The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-06
THE SEARCH roR GREELY.
Commander schIey's Story of the Voyage and
the Finding of tlae Men.

Commander SchIey's Story of the Voyage and
the Finding of tlae Men.
Interview in Washington Critic
/ ana very glad indeed, to be here Our voy-
age was quite a sailing away from the Joyous,
sunny, pheasant world that we are accustomed
To. did not suffer from the effects of the ex-
posture to any great extent / had no nneer-
taiHty OF anxiety to prey upon my mind. was
nhsoluteay certain of Whist had to do In any
emergency, prepared for the worst and the best,
had the utmost confidence in my men. My
only regret was that It was not a year earlier.
1ihe voyage WAS, of course one of peril and dis
c0nfort, but aid mot lose or gain a pounds
weight, and am IN good health. The whole
voyage was one of sensational scenes Hnd inri-
dents, periloas moments, furious storms, narrow
escapes, etc., but there was nothing TO compare
10 the berrible impressixeness of the hour OF
rescue. The only npars that 4 have shed for
many year were shed ON that memorable occa-
son, and there WIS not a man VINO could retain
his composnre. The scene was inexpressihlg
horrible and thrilling A little camp of
survivors, booking actually like skeletons and
nearly all of whom were IN the last stages OF
starvation, while one, at beast, Connell, was act
ually In the very agony of DEATH doomed to die
within an hour II nouriShmeht had not been at
hand, and unconscious for days afterward that
he had been saved. The little camp, desolate,
filthy, barren, on an ice bound coast, with the
long row of graves that told their only story
with awful pathos--tle first grave made with all
have bestowed upon it, the second less carefuIlg
constructed the third more narrow and lShal-
low. and others showing waning strength and
failing energy until the last body that had just
been dragged out .Hf sssght of ahe camp and left
10 the mercy Of wind and storm, uncovered. be-
cRuHe none could lift the earth or ice with which
TO COVER him. The pichufe was "a t6nnible one
indeed, and the days immediately following were
Scarcely hess terrihle.
"GReely and those If his party who were res
fAfoF3s
tectRke4etons wrapped IN skin. Every b0newa
clearly visible, and hips and ribs were frightfuy
prominent Those men were hungry every five
minutes -raEenoas is an inadequate word.
when wih your report be peady4n
1T will go to Secretary Chandler within ten
days, describing every detail of the eHpedition
from ats ineePtion to its abandonment, illus
lratad by three hundHed instantaneous photo
graphs, and covering two hundred and fifty
pages"
What will it bell about oannibalism2o
Nothing whatever. The discovery of the
living and the dead viii be accurately described,
the mntilation of the bodies, etc, but NO con-
illusions will be drawn. really know nothing
trouble has been that too much has
been said lieutenant Greely, however, has
very discrectiy kept quiet and will doubtless
explain everything in due time At the time OF
his rescue Greedy was the weakest physically
have seen the statements abouts dissensions in
the parity, and that Long and Brainard headed
separate parties at the time of the rescue. saw
nothing to indicate this, and know nothing about
it. Without defending Lieutenant Gneely at all,
i should certainly not make up my mind against
him in any particular before his official neport
hae been made. can see no sense IN the desire
to exhnne Private HeAgy.s remains ] have
officially stated that his body was one of those
mptIlated, and nothing more could be accom-
plished by its disinteHmeatn