The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-10-03
A SURVIVORS NARRATIVE.
DINE OF THE GREEDY PARTY TELLS
HIS STORY.
Vivid Description of the Disastrous
Expedition 10 the Far NOrth-Thc
survivors, PitiTuI Plight.

Expedition TO the Far NOrth-Thc
survivors, PitiFnI Plight.
To New \ orK World reporter, Henry
Biederbeck, one of the six Greedy survi-
vors, said: 81 know nothing of my own
knowledge of the story of cannibalism.
l cannot tell whether my companions
ate human flesh or not. l know l did
not. Had done so, l would tell of it,
for, under the terrible circumstances, the
act would be an excusable one. AS
to the shooting of Private Henry, it
would not beseem me to talk. l was
only humble member of the party, and
Sthe officers, with Lieutenant Greedy at
their head, are the proper persons to
give information on that subject. We
ali kept diaries, more or less full and ac-
curate, but we were obliged to send
them to Washington. They will proba-
bly, be published In a few DAYS in con-
nection with Lieutenant Greelys report.
The authorities at Washington have
promised to return the diaries to us as
soon as they got through with them. Had
my diary with me l could tell you
everything accurately. AS it is l must
depend on my memory alone"
when did you leave Washington2'
ION the 18th of June, 1881. The
party consisted of Lieutenant Greedy
and twentyfour men. The Proteus,
which has since been crushed in the ice
IN its attempt to relieve us, carried us to
our destination. We did not form the
crew of the vessel. We were soldiers
duly enlisted for the exploration expedi-
ton. Nautical skill was not so much
requisite as scientific knowledge and
capacity of endurance. We were to
proceed to the circumpolar station estab-
lished by the United States government
at Fort Conger, and there we were to
make meteorological observations and
explorations until we were relieved"
Where did you proceed after leaving
Washingtonin
l. eve stopped at Baltimore for day
and then sailed north reaching St.John's
N. F., on the 18th of July and Disco
Greenland, on the 10th of the same
month"; We were all in good health,
The climate is mild in this part Of Green
land in the summer, aud tie green land
scape Is very beautiful We were royalty
entertained at Disco by the natives, and
after enjoying ourselves there few days
we started out to reach our destination.
We got as far as Cape Baird, in latitude
elghty-one degrees, when we struck ice
bergs which completely blocked our way.
The great mountains of ice, rising for
hundreds of feet above the level of the
sea, lay before US, and we knew that
behind them was the solid ice pack.
There was nothing for us to do but to
retreat into winter quarters. This we
did in Discovery Harbor, Lady Franklin
Bay, which we reached on the 18th of
August. We had plenty of provisions
and made ourselves as comfortable as
possible for the long Arctic winter. We
employed our time in building caches
along the coast to the north and south,
storing them with food for future use. :"
"When did you again start out to reach
your station 2"
was comparatively mild for that region
and the ice yielded to the sharp keel of
the Proteus. We used only sails and
carefully proceeded northward until we
arrived at Fort CoIger in latitude eighty
one degrees forty-four minutes, where we
were to remain. The Proteus having ac-
complished its purpose in bringing us
out, now set sail back to New York, and
our party were left alone. We were sup
piled with provisions more than enough
to last us until September 1, 1888, on
which date according to our instructions,
we were to leave the station and return
under all circumstances. We were in
good spirits, because we had had very
little sickness so far and had the right to
expect that the government would send
us relief ship to bring us more provi,
sions and new men. No ship ever came.
They sent out the Neptune but it did
not reach us, and the Proteus was crush
ed in the ice and went down with all the
provisions intended for us We had a
steam launch, whaleboat and a small
dingey. With these we made trips in
between the ice-rifts whenever we could.
Other explorations we made on foot, and
altogether gathered good deal of valu-
able scientific knowledge. Still, as
month after month passed and no ships
were heard from and our stock of provi-
sions grew less and less, gloom settled
on Lieutenant Greelv's brow and expand
ed itself over our little colony on ice.
The lieutenant waited as long as he dared
to and finally, on the 9Th of August,
1888, gave the order to break up camp
and return.
The horrors of the expedition then
beganl"
They did. 1t was easy enough to
tell us to come back, but we couldn't.
We followed the shore along Grinnell
sound and got to Cape Hawks. We then
crossed Hayes Sound to Ellesmere Land
and then could go no further. The ter
rlble Arctic winter set in and we were as
nl...,, I
barriers of the icy elements shut US out
from all communication with the rest of
mankind. Sickness and hunger began
10 assail us. Lieutenant Greedy kept send,
ing out men on foraging expeditions.
Some returned with the glad intelligence
that there was a stock of provisions at
Cape Sabine. With great difficulty we
managed to reach the cape on august
10. We found the provisions, but we
knew they could not last long. For sosne
time we hsd been mt on half rationc