St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-18
GREELY AT ST. JOHNS.
Personal Narrative Of the Polar Ex-
periences OF His Party.
Fifteen Dead and Only Six Survive Three
Years Of Arctic Life.

ST. JOHNS July 17.-On the arrival at the
anchorage of the relief squadron to-day, an ASSOC
citation press correspondent interviewed Lieut.
Greedy and the other survivors of the arctic col
ony. The following facts were disclosed.
After passing two winters at Fort Conger in
scientific research, Lieut.. Greedy, with his whole
party intact, broke up their eacampment and
commenced a southwark descent.
This was accomplished amid great perils from
gales OF wind, ice nips and other causes. Cape
Sabine having having been reached, temporary
home was erected, built of stones and covered
by the boat sails brought along by the party
On the Goth of September winter quarters were
established at Cape Sabine. The commissariat
had become very meagre, and a cache of proyi-
sions left by the Proteus last year but poorly
supplemented it. The steam launch had become
fast in the ice few weeks previous, and had to
be abandoned during the whole winter
The first havoc in the ranks was early in Jan
nary when one of the men dropped off with
scurvy. On the 9th of April Lieut.. Lockwood
and Mr.. Rice, the photographer, succumbed, af
ter heroic attempt to secure for their starving
comrades about 200 pounds of meat, supposed to
be cached at place named Bad Creek, distant
about fifteen miles from the encampment.
Israel, the astronomer, persisted May 27,
naturalist, slept into death June 6. Not
of the victims realized death near. They
all died a tranquil, painless death.
Two Eskimo also persisted, one of starvation,
the other drowned. his kayak being pierced by
some newly formed ice on April II, thus cutting
off all hope of getting any supply of seal meat
for the starving explorers.
The Eskimo were most faithful and devoted
followers'and helpers of Lieut.. Greedy. Edison
was received and safely brought on board the
steamship Bear, where he died few days SUBJ
sequently. His extraordinary instance of hu-
man endurance while aw ny ten miles from his
hut last winter, the temperature suddenly fell
4S degrees below zero.
His hands and feet were frozen to the very
bone and he was dragged by his comrades in al
most dying condition to his hut. His feet and
hands were literally amputated by incisive frost,
and In this terrible state he lived through dis
NAL months that interviewed between
that time and rescue. The bodies of twelve
of the victims have been brought up by the
steamers Bear and Thetis embalmed in tanks
filed with alcohol. The survivors are all doing
well and rapidly gaining flesh and strength.
Lieut.. Greedy, who was in an exceedingly critical
condition when transferred to the Thetis is now
able to move about. This morning he drove out
for an hours ride to get the country air
and came back quite resuscitated.
The rescue took place on the 22nd of June I'M
der circumstances of great difficulty. The Thetis
and Bear lay off from shore about 300 yards.
There was terrific gale blowing from the south
west and heavy sea was running, and formid-
able ice-nip was apparently inevitable
Lieutenant Greedy and the other six
survivors had to be transferred from
their camp to the steam launch and whale boat in
their sleeping bags, and while steaming from the
land to the ships the destruction Of the whole
party at one time seemed certain.
The sea swept furiously over them and the
fury of the wind threatened every instant to cap
size them. At length they were safely placed on
board the rescuing squadron, where every posi-
BILE precaution had been made to ensure their
safety and comfort.
The party were constrained to exist on quarter
rations and all kinds of food had been utilized
for six weeks previous to the rescue, regular
provisions ceased to be given, but sea weed,
shrimps, seal skins, saxefrage and every variety
of shrub were greedily devoured Death made
the first havoc in the ranks early in January.