Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-25
RESCUED AT LAST.
The Six Survivors of Lieut..
Greeley's Expedition.
A PiteOus Story of HerOism,
FOrtitude, Starvation and
Death.
Seventeen of the Party Starved
or Frozen.
The Heroic Rescue Party.
The Greeley Party.

The Greeley Party.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE follow
ing telegram was received at the navy
department this morning:
ST JOHNS n. F., 9 A NJ. July Il.
Hon. VIM E. Chandler, secretary of the navy,
Washington:
The Thetis and Bear and Lock Garry arrived here
to-day from West Greenland-all well. Separated
from the Alert one hundred and fifty miles north.
during gale. At p m jane 5ad, five miles
OFF Cape Same, in Smiths Sound, the Thetis and
Bear rescued alive Lit A.W Greeley, Sergt. Brain
ard, Sergt. FrederickS, Sergt Long. Hospital
Stewart Beiderbock, Private Connell and Sergt.
Ellison. the only survivors of the Lady Franklin
Bay expedition
Sergeant Ellison had lost both hasds and feet
by frost bite and died July 9th, at Good Haven,
three days after amputation. which had become
imperative Seventeen of the twenty-five per-
sons composing the expedition, persisted by
starvation at the point where found. One was
drowned while sealing to procure food Twelve
bodies of the dead were recovered and are now
on board the Thetis and Bear An Eskimo was
buried at Disco ia accordance with the desire of
the inspector of Western Greenland. Five, as
follows: Sergeant Crossen, January 1st, 1884;
April 6; Lieut.. lockwood, April 8; Sergeant
Jewell, April IL: Private Ellis May 10; Sergeant
Rolston, May %. Bodies burned in fort near
the camp were swept away to sea by the winds
and the current before my arrival and could not
be recovered, with date of death: Private Henry,
June 6; Private Schneider June IS. Names of
the dead DuTleQ IN Ice tOrtlWltl and date or
death whose bodies were not recovered are as
follows: Sergeant Rice. April 8, 1884; Corporal
Salem, June 8; Private Bender, June s; Assistant
Surgeon Peavy June s; Sergeant Gardner. June
II Drowned by breaking through the newly
formed ice when sealing: Genial Edwards,
Eskimo, April "a. would urgently suggest that
bodies now on board be placed in metallic cases
here for safer and better transportation in a sea
way. This appears to me best. Greeley abandon
ed Fort Conger August 9, 1888 and reached Bacid
Inlet September 18th following with the entire
abandoned boats
adrift thirty days on an ice fioein Smiths Sound.
His permanent camp was established Octoeer 81.
1858, at point where he was found During nine
months his party had to live upon a scant allow
aace of food brought from Fort Conger that were
cached at Poyer Harbor and Cape Isabella by Sir
George Mares in 1875 but found it much damaged
by the lapse of time.
WASHINGTON, July 17.-News ;yaS
received here that Lieut.. Greeley and
several of the party created much ex-
element in this city. A telegram from
Commander Schley was received
by rear admiral Nichols acting secre-
tary CT the Navy who imme dlatedly
communicated its contents to Gen.
Sheridan, acting secretary of war
They proceeded to the White House
and showed the kilograms to the
President who has taken deep in
terest in the expedition and expressed
great regret at the sad death OF
so many of the party. A telegram
was telegraphed to secretary
Chandler at West Point and to Secre-
tary Lincoln at New York, to the
families of Lieut. Greedy, Lieut.. Com
mander Schley, Lieut. Emory, were
also informed of the rescue.
Rear Admiral Nichols to-day tele
graphed Commander SchIey at St.
Johns as follows: Use your discre
ton about the care and :ransportatioa
of the bodies. Report by wire when
ready to sail for New York. Depart
mcnt sends most hearty congratula-
tions to yourself and men,"
GREELEY S REPORT.
Gen. Hazen, chief signal officer, re
ceived the following telegram:
ST JOINS n. F.. July 17.-For fine first time il
three centuries England yields the honor for the
farthest north, Lieut.. Lockwood and Sergeant
Brainard, May 18th, reaching Lockwood Island in
latitude S3 min, "A seconds, longitude A min,
sec. They saw from 1000 feet elevation nc
land to the north or northwest, but to the north
east Greenland yet extended till lost to view in
cape Robert Lincoln in latitude So min, 81 sec,
longitude 80 min Lieut.. Lockwood was turned
back in 1888 by open water on the north of the
Polar ocean. DIR. Pavy in 1892 following the
Markham route was adrft one day in the Polar
ocean, north of cape Joseph Henry and escaped
to the land abandoning nearly everything. In
1882 made the spring and later summer trip
into the interior of Grinnell land discovering
hazel some 60 by 10 miles in extent which was
fed by ice. Cape of North Grnnell land drains
ftkle geS river and Weyprecht Fiord into Cony-
bears bay AM Archer Fiord. From the summit
of Mount Arthur 5000 feet the contour of land
west of the Conger mountain convinced me that
Erin lE frnn IinI1t
Aldrich'S farthest exploration in 1876. In 1881
Lockwood and Sergeant Brainerd succeeded in
bay at the head of Archers Fiord struck the
head of a ford from the western sea.
