Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-18
Rescue OF Lieutenant Greely.

Rescue of Lieutenant Greely.
News reached Washington yesterday th@t
the survivors Of the GREELY Arctic co.
| lony-seven out OF the twenty-five he
roic men who composed the colony-had
been rescued by the relief expedition
under Commander SCHLEY. One OF the
survivors died soon after being rescued. and
the other six are now at II. Johns. New
| Foundland, to which point the Thetis and
the Bear have returned. In another coli
umn we give Commander SCHLEY's tele-
graphic report, which will only make
the public eager for every detail OF
both the work of the relief expedition and
Lieutenant GREELY's terrible experience.
The death proportion IN Lieutenant
GREELY's party was fearful, and Com
mander SCHLEY gives us sufficient data 20
show that their retreat from Lady Frank
lin Bay was attended with all the hard
ships and suffering that have thrown a
horrible and, weird fascination abound so
uanv Arctic expeditions.
The GREEDY colony. as has been before
stated In these columns, occupied the ex-
treme northern station in the chain OF CIR
cumpolar stations agreed upon by the In
ternational Polar Conference. The sta
tons in the scheme OF that body were as
follows: The United States in Lady Frank
lin Bay, in Smiths Sound, and also al
Point Barrow; Denmark at Godthaab;
Germany in Cumberland Sound. on the
west side of Davis Strait; England at Fort
Rae, in the heart OF the Hudson-Bay terri
tory, near the Great Slave Lake; Russia at
the mouth OF the Lena and at Moller's Bay,
Nova Zembla; Holland at Dickson's IIiyn;
Norway at BoSekOp, in the Alien Fjord;
Sweden at Spitzbergen; Austria at Jan
Mayen Island, famous for IFS fog
and ice. In addition to these "the
Finnish handbag equipped meteorO-
logical station at Sodankyla, and branch
station was also established in Lab
rador. France selected station near Cape
Horn. and Germany also yentured into the
Antarctic regions by sendinga party TO one
Of the islands Of South Georgia, in 81
degrees south latitude and about LOO
miles to the eastward Of Cape Horn. These
southern observers were to perform the same
work in the way OF scientific observation
as their friends at the north. They wero
TO note carefully all the phenomna, in or
der that they might be able to compare
their results with those OF the Arctic sta
lions. The gentlemen in charge of the OBJ
seryatories at Melbourne and Cape Town
were also instructed to make a series Of OBJ
seryations in connection with the researches
OF the French and German expeditions"
The objects Of establishing the Arctic sta
tons were to take magnetic and meteOrolo-
gical observations, note the movements OF
ice masses and currents, and gather such
other data as would contribute to science
and the work OF future Arctic explorations.
II was understood that observations at
all the stations should begin rs soon
after August /, 1882, as possible. and
continue until the following Septem.
Der. The colony under Lieutenant GREEDY
left st. Johns, n. f., on the 18th Of July,
1881, for Lady Franklin bay, and from
August OF that year until the survivors
were rescued 10y Lieutenant ScHLEY its
fate was unknown, and was the subject
OF much grave speculation. At various
times disgusting rGmors regarding the
party reached this country, but could
h Ill
In June, 1882. Mr.. W. II. BEBEE took
command Of a party, which sailed in the
Neptune from st. Johns, n. f.. on July
s, 1882, to carry supplies to Lieutenant
GREEDY. This party did not succeed
in reaching the colony, but established
caches at several points, LittIetor's Island
among them, and returned TO st. Johns,
September "a, 1882. On the 10Th OF June,
1888. the Proteus, with relief eXpe.
dtion under Lieutenant GARLINGTOy,
was sent in search OF the colony; but on
the 23d Of July following the vessel was
nipped In the ice near Cape Albert, and
those on board narrowly escaped. This
party also succeeded in establishing
several caches. The present relief expedl-
ton consisted Of three vessels the
Bear, the Thetis, and the Alert-which sail
ed on the oath Of April, the LIST OF May. and
the 10th OF May last, respectively. Lieu
tenant GREEDY had been ordered to COM
mence a retreat upon Littleton's Island not
later than September, 1888, and it was at
that point Commander SoInEY expected to
find him.
When the whole story OF the colony's
residence in the Arctic regions and the
retreat Is told, there will Of course be
vast deal OF moralizing as TO the practical
good OF such expeditions, and we may ex-
pect a cessation Of Arctic voyages for a
time. But only for time. As long as
there Is a mystery locked up in the
Polar seas there will be brave and
adventurous spirits eager TO solve
1t. Although, as we have said,
the proportion OF the GREELY party claim
ed by death is fearful, It should be remem.
bered that most Of the other colonies have
or been rescued without serious
miShap. and that, from q scientific stand
point, the work they started out
TO do has, in a large measure, been
Even Lieutenant GREE
LIZ saved his records and instruments,
md 1t is probable that when the reports
from the various stations are all in, the
world will not only be wiser as to Polar
but as 10 good deal Of other interesting
phenomena. There are many questions