz. , apoplexy—and that the treatment of the case by Dr. Bessels was the best practicable under the circumstances." There has been speculation as to why Budington and the men aboard Polaris did not attempt
11325-408: The coffee had tasted too sweet and had burned his stomach. It also appears that at least three of the crew—Budington, Meyer and Bessels—expressed relief at Hall's death and said that the expedition would be better off without him. In The Arctic Grail , Pierre Berton suggests that it is possible that Hall accidentally dosed himself with the poison, as arsenic was common in medical kits of
11476-518: The community just over 3 1 ⁄ 2 months without true night. In the winter, the sun sets on November 22 and does not rise again until January 19 of the next year. Pond Inlet has civil twilight from December 16 to December 26. However, there is twilight for at least 4 hours per day, unlike places such as Eureka . Like most of Nunavut and the Canadian Arctic , Baffin Island has a tundra climate ( Köppen climate classification ET ), although
11627-476: The construction of a lighthouse on Aunu'u . The Fita Fita Guard, the local militia that Tilley had organized, continued its training, and Sebree arranged to train some members of the force as a military-style brass band . Sebree also attempted to improve local agriculture and even petitioned the Department of Agriculture for assistance, but was turned down. Tensions escalated between foreign traders on Samoa and
11778-476: The crew. The special blubber-fired boilers had disappeared, apparently thrown overboard. On August 18, the ship reached Upernavik, where they picked up Hendrik. Polaris proceeded north through Smith Sound and the Nares Strait , passing the previous furthest north by ship records held of Kane and Hayes. By September 2, Polaris had reached her furthest parallel north , 82° 29′ N. Tension flared again as
11929-403: The cup before it was brought to Hall. After Budington and the remainder of the crew were rescued and returned to the U.S., the board of inquiry continued. Budington attacked Tyson's credibility, disputing his claim that he had obstructed Hall's efforts to sail the ship further north. He also disputed reports of his drinking, saying that he "[made] it a practice to drink but very little". Bessels
12080-452: The destruction of good morals", and "falsehood" and taken to the Wisconsin for his court martial. Sebree and a group of six other officers found him guilty of the first charge, guilty of a lesser offense for the second charge, and not guilty on the third. His sentence was determined to be a reduction in grade equivalent to one year of seniority. Three of the officers, not including Sebree, wrote
12231-421: The end of their first winter. The following year, the Polaris remained trapped in ice and unable to return home. During a violent storm, the crew was separated into two groups: a small group of explorers was stranded on the now-crippled Polaris and the remainder were marooned on an ice floe . These latter 19 survivors were discovered by chance and rescued by the civilian whaler USS Tigress . Because of
12382-466: The expedition became separated from their ship and drifted on an ice floe for six months and 1,800 miles (2,900 km) before being rescued. The damaged Polaris was run aground and wrecked near Etah in October 1872. The remaining men were able to survive the winter and were rescued the following summer. A naval board of inquiry investigated Hall's death, but no charges were ever laid. However, an exhumation of his body in 1968 revealed he had ingested
12533-553: The expedition failed and, with Greely's provisions running low, the Navy prepared an expedition in early 1884 to attempt a resupply or rescue. The expedition was led by Captain Winfield Scott Schley and consisted of lead ship USS Thetis (with Sebree as the executive officer and navigator), USS Bear , and the borrowed HMS Alert . Many of the officers, including Sebree, were selected for their previous Arctic experience. The Thetis left New York on May 1, 1884, and
12684-477: The feeding grounds in the Davis Strait between Greenland and Baffin Island, or into the Hudson Strait or any of the bays and estuaries in between. Usually travelling in pods of two or more, they can often be found very close to shore (100 m [330 ft] or less). They come up to breathe every 30 seconds or so as they make their way along the coastline eating crustaceans. Narwhals , which are known for
12835-502: The first men to reach the North Pole . In the next five decades following Parry's attempt, the Americans would mount three such expeditions: Elisha Kent Kane in 1853–1855 , Isaac Israel Hayes in 1860–1861, and Charles Francis Hall with the Polaris in 1871–1873. Hall was a Cincinnati businessman with no notable academic background or sailing experience. He had previously worked as
