The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-28
HoMEWARD BOUND.
Departure of the Greedy Party
from st. Johns, N. F.
INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF
THE CRUISE OF THE LOCH
GARRY.
How she Party will be Received in Ports
month, N. HI.

/
and all the harbor steam tugs and steam
launches displayed the flags of Great Britain
and the United States at halfmast, and were
crowded with leading citizens. At all the
| public buildings and mercantile premises flags
were dropped The hundreds of vessels in
| port displayed their various national flags in
mourning. Thousands of spectators from the
| shore waved adieus by banneret or handker-
! chief, which salutations were gracefully re-
turned by the fast-receding squadron. Lieu
! tenant Greedy and other survivors are ENJOYING
/ tolerable health. The bright weather and
| Westerly wind combined to m lake Newfoupd-
/ lands valedietory to the sailors and survivors,
/ the few living and more numerous dead heroes
| OF the Greedy Arctic expedition, a spectacle of
unwonted solemnity.
New YORK, July 26.-The Greedy relief ex-
| petition steamship Loeb Garry arrived at the
| Brooklyn navy yard this evening She steamed
/ up the bay without any sign OF a salute or
1 greeting. When she arrived at the navy yard
| Ensign Chambers made his report to Commo-
dore Fillebrown without evidence of the
| slightest demonstration Of public welcome.
| The damage sustained by the vessel is slight.
| Ensign Chambers related to reporter few
| incidents of the trip of the Loeb Garry, which
| might be summarized thus: The Loeb Garry
| LETT st. Johns on May IL and arrived at God
| havD, or Lively, as the whalers call it, ON
| 20. Its shores were covered with snow and
| ice up to high point, and above the cliffs
| projected. On the passage North an unusual
| quantity of ice was encountered, but when
| the Loeb Garry had rounded for home a great
| change had taken place to the Southwark.
| During space of two weeks vast ice fields
| had disappeared and the waters were clear for
| sailing. He believed that now a vessel would
have clear sailing up to Fort Conger and
Greelys valuable specimens be preserved.
These, however, were in state of preserva-
ton and could be obtained at any time.
Chambers said that the formation of some of
the icebergs was peculiar. Animals, castles
and whole scenes were outlined by them. The
ice was from to 20 feet thick and deep in the
water. He told how once the Alert had got
jammed in the ice just below Wilcox Head,
on the edge of Melville Bay, and the Loeb
Garry tried to liberate her by breaking away
the ice. This device failed, and hawsef was
attached to her stern and an endeavor was
made to pull her out The hawser parted and
the Loeb Garry got caught between two foes
She freed herself and was about to use saws
and torpedoes, when the Alert escaped from
her difficulty.
Ensign Chambers remarked that although it
was daylight all the time, there was no
monotony about it. He said that although
Greedy was rescued on the 22d of June, he did
not see him until the Goth, as the Loeb Garry
had been detained by fog. He had been able
he said, to get to Upernavik on May 30, as az
| ranged, and thus enabled the Thetis and Bear
with full bunkers of coal. When Greely's
party was rescued, prayers were being said
over Private O'Connell and the last drop of
brandy was being poured into him. He was
cold up to his waist. Greedy did not look as
though he weighed much over 100 pounds
when he first saw him. He looked terribly
thin and emaciateu, but was somewhat tanned
When Chambers left st. Johns all the rescued
men were much stouter, but had not seemed to
gain strength in proportion to flesh They
were all weak in the legs, but generally thew
were doing very well. There is no doubt that
48 hours after the time OF their rescue every
man would have been dead without succor
The martyrs and heroes" were treated in the
most hospitable way by the people of ST.
Johns.
"Capt Schley's judgment" said Chambers.
lin the conduct OF the expedition could not
be excelled He did everything in the best nos
siblesway, took advantage of every little point,
reached Cape Sabine at the earliest possible
moment and his spirit imbued the whole
feet
NEW YORK, July 27.-The following details
from the log of the steamship Loeb Garry OF
the Greedy relief expedition were furnished TO.
day by Ensign Chambers o. S. N, who was
In command of the vessel during her cruise to
the Polar regions. "Ou our first day out from
st. Johns heavy fog envelopsd us and we
encountered large sicebergs. In steering ont
of the way Of the latter We lost sight of the
Thetis and could only resume our position bv
the sound of her whistles. On May IS, when
off Cape Farewell we met the first great 0uan-
tity of ice aud were obliged to go ahead slow
ly On May %, we sighted Disco, but had
much difficulty in fn1ing the harbor. The Is
land was covered with ice and snow and land
marks were invisible. We left Godhavn on
May oath, at a, N, and steamed through the
ice along the coast to point about ten miles
below Hare Island. Here we found the ice so
thick that We we're compelled to lay to. Cant.
