The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-09-01
The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition.


At last the Proteus has left st. Johns
on her Arctic mission. The voyage ol
this vessel is often spoken of as one in
search of the Jeanette, but this is q
mistake. The expedition was organ.
lied for purposes entirely different,
namely, the establishment of a polar
colony for general scientific observation,
substantially after The plan OF the one
which Captain Howgate undertook last
year, and failed.to accomplish. sIR 2
1t is true that Lieutenant Greely, OF
the Fifth Cavalry, who is in command
of the expedition, suggested that 4
sledge party, moving to an elevated DO
sition not far from his permanent sta
ton, might get sight of the Jeannette,
supposing her to have attempted. re-
turn through Baffin's Bay; and accord
ingly he was authorized to send out
such a party. But his instructions
show that this is to be minor incident
OF an expedition intended for, other pur.
poses. A permanent station is to be
established at the most suitable point
north of the eighty y-first parallel, near
the coal seam discovered on Lady
Franklin Bay by the English expedition
OF 1875. The only stops authorized be-
fore reaching this. point, except those
which the ice enfOrces, are to be the
calls at Disco or sUpernavik; to secure
Esquimaux hunters, dogs and clothing,
and those on the east coast Of Grinnell
Land, to see that the stores cached by
the expedition of 1875 are in good con.
dition for the use Of any party retreat
ing southwark in distress. IA Ga
After the Proteus has landed its party
and their stores, and has returned, q
dwelling house and observatories are to
be built; and only then is sledge party
to be sent out, according to the pro-
posal made to the Navy Department, to
the high land near Cape Joseph Henry.'
1t is evident from this slight allusion,
that little stress is laid on the possibility
OF seeing the Jeanette, and that no
prolonged effort is authorized for this
purpose. Indeed it is specially added
that 1.-THE sledging parties will generally
work in the interests of exploration
and discovery" rather than for the
chances of aiding the missing vessel.
Ihe same permanent service is indi-
Gated in the elaborate special instruc-
tions for making meteorological, mag
netic, tidal, pendulum and other obser-l
yations. as recommended by the Ham,
burg International Polar Conference.
with which this Franklin Bay expedi-
ton is strictly connected.
1t is proposed, also, that whatever
becomes of the Jeannette, this .sper-
manent station" as it is officially called.
shall be visited in 1882 and 1883 byy 4
vessel with supplies and reinforcementa
50 as to continue the occupation. The
arrangements in case of failure to re-
lieve are as follows. IS 9ss 80
In case no vessel reaches the per-
manent station in 1882, the vessel sent
IN 1888 will remain in Smiths Sound
until there is danger of it's CLOSING bv
ice, and, on leaving, win land all her
supplies and party at Littleton Island.
which party will be prepared for win
ter's stay, and will be instructed to send
sledge parties up the east side of Grin
nell Land to meet this party. If not
visited IN 1882, Lieut.. Greely will aban-
don his! station not later than Sept
1888. and will retreat southwark by
boat, following closely the east coast of
Grinnell Land until the relieving vessel
is met or Littleton Island is reached. ~
Still, though this Franklin Bay expe-
dition IS shown to have no connection
with the hunt for the Jeannettc, it is
not at all impossible that it may succeed
where the direct searches Of the
Rodgers and Alliance may fail. Should
the Jeannette, after moving north from
Wrangelps Land, be caught in a south
easterly polar. current, She would be
carried down past the Parry siands to
~ exit not far from the station to be
established BY the Proteus. The proba-
oilities are, too, that he returned
Dy Behring's Straits, De Long would try
his exit by way. of Baf1in's Bay. = Neav
Fork ,San.
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