12986-454: The first sign of the Polaris crew: a camp on Littleton Island where they had wintered, now occupied by Inuit . The missing men, the rescuers were told, had constructed makeshift boats salvaged from their destroyed ship and traveled south. Acting on this clue, the Tigress searched the Baffin Island coast to Cumberland Sound , and then the Greenland coast from Ivigtut to Fiskenæsset and
13137-441: The fleet returned home. Just before Sebree's retirement the Pacific Fleet was split into two: a smaller Pacific Fleet and an Asiatic Fleet commanded by Rear Admiral John Hubbard . On February 19, 1910, Sebree officially retired and was replaced as head of the Pacific Fleet by Rear Admiral Giles B. Harber . Shortly after retiring, Sebree was given a farewell banquet which included British Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener as
13288-447: The group not included the skilled Inuit hunters Ipirvik and Hendrik, who were able to kill seal on several occasions. On October 16, 1872, with Polaris ' s coal stores running low, Budington decided to run the ship aground near Etah . Having lost much of their bedding, clothing and food when it was haphazardly jettisoned from the ship on October 12, the remaining fourteen men were in poor condition to face another winter. They built
13439-403: The group slowly progressed through the ice of Melville Bay , chasing clues and records left by the expedition, to finally discover the survivors of Greely's camp off Cape Sabine on June 22, 1885. Of the 25 members of the expedition, only 6 survived (one more died on the return journey). The expedition sailed first for Upernavik, Greenland , arriving on July 2, 1884, and then made its way back to
13590-718: The hair and also from the sinews of native terrestrial grazing animals, most likely musk ox and arctic hare , throughout the Middle Dorset period and for at least a millennium before there is any reasonable evidence of European activity in the islands of the North Atlantic or in the North American Arctic. A long-running debate disputes whether the Vikings taught indigenous peoples in the Canadian Arctic how to spin yarn when
13741-528: The highest ice caps have an ice cap climate ( EF ). The sea is frozen for most of the year, and only a few months are above freezing. There can be seasonal lag in spring. The Barnes Ice Cap , in the middle of the island, has been retreating since at least the early 1960s, when the Geographical Branch of the then Department of Mines and Technical Surveys sent a three-man survey team to the area to measure isostatic rebound and cross-valley features of
13892-468: The ice hardens further and further out to sea. As winter progresses, they will always remain where there is open water free of ice. When the ice melts, they move in to land and can be found basking on rocks close to shore. One of the largest walrus herds can be found in the Foxe Basin on the western side of Baffin Island. Beluga or white whales migrate along the coast of Baffin Island; some head north to
14043-440: The ice, up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) thick. It visits each one often to keep the hole open and free from ice. In March, when a female is ready to whelp, she will enlarge one of the breathing holes that has snow over it, creating a small " igloo " where she whelps one or two pups. Within three weeks the pups are in the water and swimming. In summer, some ringed seals keep to a narrow territory about 3 km (1.9 mi) along
14194-562: The invaders arrived in the region around 1,000 years ago. The team found that some of the spun yarn dates back at least 2,000 years, long before the Vikings arrived in the area. This shows that the indigenous peoples in the Canadian Arctic developed yarn-spinning technologies without any help from the Vikings, the scientists said. William W. Fitzhugh , Director of the Arctic Studies Center at the Smithsonian Institution , and
14345-596: The island and are a major food source for foxes, wolves and the snowy owl . In the winter, lemmings dig complicated tunnel systems through the snow drifts to get to their food supply of dry grasses and lichens . Polar bears can be found all along the coast of Baffin Island but are most prevalent where the sea ice takes the form of pack ice , where their major food sources— ringed seals (jar seal) and bearded seals —live. Polar bears mate approximately every year, bearing one to three cubs around March. Female polar bears may travel 10–20 km (6.2–12.4 mi) inland to find
14496-475: The island, naming it "Queen Elizabeth's Foreland" and Frobisher Bay is named after him. The island is named after English explorer William Baffin , who, in 1616, came across the island while trying to discover the Northwest Passage . It was also formerly known as James Island . Iqaluit , the capital of Nunavut, is located on the southeastern coast. Until 1987, the town was called Frobisher Bay, after
