The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-09-21
THE GREELEY EXPEDITION.
Loss Of the Steamer Proteus That
Was Sent to It's Relief.
All on Board Rescued After o Long
and Arduous Journey,

A st. Johns On. F. dispatch says: The
steamer Proteus, carrying the expedition sent
out last summer for the relief of Lieutenant
freely and his fellow-colonists at Fort Con
ger Lady Franklin bay, was crushed in
the ice on the evening of July %, be-
tween Cape Sabine and Cape Albert in Smith
sound and her crew and the members Of the
relief party have returned to this port on the
companion steamer Yantic, of the United
States navy. The escape from the wrecked
vessel and retreat southwark were accom-
plished without loss of life.
While e~ndeavoring to force her way
through to clear water the Proteus was
caught between two immense foes. These,
pressing on at both sides, quickly crushed in
her stout walls. Her hold filled with water,
and it was soon evident that no efforts would
avail to keep her from sinking. The
matches were then broken open, and all
hands set to work throwing clothing,
provisions and other stores out of the,
doomed ship upon the ice. The greater part
of the cargo which was thus unloaded fell in
to the water and was lost, but enough was
saved to insure the comfort of the party
during their retreat southwark, and also to
make a not inconsiderable cache for the
Greedy party should it, as now seems newt
uDlt. ne lOGttU q lIldke us OWL way SDutu-
ward. Lieutenant Colwell, U. S. n, also
succeeded, and most fortunately, in saving
three boats from the wreck.
As quickly as possible Lieutenant Colwell
loaded one of the boats with stores, and,
with a crew of four men set out for the
shore. The trip was made with great diff
Guilty Oh account of the ice: but by persever-
ance and unsparing exertions he forced a
passage through. Several successive trips
were thus made, and a large quantity of
clothing and provisions safely landed and
placed in a cache. The last trip made on the
morning of July "a, and, as the ice
had closed in rapidly, the boat and its
load had to be dragged across the ice two
miles before it could be launched in clear
water. Even then the floating mass of ice
closed in 50 rapidly and SO angrily that the
boat escaped being stove in only by the mar
rowest possible chance.
The goods placed in the cache were rem
dered as secure as possible, and the spot
marked so as to be really discovered by the
party from Fort Conger.
Having thus done all in their power to
carry out the design of the expedition, the
party, on the afternoon of July ~, set out to
cross Smith sound, and after spending a
weary night amid the ice LANDED safely on
the morning of the goth at a cove near Life
Boat cove.
After a perilous trip of 600 miles Urer-
navik was reached on August -, and there
the Yantic picked up the shipwrecked men
and brought them to st. Johns.
In July, two years ago, the Proteus landed
Lieutenant Greedy, his assistants. Lieutenants
Kingsbury and Lockwood, five officers of the
signal corps, and fifteen enlisted men at
Lady Franklin hay. These t~wenty-three
men went north to man one of the eleven
polar stations which the leading governments
of the world had agreed to maintain within
the Arctic zone t. make simultaneous scien-
/ tific observations
1t was one of the best equipped parties that
ever went north. DR.. Rae, of London, an
authority on Arctic matters, wrote that its
equipment of dogs and sledges was superior
to that of any previous party. The more was
expressed that, in addition to its scientific
duties, the Iarty would be able to take up the
work f 4 Sir George Mares where he left it,
and add many miles of explored coast line to
the maps of Northwest Greenland.
Congress in 1sS2 appropriated $4,000 for
the supply and relief of Lieutenant Greedy and
his party. The supply expedition was
promptly sent, but the vessel was prevented
by ice from communicating with the party,
and returned. after depositing a large
quantity of stores in a manner which had
been agreed upon with Lieutenant
Greedy, in anticipation of such a failure.
At its last session Congress made another APP
preparation for the relief of the expedition,
and the Proteus and Yantic were sent north,
with the result given above. 1t is possible
that the only hope for the rescue of the ex-
plorers now depends on their own ability to
make their way south.
This will be the fourth winter that the
Greely party will be obliged To remain in the
Arctic regions. and grave fears for its safety
prevail in Washington.