The Portland daily press., 1882-12-11
Another Arctic Search.
To Find Lieutenant Greeley and His Com
panions.

The United States Government has another
Arctic search on its hands, which will be be-
gnn early next summer, and for which an ap-
preparation must be made early in the coming
session of Congress. A year ago last July
First Lieutenant Greedy, of the Fifth Cavalry,
and Second Lieutenants Kislingsbury and
Lockwood, of the Eleventh and Twenty-third
Infantry, With twenty-one men from the Sig
nal Corps and Army, started for Lady Frank
lin Bay, in latitude 80, 2o', longitude $40 49,
Their purpose was to establish meteorologi-
cal station which the government proposed to
maintain for three years. The station is the
northernmost of a chain of stations established
by the governments of the United States, Aus
tro-Hnngary, Denmark, France, Germany,
Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Norway, Swe-
den and Russia, for the purpose OF taking SIM
infamous observations in meteorolegy, magne-
tism, ocean currents, tides, structure OF ice,
deusity of sea water sc. 1t is the first praoti-
cal and united effort to find out what the ex;
IRENE north has TO reveal in these branches OF
science. The observations began at the chain
of stations which were established around the
pole on the first of August. The other station
established by the United States at Point Bar
row, Alaska, is about as far north as any sta
ten established by the foreign governments
The party at Lady Franklin Bay is in a very
inaccessible place. The intention was that it
should be visited every year by a relief and
supply expedition, which should take up men
to supply the places of those who might be i'll
or who might have died during the year, with
fresh food and clothing. 1t is now over a
year since anything has been heard from Lieu
tenant Greeley and his party. They had a
large double walled house, supply of provis-
ions for two years, and they were near bed OF
coal. It. is presumed they are safe, but nothing
is known about them, because the relief expe-
diticn sent up this year failed to reach the sta
ton, the ice being impossible. The expert
ence of the last forty years has taught the
masters of whalers that Lady Franklin Bay
can be reached only about once inseveD years
by water. Congress. indeed, came very near
leaving the matter uncared for entirely, for 1t
was the ed of June before the appropriation
was made, and General Hazen was about to
engage vessel and ct her out on his own re-
sponsibility, when Congress recoilected that
the country had twenty-five men derending on
it's action for comforts and necessaries. AS it
was the expedition was delayed week by
this mac ion of Congress The expedition Of
next summer is to get off not later than the
LIST of July. While 1t is not expected that
any harm has come to Lieutenant Greedy and
his party, the expedition is to start out pre-
pared to winter if the Straits are impossible,
and to reach Lady Franklin Bay with sleds.
The Secretary of War is taking great pains in
the selection of an officer to command the par
ty, and General Terry has been asked TO anne
some of the younger officers, who have become
used to all the bardships of the weather of the
Northwest. They will not come back until
they find Greedy and his party. Congress will
be asked to make the appropriation, about
$35, 900, early In the session.