14647-489: The issue, and it is unknown whether he was a member of the majority or not. Evans commented in his critique that he was unsure who the other supporters of the majority decision were. As criticism swirled around the trial itself, the editors of the magazine United Service defended Sebree and stated that he had "universal esteem throughout the Navy service" and that he had a "large experience, sound judgment, even temper and most excellent record". Following this announcement, Sebree
14798-451: The local populace, due in part to controls which Tilley had put in place to protect Samoan farmers from exploitation. Dr. David Starr Jordan, a prominent American biologist doing research in the territory, was so concerned by these tensions that he sent a letter to President Theodore Roosevelt asking that a trader not be made governor of the territory, if a civil administration were created. Shortly after, many traders and locals, including
14949-399: The males' long, spiralling single tusk, can also be found along the coast of Baffin Island in the summer. Much like their beluga cousins, they may be found in pairs or even in a large pod of ten or more males, females and newborns. They also can be often found close to the shoreline, gracefully pointing their tusks skyward as they come up for air. The largest summer visitor to Baffin Island is
15100-617: The most "famous" graduates, despite his relatively low rank. After his return from the expedition Sebree taught at the Naval Academy for two years before being transferred to the 13th Lighthouse District, to serve as the lighthouse inspector for Oregon and Washington Territory . While stationed there he was promoted to lieutenant commander in March 1889. In September 1889 he was made the executive officer of USS Baltimore , again under Captain Schley. Both men were still serving aboard
15251-585: The officers and scientific staff. Bessels, backed by Meyer, had openly rejected Hall's command over the scientific staff. The dissension spread to the crew, which was divided by nationality. In his diary, Tyson wrote that by the time the expedition reached Disko Island , "[...] expressions are freely made that Hall shall not get any credit out of this expedition. Already some have made up their minds how far they will go and when they will get home again." Hall asked Captain Henry Kallock Davenport of
15402-463: The one they were currently facing, Tyson added: "Some one will some day reach the pole, and I envy not those who have prevented Polaris having that chance." With the expedition's main goal abandoned, Polaris turned south for home. In Smith Sound, west of the Humboldt Glacier , she ran aground on a shallow iceberg and could not be freed. On the night of October 15, with an iceberg threatening
15553-544: The pack occurred. When morning came, the group, consisting of Tyson, Meyer, six of the seamen, the cook, the steward and all of the Inuit, found themselves stranded on an ice floe . The castaways could see Polaris eight to ten miles (13 to 16 km) away, but attempts to attract the ship's attention with a large black cloth were futile. Resigned to the ice, the Inuit soon had igloo shelters built, and Tyson estimated that they had 1,900 pounds (860 kg) of food. They also had
15704-452: The pains that Hall complained about down one side of his body, which he attributed to many years' huddling in an igloo, may have been due to a previous minor stroke. However, in 1968, while working on Hall's biography, Weird and Tragic Shores , Chauncey C. Loomis became sufficiently intrigued by the possibility that Hall was poisoned, and applied for a permit to visit Thank God Harbor to exhume Hall's body and perform an autopsy. Because of
15855-455: The performance of his duty". He was sentenced to be suspended from rank and duty for three years with an official reprimand from the Secretary of the Navy . Believing the sentence to be too harsh, Secretary William E. Chandler reduced it to a public reprimand only. Sebree was subsequently transferred to USS Powhatan , although not as the ship's commanding officer. One month after joining
16006-481: The petition. On December 16, 1902, Sebree was granted a leave of absence to return to the United States and care for his wife who had been badly hurt in a fall. In his place, Lieutenant Commander Henry Minett , Sebree's executive officer, was made acting commandant of the station and therefore acting governor of the territory. He was also given command of the Wheeling . Captain Edmund Beardsley Underwood
16157-439: The possibility that as "remote as it may seem," these finds may represent evidence of contact with Europeans prior to the Vikings' arrival in Greenland. Sutherland's research eventually led to a 2012 announcement that whetstones had been found with remnants of alloys indicative of Viking presence. In 2018, Michele Hayeur Smith of Brown University , who specialises in the study of ancient textiles , wrote that she does not think
