The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-01-19
ANOTHER ARCTIC SEARCH.
The Government to Search for Lieutenant
Greeley and His Companions.

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Greeley and His Companions.
The United States Government has
another Arctic search on its hands,,
which will be begun early next SUM
mer. a year ago last July First Lieu
tenant Greeley, of the Fifth Cavalry,
and Second Lieutenants Kislingbary
and Lockwood, of the Eleventh and
Twenty-third infantry, with twenty
one men from the signal corps and
army, started for Lady Franklin bay.
Their purpose was to establish me-
neurological station, which the govern
ment proposed to maintain for three
years. The station is the northernmosr
of chain of stations established by the
governments OF the United States,
Austro-iIungary, Denmark, France,
Germany, Great Britain, Holland,
Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Russia,
for the purpose of taking simultaneous
observations in meteorology, magnet
ism, ocean currents, tides, structure OF
ice, density Of sea water, etc. 1t is
the first practical and united effort to
find out what the extreme north has to
reveal in these branches of science.
The observations began at the chain of
stations which were established around
the pole on the 1st of August. The
other station established by the United
States at Point Barrow, Alaska, is about
as far north as any station established
by the foreign governments. The party
at Lady Franklin bay is in very mac
cessible place. The intention was that
it should be visited every year by a
relief and supply expedition, which
Should take up men to supply the
places of those who might be i'll, or
who might have died during the year,
and fresh food and clothing. 1t is now
over year since anything has been
heard from Lieutenant Greely and his
party. They had large double-walled
house, a supply of provisions for two
years, and they were near bed of coal.
1t is presumed that they are safe, but
nothing is known about them, because
the relief expedition sent up this year
failed to reach the station, the ice being
impossible. The experience for the
last forty years has taught the masters
Of whalers that Lady Franklin bay can
be reached only about once in seven
years by water. Congress, iadeed, came.
very near leaving the matter uncared
for entirely, for it was the ODD of June
before the appropriation was made, and
General UaZen was about to engage a.
vessel and fit her out on his own
responsibility, when Congress recol-
lected that the country had twenty-five
men depending on its action for COM
/ forts and necessaries. AS it was, the
expedition was delayed week by this.
inaction of Congress. The expedition
of next summer is to get off not later
than the 1st OF July. While it is not
expected that any harm has come to
Lieutenant Greedy and his party, the
expedition is TO start out prepared to
winter if the straits are impossible,
and to reach Lady Franklin bay with
sleds. The secretary of war is taking
great pains in the selection Of an officer
to command the party, and General
Terry has been asked to name some Of
the younger officers who have become
used to all the hardships of the weather
of the northwest. They will not come
back until they find Greedy and his
party.