Schley signalled for me to go back to God
haven and wait for a favorable opportunity
with an east wind to proceed to Upernayik
We left Godhavn the I'd time May 81, and
encountered moro ice, through which we push
ed our way and found the Thetis lying TO at
Hare Island having been unable to blast a
passage through the ice.
The next morning the whalers Arctic and
Wolf Joined us, and we started ahead. The
ice was heavy, and We experienced great diff
Guilty In making progress, and several times
narrowly escaped collision with the Wolf.
We were afraid to back very much, for our
propeller was only a four-bladed, cast iron one,
and had we broken the blade it would have
been all up with us. We finally succeeded in
jamming ahead; and the Wolf followed in the |
opening we made. The Thetis was now out of
sight, and we set our course for Oomenack
ford. There we sighted the Thetis ten miles
ahead. We overhanled her on May 49, when |
Capt. Sehley hailed US and said Go to Uper- |
navik, calling at Proven. If you meet the |
Bear coal her withIdespatch." During the fog |
which ca me on we got into a false lead, and |
while returning to open water to try another |
met the Thetis, and proceeded together to Up |
ernaVik, In the midst of a binding snow
storm, which lasted all night. On our arrival |
there, May 18th, we found the Bear and coaled |
her The vessels remained in the vicinity for |
nearly week, when the Thetis and Bear pre- |
ceeded northward, while we waited for the |
&lert. which arrived June 18th.
The Governor of Upernavik told us that |
there was no hope of getting through Melville |
Bay as the season was unusually close We |
left with the Alert, June 81 and reached Berry |
Islands, June %. We went ahead pushing |
through ice all the way aud on June % reached |
Horses Head. Here the Alert got nipped in |
the ice and in trying to get her out we lost SO |
much tune that the pack had become impene- |
trable and we lay damned in the ice off Duck |
island till June 20. We worked all night on |
the 28th blasting and saving ice |
and finally got away into open water. On |
June 80 we we're off Wilcox Head, where we |
had more hard pushing to get to open waterloo |
yoDd Devils Thumb. While busy here "a /
sighted the Thetis aud Bear coming towards |
us and knew at once from the signalling that |
the Greedy explorers had been tracked and |
that the survivors II any were on board, |
for Capt. Schley would never have come back |
without having accomplished his work.
We returned to open water and thick Jog |
set in SO that il was sometime before 1 could 90 |
on board the Thetis and learn the news of the |
rescue. We then pushed south with all the |
haste possible and arrived at Upernavik July |
I'd Capt. Schley from there dispatched the |
Alert and Loeb Garry to Godhavn, while the /
Thetis and Bear put into Upernavik, the |
former to shift her broken rudder and the |
latter to get coal. At Godhavn the Alert's |
machinery was repaired and we buried there
one of the EsQuimaux of Lieut. Greely's party
We lett Godhavn with the Alert in tow Off |
the coast of Newfoundland we encountered |
gale and the steel hawser parted three times,
when the Alert was finally cast adrift on July
10Th. We dropped anchor at st. Johns at 8 a.
m. July 18th.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., July 27.-The follow
ing general plan of ceremonies here upon the
return of the Greedy relief expedition, has
been determined upon. On the arrival of the |
vessels on the morning of Saturday, Aug. I'd, |
a naval reception will take place in the outer
harbor, in which the ships of war now lying
here will participate, including the North At |
lantic squadron, the training squadron and the [
practice ship from Annapolis On Monday, |
Aug. 4th q reception will be given on shore to
the officers and men of the relief expedition
by the City of Portsmouth and the State au-
thorities OF New Hampshire, the officers and
men OF all the naval vessels taking part in the
parade. In the afternoon or evening public
meeting will be held, at which addresses of
welcome will be delivered. No special invita-
ton to the ceremonies will be sent outside the
State. hut all Cyl m IN xuill no