16308-710: The prominent citizens of old Howard County" by the Jefferson County Tribune , and his wife. Uriel was the first of two sons. His brother, Frank Payne Sebree , became a lawyer . Uriel entered the United States Naval Academy on July 23, 1863, during the American Civil War . After his graduation in 1867, his first assignment was on board USS Canandaigua . Over the next few years Sebree won repeated promotion: to ensign in 1868, master in 1870, and lieutenant in 1871. In 1873 he transferred to
16459-615: The remoteness of the island. Spring thaw arrives much later than normal for a position straddling the Arctic Circle : around early June at Iqaluit in the south-east but around early- to mid-July on the north coast where glaciers run right down to sea level. Snow, even heavy snow, can occur at any time of the year, although it is least likely in July and early August. Average annual temperatures at Iqaluit are around −9.5 °C (14.9 °F), compared with around 5 °C (41 °F) in Reykjavík , which
16610-443: The same time, then dive and swim up to 1–2 km (0.62–1.24 mi) before surfacing again. They migrate in large pods consisting of a hundred or more seals to within 1–8 km (0.62–4.97 mi) of the shoreline, which they then follow, feeding on crustaceans and fish. Walruses , which do not migrate far off land in the winter. They merely follow the fast ice , or ice that is solidly attached to land, and stay ahead of it as
16761-432: The ship at once. The men were forced to abandon the boats and walk 20 miles (32 km) back to Polaris . Now three of the ship's precious lifeboats were lost, and a fourth, the small scow, would be crushed by ice in July after being carelessly left out overnight. The expedition had failed in its main objective of reaching the North Pole. From Tyson's journal entries it appears he, Chester and Bessels were among those with
16912-471: The ship's two whaleboats and two kayaks , although one kayak was soon lost during a breakup of the ice. Meyer reckoned that they were drifting on the Greenland side of the Davis Strait and would soon be within rowing distance of Disko Island. He was incorrect; the men were actually on the Canadian side of the strait. The error caused the men to reject Tyson's plans for conserving. The seamen soon broke up one of
17063-402: The ship, Schuman reported that water was coming in and the pumps could not keep up. Budington ordered cargo to be thrown onto the ice to buoy the ship. Men began throwing goods overboard, as Tyson put it, "with no care taken as to how or where these things were thrown." Much of the jettisoned cargo was lost. Some of the crewmen were out on the surrounding ice during the night when a break-up of
17214-447: The shoreline but may move out into the open water. In the spring they spend more time on the surface of the ice. Water species that visit Baffin Island in the summer are: Harp seals (or saddle-backed seals), which migrate from major breeding grounds off the coast of Labrador and the southeast coast of Greenland to Baffin Island for the summer. Migrating at speeds of 15–20 km/h (9.3–12.4 mph), they all come up to breathe at
17365-441: The site of the Polaris wreck, but these had the sections regarding Hall's death cut out. Meyer testified to Budington's drinking, saying that the sailing master was "drunk most always while we were going southward". Steward John Herron testified that he had not made the coffee that Hall had suspected of being laced with poison; he explained that the cook made the coffee and that he had not kept track of how many people had touched
17516-404: The six-foot mark, taking iron sheeting and planking with it. Budington wrote in his journal that he "called the officer's attention to it, who only wondered she had kept afloat so long". Regarding Hall's fate, the official investigation ruled that the cause of death was apoplexy. Some of his symptoms—partial paralysis, slurred speech, delirium—certainly fitted that diagnosis. Indeed,
17667-497: The source of this Old World contact may have been is unclear and controversial; the newspaper article states: Dating of some yarn and other artifacts, presumed to be left by Vikings on Baffin Island, have produced an age that predates the Vikings by several hundred years. So, as Sutherland said, if you believe that spinning was not an indigenous technique that was used in Arctic North America, then you have to consider
17818-467: The strongest inclination to keep on pushing north. Disappointed, on August 1 he wrote: "What opportunities have been lost! And the expedition is to be carried back only to report a few geographical discoveries [...] with patience we might have worked up beyond Newman Bay , and there is no telling how much farther." Exasperated by his companions' apathy and very much aware that they might never again find themselves presented with an opportunity as good as