temporarily named by Lockwood Greeley Fiord
from the center of ford in lat. Som 30s long.
ism SIS Lieut. Lockwood saw the northern shore
termination some twenty miles west. and south
ern shore extending some fifty miles, with Cape
Lockwood some seventy miles distant, an appar-
emily separate land from Grinnell land. Have
named the new land Arthur land. Lieut.. Lock
wood followed going and returning on the ice,
the cape averaging about $50 feet perpendicular
face. 1t follows that Grnne land interior is ice,
capped with a belt of country some sixty miles
wide between the northern and southern ice
capes, In March, 1884, Sergeant Long. while
hunting, looked from the northern side of Mount
Carey to Hayes Sound, seeing on the northern
coast three capeS westward of the fartheSt seen
by Mares in 1876. The sound extends some 20
miles further west than is shown by the English
cl art. but is possibly shut in by land which
showed up across West England. The two years
station duties, observations all explorations, and
the retreat to Cape Sabine, were accomplished
without loss of life, disease serious accident,
or even severe frost bites. No scurvy was expert
enced at Conger, and but one death from it oc-
Cured last winter.
(Signea) GREELEY,
Commanding.
A second dispatch for Lieutenant
Greeley is as follows:
ST JOINS July Il.
Shef :igual Officer, Washington:
Brainard, Bierderbeck, ConnOll, Fredericks
Long and myself the sole survivors arrived to-
day having been rescued at the point of death
from starvation by the relief ships Thetis and
Bear, June 22d, at Camp Clay, northwest of Cape
Sergt. Ellison who was rescued died July Sth,
Cross died last January. Christensen, Lynn,
Reel, Lockwood. Jewell and Edwards in April
Ellis, Ralston, Whistler and Israel in May;
Pavey, Gardiner and Schneider In June;
we abandoned Fort Conger. August we were
abandoned the steam launch. September II,
eleven miles northeast . Cooked Hat island
when on the point of landing, were three times
driven by southwest storms into Mares sea, and
finally landed on September % in Baird inlet
Learning by scouting parties of the Proteus dis
aster, and that no provisions had been left
we moved and established our winter
quarters at Camp Clay, half way between
Sabine and Cooked Hat. Inventory showed
that by the daily ration of four and one third
ounces of meat seven ounces of bread and dry
biscuits and four ounces of miscellaneous, the
party would have ten days full rationS left for
crossing Smith Sound to Litteton Island. Tn
fortunately Smith Sound remained open the en-
tire winter rendering the crossing impracticable
The game failed and despite their daily hunting
from early February before the sun returned only
500 pounds of meat were obtained this year. Min
ute seaweed, saSsafras. rock ichenS and
SealSkin were reSorted to for food
with the results as shown by the number
of survivors. The last regular food was issued
May 18th Only $50 pounds OF meat was left by
Darlington, which compelled me to send in No
yember four men to obtain IA pounds of English
meat at Isabel During the trip Ellison froze both
hands and Feet and lost them. All survived how
ever through our terrible winter and spring until
July Sth- The survivors owe their hives TO the in
domitable energy of Captain Schley and Lieut..
Emfry who, preceded by three and accompanied
by five whalerS forced their vessels from Upper
Navjk through Melville Bay into the north
water at Cape York. With the fore
most whaler they gained yard
whenever possible, and always held it Smith
Sound was crossed and the party rescued during
one OF the most violent gales we have ever
known. The boats were handled at the imminent
risk of swamping; four of us were then unable to
walk, and could not have survived twenty four
hours. Every care and attention was given US.
have saved and bring back copies OF the meto-
biological, tidal astronomical, magnetic, pendu-
lum and other observations; also pendulum. gale
and standard thermometers: - Photographic neg
arives, collection of banks and Photographic
proofs ESquimaux relics and other things were
necessarily abandoned. The Thstis remains here
five DAYS nrobably