The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-17

Views of a Man Who Is Thoroughly Posted
Concerning the Expedition.


Concerning the Expedition.
Captain W. H. Clapp in st. Louis Globe Democrat.
The station which Lieutenant Greedy was
ordered to establish, and which he un-
doubtcdly reached late in the summer or
early in the fall of 1881, is called Lady
Franklin bay. A sufficient supply of pro-
visions was taken along to support the COM
papy until this time or a few months later,
under ordinary circumstances. The party
is provided with good house, which was
taken along with them, boats, ,sledges, food and
everything which experience could suggest
as useful in such high latitudes. A location
was to have been, and doubtless was selected
near good seam, discovered by the English
expedition of 1875 AT some seasons of the
year the store of provisions would be added
to by the killing OF musk oxen, ducks and a
few kinds of small animals, but not enough
food could be secured in that way to be of
any great importance. In all probability,
the supplies taken with the party to Lady
Franklin bay could be eked out to last
until early another spring. From the nature
of the orders issued to Lieutenant Greely,
however, he must be supposed at this time
as endeavoring to force his way southwark
over the ice foes toward Littleton
island, about 200 miles distant, and
where he will expect to find food and
shelter. His order on this point reads: IF
not visited in 1882, Lieutenant Greedy will
abandon his station, not later than Sept l.
1888, and will retreat southwark by boat fol-
lowing closely the east coast of Grinnell
Land, until the relieving vessel is met or
Lttleton island is reached In all proba-
bility Lieutenant Greedy has followed the
order to the letter, and it appears to me that
his great peril lies i'll that fact. 1t is inn
probable that in the face of SO positive an
order, and with men who have experienced
for Two successive winters the rigors of q
climate in which there is absence of sunlight
for 142 consecutive days each winter, he
would conclude to remain longer. In the
retreat upon which he is probably now en-
gagged, he would take along only such sup
plies even if he has an abundance, as might
reasonably be considered sufficient to get
him to Lttleton island. Along the east
shore of Grlnnell Land, which he would
traverse, there are a few small caches of
provisions, but these would probably be
consumed in his retreat. The traversing OF
2Gc miles over those northern ice fields is
no child's play and if it can be accomp-
lished at all it will take all of two months.
The Mares expedition found it impossi-
over the jagged and grinding ice at a faster
average rate than one and one-half miles per
day. If Lieutenant Greeley reaches Little
ton island at all, it must be emp pty.handed
and with worn-out and partially disabled
party. Now if this returned relief expedi-
ton under Lieutenant Darlington was una
BILE to land any considerable amount of stores
at that point, as appears from the dispatches
to have been the case, the condition of the
party will be wretched in the extreme. Many
will. doubtless be sick with the scurvy, the
cause of which is now known to be the
drinking of water impregnated with even a
small amount of salt, but which was un-
known al the time the Greedy expedition
went north; and there is liable to be other
sickness, particularly if DIR. Pavey is dead, as
the EsquimauX rumors are said to indicate
At Littleton island all the outlook for fuel
would be in few tons of coal left there by
the relief expedition of last year, and posi-
bly, little more. which was left by the Mares
expedition of 1875. For food they would
be in still more fearful distress. MY
strongest hope for the safety of the expedi-
ton is that they will find the foes on the
retreat from Lady Franklin bay impossible
and so return to 1t, where they will have
shelter and fuel and perhaps sufficient stores
for the winter. Travel in those lattudes is
always difficult and dangerous, but more so
in the fail than in the spring, for the newly
formed ice is then spongy and insecure. and
owing TO the increasing cold, the accumua-
tion of ice upon clothing and implements of
all kinds is greater"
What would Lieutenant Greelys next
move have to be after reaching Littleton
isand?'
with scant stores there he would have to
push on down the coast of Greenland as best
he could if there was strength left after his
perlous journey there Litteton island is
about the most northery to which the natives
ever get, even in summer but further down
the coast he might get enough to keep from
starvation by eating dead whales and such
food as he might find if so fortunate as to
meet with any Esquimaux settlement At
the Corey islands there is a small amount of
stores left by the English expedition OF 1875
and they may be found in serviceabe CON
dition. There appears to be provisions at
Cape Athol and Cape York also but the
chances are against the Greedy expedition
being able TO utilize any OF them. In fact
everything looks nightly like another De
Long disaster"
NO MONEY FOR NEW EXPEDITION.
Can anything be done to rescue these
men from their perilous position?'
THE least that can be done is to fit ont
another relief expedition at once. Efforts
should be made to reach those twenty-five
men, even if there wasn't one chance in a
hundred of success. Unfortunately the sig
nal-service department has not one cent of
money which can be used for such purpose,
and the government is placed in the att-
tude of standing idly by while there is a
possibility that the prosecution of active
measures would save the lives of the men
who have gone out in its service. | don't
see how any relief can be expected unless
from private sources, and the people of the
country ought to respond to the emergency.
have studied the subject carefully and l
am firmly convinced that the least that can
be done is to send out another party at
once"
From where would you start it2'
'St. Johns is the headquarters for the
sealing trade and it was there that the Nep-