17969-485: The supply ship USS Congress to intervene. Davenport threatened to have Meyer shackled for insubordination and sent back to the United States, at which point all of the Germans threatened to quit. Hall and Davenport were forced to back down, although Davenport delivered a strongly worded speech on naval discipline to the crew. In another open display of dissent, Polaris ' s boilers had been tampered with by one of
18120-462: The three leading officers could not agree on whether to proceed any further. Hall and Tyson wanted to press north, to cut down the distance they would have to travel to the Pole by dogsled. Budington did not want to further risk the ship and walked out on the discussion. In the end, Polaris sailed into Thank God Harbor on September 10 and anchored for the winter on the shore of northern Greenland. Within
18271-485: The three officers who had been named in the critique filed a protest with Secretary of the Navy William Henry Moody stating that Admiral Evans had overstepped his authority by publicly reprimanding them without a court martial and that charges should be brought against him. On November 18, 1903, Moody denied the petition and the sentences were left to stand. During this controversy, Sebree remained silent on
18422-522: The time. It is considered more probable that Hall was murdered by one of the other members of the expedition; possibly Bessels, who was in near-constant attendance on Hall after he had taken sick. Furthermore, Bessels and Hall appear to have vied for the attention of sculptor Vinnie Ream – Bessels more so than Hall, the latter of whom Ream evidently preferred. While Polaris was outfitted in New York and Washington, D.C. , both were known sometimes to associate with Ream. Just before their departure to
18573-739: The title was purely honorary. In selecting officers and seamen, he relied heavily on whalers with experience in Arctic waters. This was markedly different from the polar expeditions of the British Admiralty , who tended to use naval officers and highly disciplined crews. For his selection of sailing master , Hall first turned to Sidney Ozias Budington, then to George Emory Tyson. Both initially declined due to prior whaling commitments. When those commitments—Budington's first, followed by Tyson's—fell through, Hall named Budington as sailing master and Tyson as assistant navigator. Budington and Tyson had decades of experience captaining whaling vessels between
18724-558: The two of them. In effect, Polaris now had three captains, a fact which would weigh heavily on the fate of the expedition. To further complicate matters, Budington and Hall had quarreled before, in 1863, during Hall's earlier search for the Franklin expedition. At the time, Budington had denied permission for Hall to bring north his Inuit guides, Ipirvik and Taqulittuq , whom had taken ill and were in Budington's care. The remaining personnel
18875-478: The war, he was transferred to the 12th Lighthouse District as an inspector. On October 9, 1901, Sebree was promoted to captain and received orders to travel to American Samoa to take command of USS Abarenda (AC-13) and to be commandant of the United States Naval Station Tutuila . Three days later, he was promoted to captain . At this time the commandant of the naval station
19026-579: The way a three-ply yarn is made now, the Baffin Island yarn was a simple two-ply yarn. The eight sod buildings and artifacts found in the 1960s at L'Anse aux Meadows , located on the northern tip of Newfoundland Island , remains the only confirmed Norse site in North America outside of those found in Greenland. Baffin Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region . The population of Baffin Island at
19177-525: The way, Sebree had formal meetings with Brazilian President Afonso Pena , Peruvian President José Pardo y Barreda , and United States diplomatic staff in both countries. He also met with representatives in Chile and other countries. When the squadron finally arrived in California, it was joined by USS California and participated in public-relations events at West Coast ports. The diplomatic mission over,
19328-406: The whaleboats for firewood, making a safe escape to land unlikely. One night in November 1871, the men went on an eating binge, consuming a large quantity of the food stores. The group drifted over 1,800 miles (2,900 km) on the ice floe for the next six months before being rescued off the coast of Newfoundland by the whaler Tigress on April 30, 1873. All probably would have perished had
19479-489: The whaler Ravenscraig in July and returned home via Scotland. On June 5, 1873, a naval board of inquiry began. At this time, the crew and Inuit families had been rescued from the ice floe, but the fate of Budington, Bessels and the remainder of the crew was still unknown. The board consisted of Robeson, Admiral Louis M. Goldsborough , Commodore William Reynolds , Army Captain Henry W. Howgate and Spencer Fullerton Baird of
