The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-09-20
CRUSHED by ICE.
.---s-A-<4zAG&~@~--~-
Another Arctic Expedition Como to
Grief.
The Steamer Proteus, Carrying the
Grecly Explorers, Wrecked.
fWaehington pispatch.l

Washington Dispntchl
Tho Acting secretary Of the Navy ro-
ccived tho following dispatch from the
commander OF the iantic, giving pafsic''-
lars Of the disaster to the Protcus, and the
rescue OF her crew BY the Yantic:
sT. JoHs. N. r.. sspt. II.
w. l.. Chandler, Secretary OF the Navy:
Tho United states steamer iantic has arrived
here. bringing Capt. Pike and the crew Of tue
party. oil wdi. The protcus va. crushed IN the
Ice six miles north OF Cape Sabine. on Jnly ~
The crew and the relief purity. after dcpositing
the record. at Iittl. island ana tu panaofa ~
Uppernayik, suffering much hardship In Mel.
vile bay. The Yantic reached Littleton island
on Aug . without much diiiiculty, iomnn nl
island thoroughly down 70 Summers island.
The Ice then closed In and We could not -.
around or through and were obliged 10 retreat
under the lea Of Northumbarlana island. On
the 9th, q southwark gale having lt0sen.d tnf
pack, We were able 70 get through, and con- con-
tinucd the search. The coast about Cape YORK
IL fillcd with Ice packed close, 10 that we conld
not get within twenty miles OF land. On the
10th, having Ice In oil directions but southeast,
proceeded t. Gppcrnayik md sent fifteen daNs
rations to LessInsack. and n awhaleboat to Cape
Shakclton. On the I'D sailed for coal mine.
thence to God Haycn. On the 3ist Lieut. loi-
days IN m open boat. lie had separated from
NO under orders at Care York. sailed the same
day for uppernayik and found the r reisf es aaa.y
ward, aud had y rough passage.
FRANK WILDER. Commander
The pro.cus was n steam saiier, well
adapted for Arctic work. She took Capt
Greely and his arty to Lady Franklin Bay
over two years ago The freely expedi-
tion wns to be conducted on a plan con-
cciyed by Capt Howgate. 4 depot was es-
tablished at Lady franklin bay, and the
party were to move northward, establish ng
smaller depots for service on the return
trip. In this way it was thought many OF
the dangers and harlships OF arctic cxplo,
supplies to last about two years, by which
time it was expected Capt Greedy and his
men would have returned to the starting
point to await vessel to bring them home
Nothing has been heard Of Groely's party
since the Proteus left them. An effort was
made to reach them last season by vessel
sent out under the direction oi the War De-
partmcnt, but It was unsuccessful The
vessel could not ret through the ice, and
came back witho 1t accomplishing anything
At the last session of Congress an aprropri-
ation of s O.rtu was made To send out o
search party for Greoly. II took shape In
the disastrous putting forth OF the ProtcuA
The news Of the loss OF the vessel mt
urally created considerable comment IN the
Navy and War departments Lieut. Cas-
clare, of the Signal Corrs. Immediately
Mpou receipt cf the information had an
interview with Commodore English, acting
Secretary of the Navy, and Commodore
Walker, chief OF the Bureau Of Navigation
Tho matter was thoroughly discussed The
feasibility of ordering the lantlc to go ..
the relief Of the Grce,y was talked over
Various cNpedicnts to relieve the people VI
Lady FranNlin bay were mentioned. An
earnest desire To do \ mothing was ex
pressed tine conclusion, aud that OF u uls
heartening character, was reached that Il
was too ate In the season TO send any YES
sci into the Arctic, as II would be impossible
for her To get anywhere near Greeiy art,
ON account Of the ice.
Commodore Walker says: NO vessel II
the navy, no vessel in the world couit
reach Greedy before next summer. He and
his party are in a bad tis. The result of thi
relief expedition must throw damper ol
i Arctic exploration. No one knows whctnel
Grecly and his men are alive or dead Iheil
supplles must lie exhausted by this time !"
Prompt action Is necessary In the cause
Of humanity, but old naval officers shake
their heads ominonsly when the matter y
opinion, will settle the whole question o
Arctic expeditions The loss Of the Jean
net Q and the burniag Of the Rogers, tina
was sent tn ind her, and the loss OF TIL
\ Irotens piles Ii up TO high, even II the fat
of previous expeditions was not fresh in til,
mlnu Ol NHc lubAC ~ Cbuiso, au .u.4
will be made to relieve Grecly and hi
party, but that will be the last Arctic ex
Iedition for manvaTcars tor which none,
will come from tho ieasurv.of the tnttca
States
/ The Yantic accompanied the Proteus a
CONVOY. hut was not to go further nortl
than Iitleton's island, when the latter wa
to push her way through the ice. When th
I Navy Department ordered tho iantic to tina
duty there was an outery in certain quar-
ters about the rccklcssness of sending a ic
lief party, and then giving the vessel carry
ing that patty n convoy. 1t has, however
turned out fortunate prccaut;on. II tn
lantic had no. been near the proteus whel
she was crushed in the Ice there certanl
would have been somo loss OF life. Indeed
it is extremely doubtful whether any Of tn
relief party would have escaped.