The Evening critic., 1884-07-18
THE GREEDY EXPEDITION.
A Partial Account of the Work
Done and Other Matters of In
1.raaa


This was accomplished amid great perils from
gales Of wind, Ice rips and other casualties.
Cape Sabine having been reached temporary
house was erected, built OF stone and Gov.
cred by the boats aud sails brought along by
the party.
on tho Goth of September winter quarters
were established at Cape Sabine. The com.
missarat had become very meager ana tho
cnche OF provisions left by the Proteus last
year but poorly supplemented It. The steam
launch had become fast In the leo few
During the whole winter the party were con.
strained to exist on quarter rations, and oil
kinds Of food had 70 be utilized For six
Visions ceased to bo given out. Seawoed,
shrimps, seaiskins, saxefrage and every va.
riety OF shrub were greediiy devoured.
when Death First Came.
Death made Its first havoc In the ranks carly
in January. one OF the men dropped or with
scurvy on the OH OF April. Lieutenant Lock-
wood and MT. Rice, the photographer, sue
their starving comrades about 200 pounds of
meat supposed TO DO cached ut place named
Bad Greek, distant about fifteen miles from the
encnmpment.
Mr.. isael, the astronomer, perlshed on May
81, Lieutenant Kielingbury died on June 1,
ana DR.. Pavy, the naturalist, slept Into death
on juno q. Not ono OF the victims realized
that death was near. They nil died tranquil,
painless death. Tho two Eskimos also por.
ished-one OF starvation, the other was
newly.formed Ice on April II, thus cutting Off
all hope OF getting any supply OF seal meat for
the starving explorers.
The Faithful EsIsimos.
The Eekimoe were most faithful and devoted
followers and helpers OF Lieutenant Greoly
Ellison was rescued and safely brought on
board the steamship Bear, where he died
few days subsequently. His is an extraordi-
nary instance OF human endurance. While
away some ten miles from his hut last winter
the temperature suddenly fell TO d9' below
very bone, and he was dragged by his com.
rades In an almost dying condition TO his
hut. HIS feet and hands were literally am
putated by the incisivo frost, and In this ter
rible state he lived through the dismal months
that interviewed between that time and res
cue.
been brought up by the steamers Bear aud
Thetis, embalmed IN tanks filled with alcohol.
Tho survivors are all doing we'll, and are rap
idly gaining fiesh and strength. Lieutenant
Greedy, who was In an exceedingly critical
condition when transferred 10 tho Thetis, Is
now able to move about. This morning he
drove out for an hours Ride TO get tho country
air, and came back quite invlgorated.
A PeriIous Rescue.
The rescue took place on the 22d of Juno n.
der circumstances OF great dirlcuity. The
Thetis and Bear lay on from the shore about
800 yards. There was terrific gale blowing
from the Southwest, a heavy sea was running
and formidable Ice nip was apparently iney.
liable. Lieutenant Greedy and the other six
camp TO the steam launch and whale boat In
their sleeping bags, and while steaming from
the land TO the ship the destruction OF tho
whole party at one time seemed certain. Tho
sea swept furiously over them, and the fury
OF the wind threatened at every instant to cap.
size them. AT length they were safely placed
on board the rescuing squadron, where every
possible preparation had been made TO insure
their recovery and comfort.
A Geographical Discovery.
1t was discovered during the past winter by
Lieutenant Greedy that Cape Sabine was part
OF an island, not the main land, as was
thought by previous geographers. IT is sop.
arated from the main land by narrow creek,
now called Rice's Strait, IN memory of the dead
your correspondent that large body Of valu-
able scientific work had been done during the
two seasons spent at Fort Conger by himself
and his lieutenants.
The Number of Miles Explored.
About 2, 500 miles OF exploration had been
effected, and many valuable observations
magnetic, tnei mometric and meteorologic-- had
been made. The winter OF 1881 was the So
verest OF the three. The mean of the thor
mometer during February was 4So below zero.
Seals were observed as high up In latitude as
81 and 50. Several varieties OF ducks were OBJ
served, and a variety OF other birds known and
unknown TO ornithologists. over 100 musk
oxen were slaughtered during the two winters
residence at Fort CoDger. Their meat proved
very valuable food, being palatable, whole
some and nutritious.
Mr.. George KEENAN,, OF this city, who has
taken an active interest In tho recent attempts
10 relieve Lieutenant Greelys party, and who
went before the Arctic Relief Board last spring
to urge the Offering OF such a reward as
would secure the cooperation OF the whalers
in the search, was asked what he thought OF
the news received from st. John. He replied:
Incompetence in Washington.
SIT is n story OF remarkable and heroic
achievement in the field, clouded by disaster
due TO Incompetence In Washington. II Lieu.
tenant Greedy and his party had all returned
In safety to the United States, as they might
| have done, had they been properly supported,
their Arctic record, In point OF skillful man.
| agement and success, would have been un.
ever spent two consecutive winters and part
| OF third in such high latitudes, and achieved
such results, without a casualty or single
| case OF serious eickness. II Lieutenant Greedy
had found at the mouth OF Smiths Sound the
shelter and food which he had right to ex-
| pect there he would probably have brought
| perfect health after three winters in the high.
| est northern latitudes that have ever been
reached, and after a series OF sledging cam
| paigns which for boldness and skilltul execu.
/ tion have rarely II ever been surpassed.
How Lives Might Have Been. Saved.
at doubles the grief which must be felt iu
| the face OF such terrible catastrophe to think
that two ships on successive years. and proba
| which would have saved the lives of those
| eighteen dead men. Beebe In 1882 anchored
| In Payer darpOr, JUST nOrtn OF cape baDine,
| with ship full OF stores; Darlington the next
| summer anchored In the same place, also with
| ship full OF stores, and a few days later the
| Yantic, with four months provisions on board
| was only thirty miles away Any OF these three
ships might have landed stores enough OK
actly where Greedy afterward made his winter
camp to have carried that brave party through
| but their commanding officers were not or
dered TO do 80, and they did not think OF It,
at was OF course terrible shock and dis
appointment TO Greedy when he failed to fine
the shelter and food which he expected, blu
| the party seems to have faced the terrors o
l an Arctic winter without shelter, are or ade
| quate food In q most heroic way, and TO have
| held out 10 the last with unfiinching courage
and extraordinary tenacIty. II a few hundred
| more rations could have been saved from Thu
wreck OF the Proteus thoy would have carried
the whole party through. All but one OF tn
dead perished last spring, after the 9TH o
| april.
sue supplementary Instructions
'lf Lieutenant Darlington had landed store
| on his way north at Littleton leland In adeord
| Rnce with what were known as his supple
y mentary Instructions, such stores would no
have been OF any use 70 Lieutenant Hreely
| There were a few hundred rationB on Littleto
| Island, but Greedy could not get across tn,
| ossing ice OF Smiths Sound TO avail himsel
| OF them. The place to land stores, as repeal
edly pointed out by DR.. Hoadley, MIR. Merriam
and others, rs shown by the example O
| Mares expedition, was the western coast or tn
| sound-the coast which Greedy must com
| down, not the opposite coast, which he Nigh
| never reach. 1t is TO the caches made by tn
| British expedition OF 1875 on the western
Greely's party mainly owe their lives.
Greely's Discoveries.
uFrom the point OF view OF an Arctic googra
| pher Greely's discoveries are OF first class In
| portance. Lieutenant Greely has not onl
taken away from Commander Markham, OF tn