19630-412: The winter. We agreed it was monstrous and must be prevented. Chester said he is determined, when he got home, to expose the matter." Writer Farley Mowat has suggested the officers were contemplating faking a journey to the Pole, or at least to a high latitude. Whatever the unmentioned plan was, an expedition to try for the Pole was dispatched on June 6. Chester led the expedition in a whaleboat, which
19781-414: Was "taken by hemiplegia " and his left arm and side were paralyzed, and that he had injected Hall with quinine to correct his elevated temperature before he died. Faced with conflicting testimony, lack of official records and journals, and no body for an autopsy , no charges were laid in connection with Hall's death. In the inquiry's final report, the surgeons general of the Navy and Army wrote: "From
19932-940: Was a German-born U.S. Army Signal Corps sergeant. In addition to the 25 officers, crew and scientific staff, Hall brought along his native companions whose assistance he had relied on during his earlier expeditions; guide and hunter Ipirvik, interpreter and seamstress Taqulittuq, as well as their infant son. Later, at Upernavik , also joining their ranks would be Hans Hendrik , the esteemed Greenlandic Inuk hunter previously employed by Kane and Hayes on their respective expeditions, and whose expertise had been crucial to their survival, helping ward off starvation. Throwing his weight around, Hendrik, wrote Bessels, "refused to see that his [wife] and their children were extremely unwelcome extras on such an undertaking." Reluctant to increase their number with "four useless mouths," Hall acquiesced so that now, besides Hendrik's wife, added to their complement were three young children. Even before leaving
20083-750: Was assigned to work with the United States Coast Survey on board the A. D. Bache . The following year he was given his first two commands: the Silliman and then the Thomas R. Gedney , both ships of the United States Coast Survey. He remained on the latter ship for nearly three years before being assigned to USS Brooklyn in 1882. In 1883, he was given his first command of a Navy ship, USS Pinta , with orders to sail to Alaska . On October 3, 1883, prior to leaving for Alaska,
20234-494: Was blown off course and sighted land southwest of Greenland. Bjarni appears to be the first European to see Baffin Island, and the first European to see North America beyond Greenland. It was about 15 years later that the Norse Greenlanders , led by Leif Erikson , a son of Erik the Red, started exploring new areas around the year 1000. Baffin Island is thought to be Helluland , and the archaeological site at Tanfield Valley
20385-548: Was composed of Americans and Germans , as well as a Dane and a Swede – both of whom closely associated with the Germans. The first mate, Hubbard Chester; second mate, William Morton; second engineer, Alvin Odell; and astronomer and chaplain Richard Bryan—among others—were American. Chief scientist and surgeon Emil Bessels and chief engineer Emil Schumann were German, as were most of the seamen. Meteorologist Frederick Meyer
20536-457: Was considered the acting governor of the territory as Congress had not yet formalized the U.S. Navy's role there. Sebree was the replacement for Commandant Benjamin Franklin Tilley , who had recently had charges brought against him for immorality and drunkenness. While Sebree was in transit to the islands, Tilley was tried and acquitted of the charges against him but the decision to replace him
20687-467: Was crushed by pack ice within a few miles of Polaris . Chester and his men hiked back to the ship and persuaded Budington to give them the collapsible boat. With this boat and with Tyson piloting another whaleboat, the men set out to travel north again. In the meantime, Polaris had found open water and was searching for a route south. Budington, not eager to spend another winter in the ice, sent Ipirvik north with orders for Tyson and Chester: return to
20838-427: Was given command of a squadron of two ships: his flagship , USS Tennessee , and USS Washington . This so-called "Pathfinder Squadron" would travel from New York to California via Cape Horn. This mission allowed the Navy to show off two of its newest cruisers to South American governments as well as transfer ships to the Pacific Fleet in what was seen as an example of American gunboat diplomacy . Along
20989-418: Was made to me that I have never ceased thinking of it since [...] It grew out of a discussion as to the feasibility of attempting to get farther north next summer." Furthermore, Tyson was convinced, "It is enough to make Captain Hall stir in his ice-cold grave to hear some of the talk that goes on." He revisited the subject on April 23: "Had a talk with Chester about the astounding proposition made to me in
21140-511: Was not changed. Captain Sebree arrived in Samoa and took up his new post on November 27, 1901. During his administration, Sebree made numerous requests to both Washington and the U.S. Navy that went unanswered. He suggested that the U.S. Congress appoint a committee to visit the islands to create a development plan for the territory, but received no response. Perceived as overly critical by the U.S. Navy, he
