The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-08-22
THE ARCTIC HORROR.

The rumors of cannibalism by the survi-
vors of the Greedy Arctic Expedition, as pub
lished last week, have unhappily been veri-
fed beyond all doubt and the fact established
that the survivors owed their lives TO eating
the fesh of their dead comrades. Lieutenant
Greedy has published full statement Of the
repeated oflenses of Private Henry in stealing
provisions from the general supply when all
were on starvation rations and his final Or
ders, approved by all, after orders and ex-
postulations had failed, that he be shot,
which was accordingly done in'Jan When
Henrys remains were found they were but
pile Of glistening bones, nearly all the flesh
except from the lower part of the trunk hav'
ing been stripped off and undoubtedly eaten.
This was probably the first act of cannibal-
ism TO which the starving men resorted, but
it was then continued with other companions,
as one by one they died. A suspicion has
prevailed in some quarters that the party
was divided into factions; that the stronger
party possessed themselves of what little
provisions there were and lived on that and
the flesh of the weaker party which rapidly
persisted, but this does not appear to have
any foundation. The horrible fact Is that 1t
was a question Of immediate death, or the
eking out of an almost hopeless existence by
feeding on the flesh of the dead. This they
did-had TO do or die. 1t Is not well to con-
denim harshly and hastily this last resort.
Life is dear. Men will give it as breath In
cause 10 which they are devoted; but alone
on the ice of the North without an Impulse
TO action or a rat ional hope Of rescue; ema-
ciated TO skeletons; half delirious Of mind;
dying one by one; devouring the very skins
of their clothing TO prolong the struggle with
death, their actions are not to be measured
by the severer standard of healthy minds and
bodies with all theis wants ministered to,
amid plenty, on the green earth or laughing
sea, with radiant hopes and all that Is best
In man pre-eminent. The shooting of Henry
was justifiable and necessary act Of disci-
pline. The resort TO human flesh TO pro-
long life was done by men as sensitive to
human impulses as are we. We may pity
those driven to such extremity, but 1t Is not
Just TO deride, or censure or express abhor-
renee.
We have not space for the details Of the
story as 1t has come from unwilling lips, and
It Is one few would care to read. The body Of
Lieut.. Kislingbury has been exhumed and
the flesh found removed. 1t is also believed
the five bodies, reported by Commander
Schley to have been buried in the ice and
washed away, were In such condition that it
was deemed best to not bring them home,
the officers believing that by placing the
other bodies In riveted iron collins aud advis-
Ing against the same being opened, the facts
would never be divulged until too late to
confirm suspicion by exhumation. The
crews were admonished to silence, and this
story Is the mystery which had been SO vague
ly limited at until Norman, the ice-pilot dis
charged by Schley for drunkenness, vented
his spite by divulging the facts.
But, while attaching no blame TO the sur
yiyors, how greatly does this exposure
strengthen the grounds of opposition to these
fruitless and useless Polar expeditions. 1t
may have been that worse fates befel the Sir
John Franklin expedition and Chips party
of the Jeanette, but these could only be
surmised, while In the Greedy expedition we
have the indisputable evidences Of the endu-
rance Of the woes that can befall humanity,
and nothing is gained by 1t. 1t does not
seem probable other expeditions will soon be
undertaken without government aid, and
when that is asked let the dread spectre of
the Greedy horrors rise to rebuke those who
would waste men and money In so barren q
venture.