Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-10-18
CRAZED BIZ STARVATION.
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE AWFUL
STORY OF CAPE SABINE
TIE c-ecrets of the Cnrnp on Smiths Sound
Probability that DIR. Pnvy was Killed
Discomfort and Despair Of the Wen Lett
without Food In the Arctic ReGices.
From the New York Times.

Until the death of Surgeon Pavy, of
the Greedy party, which occurred at the
rapidly depopulated camp on June 9th,
three weeks before rescue came, the flesh
cut from most Of the dead bodies for use
by the survivors as food and bait was
removed by a hand skilled in dissection.
A few of the bodies had tho tleshy por-
sicns cut away entire. But with the
majority the work had been so we'll done
that a casual observer would pot have
suspected without other evidence, Of
which there was plenty, however, that
The survivors had been reduced to can
nibaliem, and had for a long tine been
rubsisting principally on the bodies Of
their dead comrades. It is not a colnci-
eAepce that the body Of DR.. Pavy, with
chose Of two others who died after him,
shouid be reported as washed away.
With the Surgeon Comet the sealpel could
not be used. Before, the bodies had
been left with little mark of the terrible
work done. After his death the surviv.
ors were forced to dlsmember the bodies
and dennde them Of flesh in a way that
left nothing but bones. So these unfor-
Inmates were reported as buried in an ice
foe and washed away, and to the list
was added Corp. SAILOR, who died on
June 3, and Scrgt. Rice, who died on
April 9.
On most Of the bodies an incision was
made from the ~clavicle downward be
low the ribs. The scalpel was then
passed along under the skin, and the
flap was carefully laid back on either
side. The flesh was then removed from
The ribs, the skin was pulled back in
place, and the edges were carefully
joined SO that there was no external
evidence left of the CHASTITY work but a
dark line. The thighs were treated in
the same manner the skin being re-
placed about the fleshless bones. The
legs were stripped to the ankle joints
and the arms to the wrists. The hands.
feet, and face were not mutilat6d. This
was q work requiring skill, and must
have been a long and careful operation.
No one in the party except the Surgeon
could 80 skillfullv remove the flesh
from a human body and leave the skin
intact. How DR.. Pavy met his death
has not been explained, but it was prob
ably by the knife. With him gone,
and every day the pangs of hunger
growing more unbearable, the caution
was relaxed, and the survivors ate of
human flesh however they could easiest
secure it.
In the last days before relief came to
the wretched men it was the doctrine of
the survival of the strongest that ruled.
All sense of honor and feeling had been
lost. 1t was Sergt. Long who first saw
the steam launch, and slid down the
snow and ice from the distress signal to
greet the rescuing party. His face and
beard were covered with blood from a
duck which he had recently shot and
had been eating raw. 1t is stated that
he stopped to conceal half the body Of
the bird before sliding down the snow.
He was he strongest of the party, and,
despite the frightful gale, was able to
walk to the launch. Sergt. Fredericks
also had considerable strength left, and
clambcred on board the Thetis almost
unaided.
After so many months in the desolate
arctic regions, after so much suffering,
and passing through such scenes Of hor-
ror, it was seldom that the men stood up
right. They crawled about on their
hands and knees over the rocks and ice.
and when Sergt. Braiueri was undressed
OF board the Thetis his knees were
found callousel TO a thickness CT over
half an inch. Ii the mlde: Of such hor-
rars It WAS wondered hv the rescuing
party how Greedy and his few companions
kept their reason. About the camp were
scattered bones of the dead, and dissec-
ted and mutilatcd bodies were half ex-
posed in the little burial plot back Of the
tent. X was a scene at which the
c %shuddered rs they looked. and
the truth stood revealed.
The bodies Of those who died natural
deaths were not mutilated where death
had been caused by disease. As to
hpw many died of scurvy ccounts
differ. Commander Schley reported II
as having died from starvation. Sergt.
Cross. the first of the exploring party
10 die, pass.l away last New Years
Day, ACCORDING 10 Commander Schey's
report. He dld not die Of starvation,
but from the use Of liquor. He would
drink anything that had q suspicion al
alcohol about it, even paint. This love
for liquor was SO strong among some Of
the sailors Of the relief party that the
carpenter. using a little alcohol with
which TO mix shellac, was obliged &c
guard il as a miser hides away his
money.
Sergt. Conneil, one of the rescued
Soys that Gross 3;a3 ~ "