21291-400: Was often seen drunk, but he was not the only one to pilfer the alcohol stores; according to testimony at the inquiry, Tyson was also seen "drunk like old mischief" and Schumann had gone so far as to craft a duplicate of Budington's key so that he could help himself to alcohol as well. Whatever the role of alcohol, it was clear that shipboard routine was breaking down; as Tyson remarked, "There
21442-413: Was questioned about Hall's cause of death. He stated that, "My idea of the cause of the first attack is that he had been exposed to very low temperature during the time that he was on the sledge journey. He came back and entered a warm cabin without taking off his heavy fur clothing, and then took a warm cup of coffee. And anyone knows what the consequences of that might be." Bessels also testified that Hall
21593-444: Was reaching 82° 29′ N by ship, a record at the time. The expedition was commanded by the experienced and self-taught Arctic explorer Charles Francis Hall , who had previously lived among the Inuit in the Arctic region during previous attempts to determine the fate of Franklin's lost expedition of 1845. Hall possessed the necessary survival skills, but lacked an academic background and had no experience leading men or commanding
21744-474: Was relieved of the captaincy of the USS Abarenda to focus solely on his role as Governor. His request for the publicization of his designation as Governor was also ignored. Additionally, he left office without receiving satisfactory responses to his other recommendations, such as establishing a public school system and hiring doctors. Unlike Tilley, who had been the first acting governor of the territory, Sebree
21895-415: Was required to be posted at every naval base and on every ship in the Pacific and was reprinted in full by The New York Times and other civilian newspapers. Evans banned the three officers who had publicly requested clemency from participating in future courts martial. Press reports questioned whether Evans had that authority as the military justice system was intended to be impartial. In late September 1903,
22046-481: Was selected as Sebree's replacement, but that decision was not made official immediately, and Underwood remained in Washington to consult with Sebree and President Roosevelt on the governance of the territory. Underwood's selection was not announced until May 1903. Following his wife's recovery, Sebree returned to service and was given command of USS Wisconsin (BB-9) on February 11, 1903. The Wisconsin
22197-432: Was taken ashore and given a formal burial. According to the protocol provided by Navy Secretary Robeson, command of the expedition was turned over to Budington, under whom discipline further declined. The precious coal was being burned at a high rate: 6,334 pounds (2,873 kg) in November, which was 1,596 pounds (724 kg) more than the previous month, and close to 8,300 pounds (3,800 kg) in December. Budington
22348-512: Was the first official United States military expedition to the Arctic; previous expeditions, including that of the Polaris itself, had been led by civilians. The Tigress sailed from New York on July 14, 1873, traveling first to St. John's, Newfoundland and then to Godhavn and Upernavik in Greenland before following the coast further north. The crew searched North Star Bay , Northumberland Island , and Hartstene Bay before discovering
22499-571: Was the flagship of the North Squadron of the Pacific fleet under Robley D. Evans . While under Sebree's command, the Wisconsin and her crew were evaluated as one of the best, according to annual targeting exercises. In the late summer of 1903, Paymaster Rishworth Nicholson of USS Don Juan de Austria assaulted a German Consul at a ball in Yantai, China . He was promptly brought up on charges of "drunkenness", "scandalous conduct tending to
22650-737: Was transferred to the Naval War College in Rhode Island to work as an instructor and as Secretary of the Lighthouse Board . In December 1905, a storm and mechanical failures caused major problems for the crew of the lightvessel Lightship No. 58 anchored off of Nantucket . Her crew, led by Captain James Jorgensen, fought for two days to prevent the vessel from foundering, but were ultimately unsuccessful. They were rescued by Captain Gibbs of
22801-423: Was very concerned about his legal status. Officially, he was only commandant of the naval station then under construction, although the deed of cession of the territory acknowledged his theoretical authority to govern the people. He was concerned that lawsuits could be brought against him or future acting governors until the situation was clarified and made official by the United States government. To this end, he made
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