The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-26
A Colony In Peril.

New victims, it is feared, are yet to be
sacrificed on the icy affairs of "The North
ern Sphynx." In 1881 the United States,
in common with several other nations, es-
tablished ports of observation in the Arc.
tic regions. The American post was pushed
above the SOth parallel, far beyond the
outmost post of any other of the countries
associated in this enterprise. The party
was commanded by Lieutenant Greeley,
and consisted of three officers of the
army, a surgeon, naturalist and eighteen
enlisted men. Plans for the supply and
relief of the colony were matured. Last
year vessel was sent out to communi.
cate with Lieutenant Greeley and carry
him supplies. 1t was unable by reason
of the ice to 60 within several hundred
miles of the station and returned after
depositing supplies in several places
where the colony might find them, if
it should make retreat southwark.
Another relief vessel, the Proteus, with a
naval tender, the Yantic, was sent out
last June. The Proteus carried stores
and house which the commander of the
relief expedition, Lieutenant Darlington,
was directed to land at Littleton Island,
near the mouth of South's sound, before
pushing his way into the ice fields to the
north. For some reason not explained,
the Proteus did not land the house and
the supplies at Littleton Island, and
while making its way north into the sound
the vessel was crushed in the ice, and
stores and house were lost. These pro-
visions were intended for just such an
emergency. In case of the loss of the
Proteus, the island would be a place of
refuge for the retreating crew, and also a
base from which the relief which the YES.
sci had failed to carry to Lieutenant
Greeley could be carried to him by means
of boats or sledges or it would be a
haven for Lieutenant Greeley's party if,
failing to receive expected relief, it had
reiterated southwark. The Yantic picked
up the crew of the Proteus. after it had
been out in open boats for three weeks.
and returned with news of the disaster.
Lieutenant Greeley had three years. sup
ply with him, and boats and sledges, but
no ship. He was instructed, it is under.
stood, in the event of failure to relieve
him or to communicate with him, to be.
gin his retreat this summer. Lieutenant
Darlington, with or without good reason.
is censured for not landing his stores and
ready-made house and for retreating so
precipitately from the scene of the wreck
of the Proteus. 1t is alleged that a delav
of week or two in that vicinity could
have been made with safety, and that dur
ing that time it was possible that Lieu
tenant Greeley and his companions might
have made their appearance. For more
than two years nothing has been heard
from them. They are several hundred
miles from any Esquimaux settlement,
and if they did not in early summer be-
gin their journey southwark, their pros
poets during the darkness of a polar
night and the perils of third arctic win.
ter cannot be exceedingly cheerful. In
the management of this expedition it
seems to be plain that some one has blum.
dered, and that, in consequence, a body of
fellow-men are in imminent peril of death
or terrible suffering. All these Arctic
adventures should be got home and then
it should be made capital offense to plan,
equip, or embark in another polar ex-
petition.