Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/58

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HALL
HALL

New London on the whaler "George Henry," which, commanded by Cant. S. O. Buddington, was bound for Cumberland gulf. Hall returned to New London, 13 Sept., 1862, having been un- successful in his search, but he had acquired much knowledge of Esquimau life, speech, and habits, and had discovered relics of Frobisher's expedition of 1577-'8. The country was in the midst of a great civil war, and he failed, by lecturing or by personal appeals, to obtain sufficient means for a special expedition. Undismayed, he sailed again, 1 July, 1864, sparsely fitted out bv private sub- scription, and in August was landed on Depot island, 64° N., 90° W., with boat and provisions. Hall became thoroughly domesticated with the Esquimaux, among whom he passed five years, re- ceiving occasional supplies from whalers. In May, 1869, he reached the southeastern coast of King William's Land, but passed only four days there, as his native companions would stay no longer. Hall gathered up many relics of the Franklin expedition and brought back a skele- ton, supposed to be that of an officer of the " Ere- bus." The Esquimaux informed him of their finding a large tent near Terror bay, with remains of many men, and said that one of the Franklin ships, after being abandoned, made the northwest passage by drifting. After his return in 1869 Hall succeeded in engaging the attention of congress, which authorized " An Expedition to the North Pole," the only one in the history of the nation ; $50,000 was appropriated for the expedition, and a vessel selected from the navy was thoroughly fitted out at an expense of $90,000. The "Po- laris " sailed from New London, 3 July, 1871, Hall commanding, with S. O. Buddington as sailing- master, Dr. Emil Bessels as chief of scientific work, and twenty-four others. The " Congress " accom- panied them as tender to Godhavn, Greenland. There is no doubt that Hall was uncertain as to his route, whether via Jones sound or Smith sound, but he decided on the latter. Favored by a sea unusually free of ice, the " Polaris " passed with- out difficulty through Smith sound into Kane sea, and thence through Kennedy and Robeson chan- nels to the polar sea, where heavy ice was met with. On 29 Aug. the " Polaris " was in latitude 82° 11' N., the highest point at that time, ever at- tained by any vessel. Returning southward, she went into winter quarters in 81° 38' N., at Thank God harbor, Greenland. Hall left the ship on 10 Oct. on a sledge journey, during which he reached Cape Brevoort, 82° N. Returning on 24 Oct., he was immediately taken sick and soon died of apoplexy. He was buried near by, in the most northern grave of that time. The death of Hall insured the failure of geographical work. The only extended sledge journey was to the south under Dr. Bessels. A boat journey in 1872, at- tempted by Mr. Chester, reached Newman bay only, but Meyer and Lynn on foot reached 82° 09' N.,. near Repulse bay, the most northerly land that had been attained up to that time. Capt. Buddington. attempting to return home, left Thank God harbor, 13 Aug., 1872. The " Polaris," beset in Kennedy channel, drifted steadily south- ward with the pack, and on 13 Oct. was near Lit- tleton island. The ship was so badly nipped dur- ing a gale on 15 Oct. that preparations were made to abandon her, and a large quantity of stores were thrown upon the ice, when her ice-anchor slipped, leaving nineteen men on the floe. The floe party, after drifting nearly 2,000 miles and subsisting largely on sea-game, were all rescued by the sealer " Tigress," 30 April, 1872, off the coast of Labrador. Capt. Buddington beached the leak- ing and damaged " Polaris " near Life Boat cove, where a comfortable house was built of the vessel for winter. In the spring of 1873 two boats were constructed. On 3 June the party set out for Upernavik, and after a journey of about two hun- dred miles were picked up near Cape York by the Scotch whaler " Ravenscraig." The Roquette medal for 1875 was awarded to Hall by the So- ciete de geographie of Paris. Hall's arctic work has stood the test of criticism and verification, and the incorrect, misleading charts of the " Polaris " expedition are not chargeable to him. The explo- ration of the west Greenland channel, the discov- ery of the frozen sea, and the extension of Green- land and Grinnell Land a degree and a half of latitude toward the pole, are results that attest the capacity of Hall and justify the epitaph placed by the British polar expedition of 1876 over his grave, as one " who sacrificed his life in the ad- vancement of science," and who had by his expe- perience benefited them, his followers. Hall pub- lished " Arctic Researches " and " Life among the Esquimaux " (New York, 1864). His unique expe- riences during his second expedition have been compiled, under the title of " Narrative of the Sec- ond Arctic Expedition " (Washington, 1879), from his manuscripts, purchased by congress for $15,000 after his death. See also "Arctic Experiences," edited by E. V. Blake (New York, 1874).


HALL, Charles Henry, clergyman, b. in Au- gusta, Ga., 7 Nov., 1820. He was graduated at Yale in 1842, studied theology at the General Protestant Episcopal theological seminary in New York, and was ordained deacon in 1844, and priest in the following year. After holding pastorates at Huntington, L. I., West Point, N. Y., and John's Island, S. C, he became rector of the Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D. C, in 1856, and in 1869 was called to Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, N. Y., where he still remains (1887). Previous to the civil war and during that period Dr. Hall carefully avoided politics in his sermons. He has always been a Democrat, but took no active part in politics until 1884, when he made several addresses in favor of the election of Grover Cleveland to the presidency, and was chairman of the Democratic meeting held in Brooklyn in June of that year. Dr. Hall's theo- logical views are broad, and he is clear and incisive as a pulpit orator. He is at the head of the stand- ing committee of his diocese, is chaplain of the 23d New York regiment, a director in the Brook- lyn historical society, and is connected with nu- merous ecclesiastical and charitable organizations* Dr. Hall was the intimate friend of Henry Ward Beecher, and co-worker with him in many religious enterprises, and was chosen by him to officiate at his funeral. He received the degree of D. D. from Hobart in 1860, and from Columbia in 1861. He has published "Commentaries on the Gospels" (Philadelphia, 1867) ; " Protestant Ritualism " (New York, 1871) ; and " Spina Christi " (1883).


HALL, Charles Hershall, physician, b. in Newport, Ind., 5 April, 1835. He received his preliminary education in Indiana university, and was graduated at the medical department of Willamette university, Ore., in 1868. The next year he settled in Salem, and was in the government Indian service at Fort Yamhill in 1871-3, but resigned in 1874 to become professor of the theory and practice of medicine in Willamette university, where he still remains (1887). He is a member of the Oregon medical society, and the American medical association. Since 1876 he has edited the "Oregon Medical Journal."