The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-04-19
AT WASHINGTON.
Some Speculation as to the Safety or
Lieutenant Greeley,
At His Parkway Artic Statlon-Will
the Army
Furnish Companion for the Gallant
DeLOng!
Secretary FOlger Compromises
Whisky Case for $4,000.
The Department of Agrlculture's
Foreign Cereal Bulletin.
The Internal Revenue Receipts-A
Decision for April.
Miscellaneous Washington Notes.
Miscellaneous Washington Note
Lieutenant Greeley

Lieutenant Greeley.
WASHINGTON, April 14,-Reports have
recently been published to the elect that
much uneasiness is felt by officers OF the
signal service and Arctic experts OF this
city with regard to the safety of Lieutenant
Greeley's meteorological station party at
Lady Franklin Bay. There's danger, it has
been said, that the relief expedition, which
is now being organized, will fail to reach
its destination as the rehs1
expedition did last year; 1t
is thought Lieutenant Greeley's party
will be forced to retreat, unaided, down the
ra agged coast of Grinnells Land next winter,
and thus enforced to retreat, may be, as
disastrous as that of Lieutenant DeLong
through the Lena delta, Following Is re-
view of the situation of Lieutenant Greeley's
party, as it is understood by those VINO
have given most careful attention to the
subject and measures to be taken
to secure the safe return of that
party to America: Fort Conger, which is
the last meteorological station estabi shed
by Lieutenant Greeley's party in the sum
mer of 1881, is situated on the eastern coast,
Grinnell Land, Just north of Lady Franklin
Bay, in about lat. 81.40. 1t is further north
than the winter quarters OF any Arctic eX-
pedition which ever followed the smith
Sound route, with the exception OF the 70
laris expedition and the expedition of Sir
George Lares in 1875. The coast OF Grin
nell Land, south of the meteorological sta
ton, is extremely wild, desolate and
rugged, and, for a distance OF at
least 300 miles, is entirely
uninhabited. The nearest permanent
settlement of natives so far known is that
| of the Etah Eskimos, on the north side OF
| TloiIp
station. Lieutenant Greeley's party, there,
fore, is isolated from all local assistance, and
must depend for safety, first, upon its own
exertions, and, second, upon the co.opera-
ton of the relief expedition
from this country: The party is
supplied with provisions enough TO last
until the summer of 1884, but it is Lieuten-
ant Greeley's intention to retreat south
ward down the coast of Grennell Land next
winter, as, indeed, he must do if his second
| relief expedition fails to reach his statloI;
This expedition now being organized, Will
consist of fourteen men, including capa-
BILE ice pilot and three experienced sailors
selected from the Newfoundland sealing
fleet, and will be under the command OF
| Lieutenant Darlington, of the Seventh
cavalry. 1t will be abundantly supplied with
provisions, sledgeA, fur clothing and neces-
sary equipments of all kinds for winter
campaign, and will SSH from st. Johns,
! Newfoundland. fu staunch sealing
steamer about the 18th OF next July, II
| this steamer makes fair average passage,
| 1t will reach the mouth ot Smiths SOUND
before August lst, and will then be only
about 200 nautical miles from Lieutenant
| Greeley's station. At this point, however
the real difficulties OF the expedition IS
likely TO begin. 1t is more than probable
Smiths sound will be so blocked up
with heavy ice and immense bergs from the
Humboldt glacier that it will be impenetra-
| bic throughout the short navtgable season,
and that the expedition will be stopped at
the very gateway OF the narrow, ice-choEed
| channel which leads up to Lady Franklin
bay. In this event, the relief party will be
| landed with a ready made house and all the
stores, at Life Boat cove, on the eastern
side of the sound, opposite Cape
winter quarters. The steamer will then
return to America, leaving Smiths sound
between the lst and 10Th of September, in
time TO escape the most of the danger OF
being imprisoned by ice for the winter. AS
early in the fall as practical Lieutenant
Darlington will open communication WIN
the Etha Eskimos and organize dog.sled
party with native drivers, to cross Smith ;
sound to Cape Hawks, and then proceed
northward up the coast OF Grin
nell Land to Lieutenant Gree
ley.s station. In the meantime, Lieutenant
Greeley will have abandoned the station
and started on the retreat down the slme
coast, so that at some point between Lady
franklin Bav and Cspe Sabine the two par
ties are likely 10 meet. Along the line OF
Greeley's retreat there are four cases OF
provisions, enough 20 supply his party with
food for forty or fifty days. Tue nrst OF
these provision deposits at Carl Ritter Bay,
fiity miles from the station; the second at
Cape Collins, sixty miles iurther
down the coast; the third at Cape
! Hawks. forty-eight miles farther, and the
last AT cape Sabine, which will be ia sight
from the permanent quarters OF the iehei
party at Lille Boat cove. So lar as food Is
concerned, therefore, Liutenant Greeley's
retreat would seem 20 be secured. lie
could, it is thought, make the distance pc
tween the station aud headquarters OF the
e ei party in sixty days,i he could make II
at sll. Officers Of the signal service say,
no danger OF snoh a catastrophe
on the coast Of Grinnell Land
ss that which occurred in the Lena delta.
] DeLOng was in a reRiOn OF whose geogra-
ply be was entirely ignorant, while Greeley
Twill be on q coast with which be is wei
acquainted and one whose outlines have
| been carefully charted. DeLOng had DO
provisions 10 start with, while Greeley will
start with full sledges and can
supplv himself at four different places
In q distance OF 90 or 90 miles. DgLong
had no assistance until 10 was too late TO be
Of any avail, while Greeley will be met BY
a relief party, acting under written orders
| previously drawn up by Tree
lev himself in view Of this very
emergency. u is not true, therefore, says
General Hazen, that great an1iety is felt
as 10 Greeleyis safety. Even II the present
relief expedition don't succeed in reaching
his station this summer, be csn reirest next
winter 10 the headquarters Of ! ort Garling-
ton II Life B0st c0ie and Live there N
| safety and comfort until the steamer shall