Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-20

landed. The 28th of August came the
parting between the Greedy party and
the men of the Proteus. The little
band gathered on the frozen shore and
watched the Proteus as she steamed
slowly down Lady Franklin Bay.
The evening of the same day the
temperature sank below the freezing
point, and the icy Arctic winter was
upon them in earnest. Their house was
finished about week after the Proteus
left. 1t was named in honor of Senator
Conger, Fort Conger. During the first
month the cold affected men more than
at any subsequent time at Fort Conger.
Later on in December the temperature
sank to from 80 to IS degrees below
zero, and SO remained for days at a
time. But even in that weather the
COOKS favorite amusement was dancing
bareheaded, barearmed, and with slip
pered feet on top of snow-drift. Dur
ing the day the men dressed in ordinary
outside clothing, but their fannels were
very heavy.
Five men were generally for part of
the day engaged in scientific work I'M
der Greely's direction, and in duties of
the camp. The remainder were en-
ployed generally about one hour q day,
and devoted the rest of the time to
amusement. All slept in hunks in
quarters heated by large coal stove,
the average heat maintained being 80
degrees above zero. Checkers, cards,
chess and reading, were the amusements
OF the evening. The life, Greedy said,
was far from a lonely one, and many of
the men said they had never passed two
happier years than those spent at Fort
Conger.
The 18th of October the sun left
them for 135 days, and a twilight vary
ing from half-hour to twenty-four hours
succeeded. For two months it was so
dim that the dial of watch could not
be read by it. April II the sun came
above the horizon and remained there
135 days, giving the party great sufi-
cheney Of the midnight sun. During
three months the stars were visible con-
stantly, the consultations of Orion's
belt and the Great Bear were the
highest. The North Star looked down
from almost overhead. Standing alone
outside the fort on one of these nights
the scene was weirdly grand. To the
north famed the aurora borealis, and
bright consultations were set like
jewels around the glowing moon. Over
everything was dead silence, so hor-
ribly oppressive that man alone is
almost tempted to kill himself. The
astronomer of the party said that with
the naked eye a star of one degree
smaller magnitude than can be seen
here in the same way might be dis
discovered. The moon would remain
in sight from eleven to twelve days at a
time.
The thermometer registered June 30
the highest temperature at Lady Frank
lin Bay which we knew during our
stay. 1t was 81 degrees above zero.
The lowest was in February, 1883, 66
degrees below zero. In this February
our mercury froze and remained solid
for fifteen days. The mercury in the
thermometer invariably rose during
storms or high winds. The highest
barometer was slightly above 81 inches,
the lowest slightly below 20 inches.
The greatest variations were in winter.
The electrometer, an instrument used
to ascertain the presence of electricity,
was set up, but not the slightest re-
suits were obtained. The displays of
the aurora were very good, but not to
be compared with those seen
from Disco Island or Uppernavik.
AS far as Greedy could observe no
cracking sound accompanied the dis
play, and the general shape was that of
a ribbon. The southwesterly horizon
was the quarter in which the brightest
displays were seen. Mares reported in
1876 that no shadow was cast by the au-
rora, but Greedy says he distinctly OBJ
served his shadow cast by it. There
were no electrical disturbances save
those manifested by the rumbling of dis
tant thunder heard twice far away
north.
In the course of the tidal observations
made very interesting fact was dis
covered, VIZ: That the tides at Lady
Franklin Bay came from the north,
while those at Melville Bay and Cape
Sabine came from the south. The tenn
perature of this north tide is two de-
grees warmer than that of the south tide
at Cape Sabine. Why this was Greedy
WOuAO AOU fOAOuIO W SGdGOs hO ISOO LII
measuring the ebb and flow of the tides
a fixed gauge iron rod planted in the
mud. The average rise of spring tides
at Lady Franklin Bay was found to be
eight feet. At Cape Sabine the high
est tides rise twelve feet. Surf was OBJ
served only twice during two years. At
Lady Franklin Bay the average temper
allure of the water was 20 degrees above
zero.
Wolves weighing ninety pounds were
killed around Fort Conger. There are
foxes and other animals there. Fish lis
wonderfully scarce. Perhaps the great
est surprise of the expedition was the
taking from Lake Alexander, a fresh
water lake fifteen feet above sea-level,
of 4-pound salmon. From the bay Or
sea only two very small fish were taken
durina the entire two years, and few are
found north of Cape Sabine. The veg
citation at Lady Franklin Bay is about
the same as at Cape Sabine, and COM
prises MOSES, ichens, willows and saxi-
frage. The highest velocity of wind
was registered during terrific snow