The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-14
ETHE GREELEY RELIEF EXPEDITION.

The Associated Press dispatch from st.
Johns, N. F., announcing the return of the
United States steamer Yantic and the failure
Of the Greeley relief expedition sent out this
year, is of the gravest Importance, as it fore
shadows the extreme peril if not the loss by
starvation, of Lieutenant Greeleys party.
This party originally consisted of Lieu
tenants Greeley Lockwood and Kislingbury
and some twentythree enlisted men of the
army, who had volunteered for the station
of observation established in 1881
at Lady Franklin bay. This sta
ton was one of the two established
by the United States as part of the inter
national chain of posts encircling the pole,
at which simultaneous observations have
been taken for two years past The original
expedition sailed from st. Johns, N F., in
July, 1881 and reached its station at Lady
| Franklin bay August Is, following. The
party was provisioned for something over
| two years, and the design was to send each
year relief vessel with needed supplies to
communicate with the station. Last year
such party was sent, but was unable to
force passage through the Ice of Smith
Sound, and having remained until Septem-
Der 5, when the young ice was already sew
eral inches thick, gave up the attempt.
No serious apprehensions were felt, for, as
stated Lieutenant Greeley's party was known
to be amply provisioned and to be comfort
ably housed. A few stores were left in caches
at points along the west coast of Smith
Sound, so as to be available in case of Lieu
| tenant Greeley being obliged to retreat south
ward. This year another relief expedition
was sent in the steamer Proteus being the
same vessel in which Lieutenant Greeley
| went up two years ago An officer of the
| army, Lieutenant Darlington, of the Seventh
cavalry, and twelve or fifteen enlisted men,
who had volunteered, with several expert
! enced sealers, composed the party. The YES
sci carried ample supplies for forty people for
| fifteen months, and the design was to pene-
trate the ice, if possible, and reach Lady
Franklin bay, in which case Lieutenant
Greeley and his party would have been
brought away and the station abandoned.
The Proteus was accompanied by the United
States steamer Yantic, as tender,
and from the dispatch published
to-day, it appears that the Proteus
has been crushed, and that Lieutenant
Greeley has not been communicated with.
How complete the loss has been, and
whether any of the stores carried were saved
and placed in position to be of use to the
expedition later reports will show. The
original plan,v should the Proteus be unable
to get through the ice, was to establish
station at Lifeboat cove, where the supplies
were to be landed, and the relief party
housed, and to which Lieutenant Greeley
would retreat this fall, and from which the
ombined parties would be brought away
by vessel to be sent next year. Should the
loss of the Proteus involve the loss of all the
stores, and the Yantic, as is probable, have
been unable to land supplies at or near the
point agreed on, the prospects for Lieutenant
Greeley and his party are dismal enough,
and starvation amid the darkness and frost
of polar winter is their not improbable
fate. 1t is to be hoped, however that this is
not the case, and that the brave men who
have already passed two winters shut up in
the ice will not repeat the sad story of the
Jeannette's crew.