The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-15
LOST IN THE ICE-FLOES.
MORE DISASTER AMONG THE BERcs.
The steamer Proteus. Conveying the
Greely Arctic Explorers, Ground to
Pieces by the lee Near Cape Sabine
Escape of the Party.
CRUSHED IN THE ICE.

The Signal Office has received the follow
ing from Lieutenant Darlington, command
ing the Greely relief expedition:
"ST. JoHN's, n. F., Sept 13.
1t is my painful duty to report the total
failure of the expedition. The Proteus was
crushed in pack in latitude rs degrees 81
minutes, longitude n degrees % minutes, and
sunk on the afternoon Of July % Ny party
and the crew of the ship were all saved |
made my way across Smith Sound and along
the eastern shore to Cape York, thence across
Melville Pay 10 Upernavik, arriving there
August2l. The Yantic reached Upernavik
September 2, and left the same day, bringing
the entire party here to-day. All wen
E. A. GARLrNGToN."
Sr. JoHas. N. f. Sept. 15.
The first officer of the Protens briefly sum
marizes the Inflated Proteus expedition as
follows: The Yantic and Proteus left St
Johns at four p N. June 20. The P-oteus
arrived at God Haven Bay, Disco Island,
July 6, and the Yantic reached the same
place on the 18th. The necessary prepara-
tionS were made, and tire PrOteus sailed for
Cory Island arriving ON the 10th; it left on
the 21st and two days afterward was crushed,
sinking at one p. III. July %. TWenty-nine
days were spent in the boats and several
storms were encountered from which the
boats took refuge under the lee of icebergs
Lieutenant Colwell and six of the crew
parted company with the others at Cape
York. They found the Yantic July 81,
which reported Captain Pike and the re-
mainder of the crew moving southwark. The
Yantic reached Cory Island August 2, and
the same night she proceeded to Pandora,
where the records from Pike and Garling
ton were found. She next proceeded south
along the Greenland coast, sending boats all
around the island in search of the missing
crew.
A storm and heavy pack-ice on August 8
forced the Yantic to anchor to the leeward
of Northumberland Island, The next day
they bore away for. Upenavik, arriving
there August H. On the eth she started
for the Waigate coal mines, and returned to
Upemavik September 2. Captain Pike and
his crew We're found and taken on board
the Yantic. 1t seems the first indication of
the PrOteus disaster was found August at
Littleton Island by the Yantic
as Lieutenant Darlington left a rec
ord there coming south describ-
ing the shipwreck and indicating the gem
eral movements of Captain Pike and the
ships company. On the 4th search was in
stituted along the Greeland coast from Cape
Alexander to Cape Robertson. Every point
likely to bring up with the retreating party
was searched till Sept, 2, when Upernavik
was reached, and the whole Proteus party
was found in good health and tolerl
able spirits. They were exposed during
thirty-one days and nights in their
boats, making some stoppagaS at in
termediate harbors. The Proteus was
crushed in foe ice at three o'clock on the
evening of the 23d of July and sank within
four hours. As the closed foes parted COM
pany, fortunately sufficient time was given
to save clothing, provisions, the compass
and other neceSSarieS to meet what might
prove protracted voyage. On the 25th
the boats being equipped, provistoned and
manned, a start was made. The scene of
the disaster was eight miles nOrth-northwest
of Cape Sabine, latitude 10. 81 north. Over
600 miles and frigid sea were passed before
Upenavik was reached. The worst feature
in the unfortunate Proteus expedi-
ton is that no provisions were landed ol
caches made, and all the stores intended fol
the arctic colony relief went down in the
steamer. While at anchor in Danish Har
Dor on the 18th of August, Governor Elburg
came on board the Yantic and reported that
the Danish Steamer Sophia had arrived
there from a harbor thirty miles north ot
Cape York, and the Captain states a native
Eskimo told him that two natives with the
Greely expedition arrived on sedges las
| winter, and reported the party all well, ex
cept Dr.. Pavy, who had died. These native;
went back to Lady Franklin Bay. Another
Eskimo, arriving from the Greedy camp, re
| ported all the officers murdered by the men
| Neither of these reports are reliable, as the
fondness of the Eskimo for lying and sen
sationalism places them in the category Of
! fiction. Captain Sinke says that as fal
north as Cape Sabine there was no trace o.
| Greely or his party, and his failure to come
south to Littlet0n Island to meet the relic
| steamer this summer evokes grave appre
hensiOn as to their probable fate. The Pro
teus was retreating home when the ice-niT
overwhelmed her, and she got barely iifteel
! miles north of the scene of the shipwreck
| The prospects of the Greely colony encoun
! tering the rigOrs of a fourth winter beneath
| the arctic circle are mournful to cOntem
| plate. The crews of both ships, the Yanti
and Proteus, are IN excellent health. On
death only occurred during the expedition
that of Henry Wilson, gunmer's mate of tn
Yantic, of apOpleXy.