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

De OBTAINED WITHOUT ulIHCully IOf tHe
trip. 1t is not too late in the season yet 10
set out An expedition could be got away
from st. Johns by Oct l. This should push
as far north along the coast of Greenland as
possible, reaching the Carey islands, if pos
sible before going into winter quarters.
They would then be in position to succor
Greely should he make a successful retreat
thus far, and would be in position from
which they could move north in the spring
if Greedy failed to come before that time.
There IS prospect that such an expedition as
this l mention could get into a pretty high
latitude this fall. The Alert, in 1875, reached
her winter berth north of Greelys perma-
nent station Sept. l, and was not closed in
for the winter until the 10th. She was re-
leased from the ice in the following year on
July 81, reaching Discovery harbor Aug. 10,
and the two boats Alert and Discovery,
crossed Lady Franklin sound on the return
Aug. 20, passed Cape Isabella Sept. 9, and
arrived at Disco Sept 25, only one stream
of light having been fallen in with during
all the voyage. The ship recrossed the
Arctic circle Oct. T. showing
the navigation of these waters is practicable
some years until late in the season. An ex-
pediton going up this fall might find the ice
fully as open as the one which has just
returned, without apparently having lett
supplies at the vital point of Llttleton
island"
''Does Lieutenant Greely fully understand
the attempts that were to be made to send
him supplies and reliefP'
Lieutenant Greely himself, after reaching
his permanent station at Lady Franklin bay,
made out an elaborate plan under date of
Aug. 19, 1881, and this was delivered to Gen,
Hazen on the return of the vessel which
took the expedition out. No deviation has
been made in the attempts to carry out his
plans, but they have miscarred Lieutenant
Greely's plans involved the establishment of
caches and supply depots at frequent inter
walls along the west coast of Smi this sound,
on Grinnell Land along the route over
which he is probably now making laborous
retreat, but the sound has been found impass-
able by reason of ice, both last year and
this, and instead of having deposited sup
plies, the 1882 relief expedition got no far
ther north than Cape Sabine, and was unable
to leave but a small quantity of supplies.
The expedition this year appears not to
have got much above Littleton island,
and not to have deposited enough
supplies there to be of any Importance. The
expedition last year did everything that
could possibly have been expected of it, un-
less, possibly, in not having landed enough
stores at Littleton island, although they
might have been ransecked by the natives if
they had done so. Supplemental orders to
this years relief expedition required the
landing of supplies before going north from
Littleton island, and even after the Proteus
was caught In the ice there must have been
opportunity to save some of the stores.
Lieutenant Darlington is a thorougly reli-
able man. and must have fully appreciated
the Importance of leaving the Littleton
island station thoroughly provisoned. 1t is
not my province to criticise any officer, and
even if criticism were just it is not necessary
to discuss the reasons why the two relief ex-
peditions failed to reach Lady Franklin bay.
The fact remains that Lieutenant Greely and
partV are in a VerV DreCariOuS condition. and
that, it seems to Inc, an attempt to relieve
them should be made as early as possible"
Captain Clapp is eminently modest and
unassuming man. but that he has the cour-
age OF his convictions regarding the dispatch
ing of another relief expedition at once is
shown by the fact that as soon as he heard
of the return of the Proteus he telegraphed
General w. B. Hazen that his services were
at his disposal as a volunteer to start north
ward at once.