The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-23
Rescue of the Arctic Explorers.

Thursday the glad news was telegraphed
from St. Johns, Newfoundland, to Washing
ton, that Lieutenant Greedy the commander OF
the last of the international scientific polar
expeditions, had been rescued by the Bear and
Thetis, two of the vessels recently sent out
from New York to search for him. But the
joy of the tdings was overshadowed by the
accompanying report that only five Of the
twenty-fo souls who accompanied Greedy to
Lady Franklin's Bay had returned with him
alive Eighteen of the party had given up
their lives to the polar fetch before the rescue
and one, Sergeant Ellison, had died after the
rescue from the effects of the amputation Of
both hands and both feet, made necessary by
Prostitutes. According to the report Of Com
mander Schley, the chief OF the expedition,
Lieutenant Greedy, Sergeants Brainerd, Freder-
icks, Long, Ellison, Hospital Steward Beider-
back and Private Ling were discovered by the
Bear and Thetis at nine p M, June 90 five miles
from Cape Sabine in Smiths Sound, where they
had been in camp ever since October 81 1883,
having left Fort Conger August g. 1888 At the
camp near Cape Sabine the race between death
and their rescuers began. Here, one by one,
seventeen men died slowly of starvation, and
one was drowned in attempting to secure food
for the party. Upon the arrival OF the rescuers
all the survivors were on the brink OF death
from hunger having been forced for some time
to subsist on the boiled shreds of their sealskin
clothing and the scanty lichen and minute
shrimps native to the locality. An attempt was
made to reach Lttleton Island, on the opposite
coast OF Greenland, where it was intended that
provisions should be left by the Proteus,
wrecked last year in an attempt to relieve
Greedy; but this was rendered abortive by the
failure of the Sound to close with ice. The meet
ing OF the survivors and their rescuers was most
pathetic. The weak, emaciated men, who had
watched one after another OF their companions
succumb to death, and who saw at the most
only q few hours Of life before them, when, at
last, the longed-for faces OF their kind were
seen, fell weeping like little children, and 80
frantically embraced Commander Schley and
his men that 1t was at first believed that
they had been crazed by their sufferings.
Greedy abandoned Fort Conger August 9,
1883, and reached Baird Inlet September Doth
following, with entire party well. He aban-
doned all his boats and was adrift for thirty
days on an ice foe in Smiths Sound. His per-
manent camp was established October q, 1883
| at the point where he was found. During nine
| months his party had to live upon a scant
allowance OF food brought from Fort Conger
| When these provisions were consumed the
| party was forced to live upon boiled sealskin
| strips from their sealskin clothing, lichens and
shrimps preserved in good weather, when they
| were strong enough to make exertion. As one
thousand three hundred shrimps we're required
| to fill gallon measure, the labor was too ex-
hausting to depend upon them to sustain life
| entirely The channel between Cape Sabine
and Lttleton Island did not close, on account Of
violent gales all winter, 30 that 240 rations at
the latter point could not be reached, All
Greely's records and all instruments brought
by him from Fort Conger were recovered.
The rescuers and the rescued returned to
St. Johns, Newfoundland, bringing with them
| the bodies OF those who had persisted. The
| whole party will sail for the United States as
soon as the necessary preparations can be COM
pleted. The following Is a brief recital of the
events connected with the sending out and find
ing OF the Inflated party: Lieutenant Greedy,
with party OF twenty-three persons was sent
in the summer OF 1881 to Lady franklin Bay