Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-18
LIEUTENANT GREELY.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH
THE ARCTIC HERO.
Results of the Expedition and Their
Value - Highest Latitude
Ever Attained.
IsrEcrM ry rELroRArH ro sHE RECORD sy1oy.I

PoErsNocTM. (N. H., August 17th.-Eor
the purpose of obtaining sore idea of the
general nature and probable value of the
scientific observations made by Lieutenant
Greely, an Associated Press agent visited
him Saturday. Greely stated that the
object of the Lady Franklin Bay spedition
was to establish polar station, one of
thirteen suggested by Lieut.. Weyprecht, of
Austria, who discovered Franz JoSefand.
Simultaneous observations ofall the physi-
cal phenomena were taken. The complete
programme that was TO be followed was ar
ranged by an International Polar Congress
in which representatives of the thirteen
nations took part The observations. in the
making of which the greatest possible ac-
ctITacy was 10 be had, were those of the
declination, and deviation of the magnetic
needle temperature Of the air and sea
he height of barome meter and mean
and maximum rise and fall of tides The
explorations We're to be merely incidental
to other objects.
THE EXPEDFIoN
Was fitted out under authority of the United
States Congress, and was composed Of three
army officers, one acting surgeon and nine
teen enlisted men from thearmy. Stores
for twcnty-sevCn months were put on the
Proteus, which left st. Johns July :, 1881,
with the party. She touched at Disco
Island and Upernavik to procure slcdgcs,
dogs, skins and dog food. Two Esuuimaux
were added to the party at Proven. A
landing was made at Carey Island, in the
north water, and the provisions cached by
Mares in 1871 in the Alert We're found in
good condition. At Littleton Island
Lieutenant Grecly personally uncovered
the English Arctic mail which was left
by Sir Allen Young in the Pandora
in 1876. At Care Ritter Bay, i'll Kennedy
channel, cache of provisions for use on
the retreat was made. 1t was the original
intention TO establish the polar station at
Water Course Bay, but heavy masses of ice
rendered Water Course Bay an exceedingly
dangerous anchorage, Moving to Discov-
cry Harbor, the station was there estab-
lished on the site occupied by the English
expedition of 1875. The erection of house
was Immediately commenced, and stores
and equipments landed. On August 26th
came the parting between the Greely party
and the men of the Proteus The little
band
GATHERED ON THE FROZEN SHORE,
And watched the Proteus as she steamed
slowly down Lady Franklin Bay On the
evening of the same dav the temperature
sank below the freezing point, and an icy
Arctic winter was ON them in earnest.
Their house was finished about a week
after the Proteus left. 1t was named in
honor of Senator Conger, Fort Conger."
During the first month the cold affected
the men more than at any subsequent
period at Fort Conger. Later on, in De
cember, the temperature sank from
80 to IS degrees below zero, and
SO remained for days at a time; but
even i'll that weather the cooks favorite
amusement was dancing, bare-headed, bare
armed and with slippered feet, on the top
of 4 snow drift. During the day the men
dressed in ordinary outside clothing, but
their flannels were very heavy. Five men
were generally, for part of the day, en-
gagged in scientific work, under Greely'S di-
rectiOn, and in the duties of the camp
The remainder were employed generally
about one hour day, and devoted the rest
of the time to amusement All slept in
hunks. The quarters were heated by n
large coal stove. the average heat main
tanned being 500 above zero. Checkers,
cards, chess and reading were the amuse-
menfs of the evening. The life. Grecly
said was far from n lonely one. Many of
the men said they had
NEVER PASSED TWO HAPPIER YEARS
Than they spent at Fort Conger. On the
18th of October the sun left them for 135
days, and twilight, varying from half an
hour to twenty hours, succeeded. For
two months it was so dim that the dial of
watch could not be read by it. On April
11th the sun came above the Loriz N, and
remained there l35 days, giving the party
great SutiicienCy Of the midnight sun. Dur
ing three months the stars were visible con-
stantly. The consultations of OriOnS belt,
the Great Bear and the brightest north star
looked down from almost overhead. Stand
ing alone outside of the fort on one of the
snowdriftS, these night scenes were weirdly
grand. To the north famed the aurora
boreals, and the bright consultations were
set like jewels around the glowing moon.
Over everything was dead silence So hor-
ridly oppressive that a man alone is almost
tempted to kill himself so lonely does he
feel. The astronomer of the party said that
with the naked eye Il star Of one degree
smaller magnitude than can be discerned
with a telescope could be seen. The moon
would remain in sight from eleven to
twelve days AZ time. The thermometer
registered on June 30th the highest temper
aturc at Lady Franklin Bay which we
knew during our stay. 1t was 50 degrees
above zero. The lowest was in February,
1SS3-660 below. In this February
OUR MERCURY FRozE,
And remained solid for fifteen days. The
mercury III the thermometer invariably
rose during storms or high winds The
highest barometer was slightly above 81
inches; the lowest slightly below % inches
The greatest variations were in winter
The electrOmeter an instrument used to
ascertain the presence of electricity, was set
up, but rot the slightest results could be
obtained. The displays of the aurora were
very good, but not to be compared with
those seen at Disco Island or Upper Ma
wick. So far as Greely could observe, no
cracking sound accompanied the displays,
and the general shape was that of ribbon.
The southwesterly horizon was the quarter
in which the brightest displays were seen.
Mares reported in 1876 that no shadow was
cast by the aurora but Greely says he dis
tinctly observed his shadow cast by it.
There were no electrical disturbances, save
those manifested by the rumbling Of dis
tant thunder, heard twice, far away north.
In the course of the tidal observations
made
VERY INTERESTING FACT
Was discovcred-that the tides at Lady
Franklin Bay came from the north, while
those at Melville Bay and Cape Sabine
came from the south. The temperature of
this north tide is two degrees warmer than
that Of the south tide at Cape Sabine. Why
this was Greely would not venture to state.
He used in measuring the ebb and flow of
the tides fixed gauge-an iron rod planted
in the mud The average rise of the spring
tides at Lady FRANKLIN Bay was found to
be eight feet. At Cape Sabin the highest
tide rise was twelve feet. A surf was only
observed twice during the two years At
Lady Franklin Bay the average tcmpera-
turc of the water was 25o above zero.
Wolves weighing ninety pounds were killed
around Fort COnger. There are foxes and
other ANIMALS there. Fish is wonderful
scarcity. Perhaps
THE GREATEST SURPRISE
OF the expedition was the taking Erom
Lake Alexander, fresh-water lake fifteen
feet above the sea level. 44-pound
salmon. From Dexeyor Sea only two very
small fish Were taken during the entire two
years aud few are found north of Cape
Sabine. The vegetation at Lady Franklin
Bay is about the same as at Cape Sabine,
and comprises moses, hchenS, willow
and saxifrage The highest velocity of the
wind, registered during q terrific snow
storm, was seventy miles an hour. Lock
woods trips TO the north in 1882 and
1888 were productive of the most valu.
able results. Standing on the 10Th Of May
of each year where DIR, Hayes had forlnely
| stood, at about the same time of day, Lock
wood. from an elevation of 1000 feet using
his strongest glass on Halls Basin anC
!,