Huntsville gazette., 1884-07-26


eight hours delay in reaching them
would have been fatal to all now living.
CLOSE WINTER.
"ThiS. season North is late and the
closest for years. Smiths Sound was
not open when l left Cape Sabine. The
winter about Melville Bay was the most
severe for twenty years. This great re-
suit is entirely due to the prompt action
and unwearied energy of yourself and the
Secretary of War in fitting this expedi-
tion for the work it has had the honor to
accomplish.
[Signed]
"W. S. SCHLEY, Commander
Story of the Rescue.l
ST. JOHN, N. F., July IS.
The story of the rescuing party as told
by Captain Ash, ice pilot of the Bear, it
as follows:
"We sailed from st. Johns May 4, and
reached Upper Navik on the 29th;. Duck
IsIanu June 9th: Cape ioI.A yune
and Payer Harbor on the 22d. Att p. IN.
we had both ships fast to heavy foe in
Payer Harbor and some Of the officers
and men left the ship for the shore in diff
terent directions. An officer from the
Thetis found the record on Brevoot Is
land, stating that Greely and party were
all well and that they left for Conger Au-
gust and landed at Baird Inlet on the
Goth Of September, after driving about on
the ice nearly three weeks in the vicinity
of Cape Sabine. The record also
told where to find his win
ter camp. Our steam launch
being out and ready we were Immediate
Iy sent away for the camp, which was
about three miles northwest OF cape
Sabine. In the meantime the Thetis
blew her whistle to recall some of their
men. As we
NEARED THE CAMP
we saw one man make his appearance
where he could look down the cape. He
saw the boat and came down to where we
were going to land. Seeing but one man,
and the way he staggered over the snow we
thought it a bad omen. On jumping ashore
the first question was how they all were.
His answer was: "there are seven of Us
left" Sad news and a sudden reverse Of
our cheerful spirits OF quarter Of an
hour ago. But it was no time to reflect,
we must try to save the living. | jumped
into the launch and at once passed some
food that we were prepared with and we
at once started for the camp. 1t was
blowing gale, the tent was blown down,
except stout prop under one end. The
poor fellows had not strength to put it
up.
SIX MEN LAY STARVING
and unable to help themselves. Pointing
to one, they said he was dying, but lie
rallied and is doing well now. We cut a
hole in the canvass to give us room and
commenced to feed them, serving them
all round gradually, and not letting them
have as much as they wanted. The launch
was sent off to the Bear, which
was coming. The Thetis was also
close by. A fire was made, the suffer-
ers were attended to by Dr. Ames and
given plenty of warm milk. Some of
them were soon able to stand and stagger
about. Stretchers had been brought and
the men were carried to the boat. Two
men only were strong enough to be led
down by men on each side OF them to the
boats. They were taken off, some on
board each ship.
1t was near midnight, the sun shining
and wind blowing a gale, fortunately off
shore, which kept the ice from coming on
us. We proceeded with a good crew to
unearth the dead bodies and wrap them
in blankets, a part were taken to each
ship. Ten were buried on ridge side
by side, 800 yards from. the camp,
with very high mountain just
back Two others were lying a little dis
tance below the camp, the Survivors not
having strength enough to bury them
with the rest, making twelve bodies taken
on board the ships. Four others were
buried on the ice from the winter house,
but the ice had broken and taken them
with it.
Edwards, an ESquimaux, was drowned
while hunting. Total deaths since the
party reached Cape Sabine last fall,
eighteen. j. Ellison, who was trying to
get the $50 rations left by the Beebe in
1882, got badly frosthitten. During the
winter both his feet dropped off at the
ankles and his fingers dried up hard. He
also lost the top of his nose. For few
days he got along finely, but in little
while he took another change, went wrong
in the head, and finally went to his long
home on the Sth of June.
The researches of the expedition were
every way successful. Latitude 1924
was reached and a second party crossed
the Western Ocean. The party which
went north travelled East to the 24th de-
gree of longitude.
A valley running from near Lady Frank
lin Bay to the Western Ocean about sixty
miles wide was discovered. 1t is bounded
North and South by continuous glaciers
and has no apparent breaks. In the valley
vegetation was abundant ard the climate
much milder than usual. This he states
is the Eden of the North.
Greely says that if 500 pounds of meat
had been left by Darlington, his party
would have been saved Littleton Island
could not be reached in winter, the Sound,
twenty-five miles wide, being open, and
In spring the party were too weak to go.
The survivors are very weak, but recov-
ering rapidly. Greely Is extremely weak.
His expedition, he says, would have been
the most successful on record if food
had been left on Cape Sabine, where it
should have been.
The ships had been roughly used, as
superhuman eXertions were made to ef-
feet rescue. The party left Fort Conger