The Portland daily press., 1883-09-14
early wreck of the Proteus made the execution
Of any part Of this plan impossible.
The following is description Of Lieut.

early wreck of the Proteus made the execution
Of any part of this plan impossible.
The following is description Of Lieut..
Grseley's station:
Fort Conger, the meteorological station e.
tablished by Lieut.. Greeley in the summer of
1881, is situated on the eastern coast Of Grim
nell Land, just north Of Lady Franklin Bay,
in about latitude 80 40' 1t is farther north
than the winter quarters of any Arctic expedi-
ton. The coast of Grinnell Land south Of the
station is extremely, wild, rugged and desolate,
and for distance of at least three hundred
miles 1t is entirely uninhabited. The nearest
permanent settlement of natives, SO far as
known, is the one on the other side OF Smith
Sound, 250 miles or more from the station.
Lieut.. Greeley party, therefore, must depend
for its safety, first upon its own exertions, and
second, upon the cooperation OF the relief ex-
pedit;on from this country The party is sup
piled with provisions enough to last until the
summer OF 1884, but it Is Lieutenant Greeley's
intention to retreat southwark down the coast
of Grinnell Land next winter, as indeed he
must do If the second relief expedition fails 10
reach his station.
The first intimation of the Proteus disaster
was found Aug. Sd, at Littleton Island Oy the
Yantic. Lieut.. Darlington left record there
when coming south describing the shipwreck,
and indicating the general movement OF Cap
tain Pike and the ships company. On the 4th
a search was instituted along the Greenland
and every point likely to bring up the retreat
ing party, was searched till Sept. I'd, when the
upper Novik was reached, and the whole OF
the Proteus party were found in good health
and tolerable spirits They had been exposed
during thirty-one days and nights in their
boats, and making some stoppages at interme-
diate harbors. The Proteus was crushed in q
foe at o'clock on the evening OF July I'd,
and sank within four hours AZ soen as the
nip ceased, the stately strong sealer went down
plumb in the Arctic sea. Fortunately sufficient
time was given to save clothing, provisions,
compass and other necessaries to meet what
might prove protracted voyage. On the 25th
the boats being equipped, provisioned and
manned, start was made, The scene of dis
aster was eight miles north, northwest OF Cape
Sabine, in lat. 10, north. Over 600 miles OF
ice and frigid sea were passed before the friend
ly Upper Novik was reached.
The worst feature in the unfortunate Pro-
teus expedition is that no provisions were
landed in Caches and all the stores intended
for the Arctic colony relief went down with
the steamer. While at anchor in a Danish
harbor on August 18th, Governor Elbury came
on board the Yantic and reported the Danish
steamer Sophia had arrived there from har-
Dor 80 miles north Of Cape York and the Cap
tain stated that a native OF Eskimo told him
that two natives of the Greeley expedition ar
rived there on sledges last winter and reported
the party all well except the doctor OF the par
ty who had died. These natives went back TO
Lady Franklin Bay. Another Eskimo arriv-
ing from Lieut.. Greely's camp reported all the
officers had been murdered by the men.
Neither of these reports are reliable as the Es-
kimos are well-known for their lying and sem
sationalsm placing them in category of fc-
tion.
Captain Pike says that as far north as Cape
Sabine there was no trace of Lieut.. Greeley or
his party and his failure to come south to Lit
tleton Island to meet the relief steamers this
summer evokes grave apprehensions as to their
probable fate. The Proteus was retreatinR
some when the ice nip overwhelmed her.
She got barely 15 miles north of the scene Of
the shipwreck. The prospects Of the Greedy
colony encountering the rigors OF fourth win
ter beneath the Artic icicles are mournful to
contemplate. The crews Of both the ships
Yantic and Protens are in excellent health and
one death only has occurred during the expe-
dition, that Of Henry Wilson, gunner's mate Of
the Yantic, OF apoplexy.
st. JOHN, N. F., Sept. 13.
The first officer of the Proteus briefly sum-
marizes the i'll fated Proteus expedition as fol-
lows:
The Yantic and Proteus left st. Johns at
o'clock on the afternoon of June 18th. The
Proteus arrived at God Haven, Disco Island,
July 9th; ths Yantic at same place July 18th.
The necessary preparations were made and
the Proteus sailed for Corey Island, arriving
on the 10th. She left on the 21st and two days
after was crushed by the ice, sinking at z
o'clock on the evening of the 2Sd Of July.
Twenty-nine days were spent in boats and
several gales were encountered, the boats TAX
ing refuge under the lee of icebergs, Lieut..
Caldwell and sixsof the crew parted company
with the others at Cape York. Found the
Yantic July 31st and reported that Captain
Pike and the remainder of the crew were
moving southwards. The Yantic reached
Corey Island Aug. I'd, and on the same night
proceeded to Pandora harbor where records
from Pike and Darlington were found. She
next proceeded along the Greenland coast,
sending boats around all the islands in search
OF the missing crew. A storm and heavy pack
OF ice on Aug. 9th forced the Yantic to anchor
to the leeward d Northumberla Island, but
the next day she bore away for Upper Novik,
arriving there August 22d. On the 9th she
started for Waigatt coal mines and returned to
Upper Noyik on Sept. I'd when Capt. Pike and
the crew were found and taken on board the
Yantic.