The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-09
FROM THE FROZEN NORTH.
"A Talk with Lieutenant McCIain, ofthe
Greedy Relief Expedition.
An indianapolis Man Who Took Part in the
Successful Search for the Arctic
Explorers.

Lieutenant Charles McClain, who was one OF
Captain Schley's party on the Greedy relief ex-
petition, was in the city yesterday, the guest Of
the family of George W. Hill, No, ITO South
East street Prior to his entering the naval
service Indianapolis was his Home, and for a
short time he was student in Asbury Uni
versity. He is a brother of Don McClain, a
weIl-known young attorney in this city few
years ago Mrs Hill is his aunt, and he arrived
in the city Sunday night to pay his acquaintance
here a brief visit He has been in the naval
service ten years, and he accompanied the relief
expedition for the purpose of taking Photographic
views of the Arctic country. He has in his pos
session collection of over one hundred of these
views, which will be used in illustrating the
official report Of the expedition. He
was on board the Alert, the vessel
presented by England, which was used for
the heavier work of the expedition. Journal
reporter called upon Lieutenant McClain last
evening, and interviewed him in regard to his
arctic voyage.
THE history of our trip in general is already
pretty well known from the reports and inter
views which have been published" Lieutenant
McClain said fand there is little of any special
interest that can be added. It was trip in
which there were some rather thrilling expert
enees but the object of the expedition was to
rescue the Greedy party, and there was no de-
lay in hurrying to his relief There was rather
spirited race with some ten or twelve whaling
vessels anxious to get the $25, 900 reward, until
we reached the open sea, when they began to
fall back one by one Captain Schley treated
them all very kindly, however, telling them that
if they could find Lieutenant Greedy and his
men he hoped they would The
Thetis and the Bear led the way, and the
Alert was left to tow the coal. 1t was the opin-
ion of the men on board the Alert that Victoria
had not lost much in parting with her"
When Lieutenant Caldwell entered the tent
of Greedy and his men what effect did it have
upon theml1
The starved men were too near dead to man
fest much joy. There was q feeble exclamation
of saved savedP but it was not given with any
joYous expression. It had been noticed by the
survivors that certain symptoms of approaching
death were manifested by those Of their com
rades who had persisted forty eight hours before.
they expired, and the men were all IN the last
stages of starvation when they were found
They had given up all hope of being rescued,
and they all felt that they were too
near. dead to recover. Greedy had calculated
that he had only. thirty-six hours longer TO live
When Lieut. Caldwell entered he Immediately
gave each of the survivors a small piece of penn
ullCTt1l, WHICH WAS REceult5 -upfOuEOUs 4ncy
erawled up to him, where he was standing, and
holding TO hisclothing, begged him piteously for
more. 1t was, Caldwell says, most CHASTITY
spectacle Within ten minutes after they were
given the pemmican, the surgeons arrived with
warm stimulants, which were given to them in
such quantities as their condition would permit
Brainard and Long had more strength than any
of the others, but none OF them could have lived
many hours longer if relief had not arrived at
the time it did. Ellison Was in the worst condi-
ton of aRygof the survivors, His feet were fro
zen of, and the bone had dried up He had be-
come insane from his sufferings. The frozen
limbs began to mortifys and they were ampu-
tated. The poor fellow died after he was taken
on board the ThetisS and death, in his case. was
certainly providentialD e 80
did the survivors talk much about their suf
ferings and how they had lived after their res
cue!7
.They talked very freely about their expe,
riences, and the killing of Henry was spoken of
but there was nothing said about eannabalism
There seemed to be a.tacit understanding that it
was subject which should not be alluded 70,
and nothing was said about it
WAS it not known however, by the members
of the relief party, from the mutilated condt-
ton in which the dead bodies were found, that
there had been cannibalismp
gtsYes; but there was nothing said about it, out
ofgrespect for the memory of the dead and
charitable consideration for the survivors. Be
Sides ssit was feared that it might Seem dis
courteous 70 the army for the navy to say any
thing about it, Af'ea
Have you any desire to return to the arctic
regionsr @
None. ] am satisfied with my experience =
Lieutenant McClain left for Chicago last
night His leave of absence expires on the 30th
of this month, when he will 70 TO Annapolis to
become one Of the instructors in the Naval
Academy.