The Portland daily press., 1884-10-23
THE GREELY PARTY.
Commodore Schley's Report to the
Secretary of the Navy.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE RES.
CUE OF THE SURVIVORS.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-CommsdoIe Schley has
submitted to the Secretary of the Navy his report
on the Greely expedition. Much of the information
contained therein has already been published, but
many interesting details are given. The Commodore
graphically describes the voyage of the three vessels
composing the expedition and the circumstances
attending the finding of the surviving members of
the Greedy party. Lieut.. Greely was found in his
sleeping bag, his body inclined forward and head
resting on his left hand. The Book of Common
Prayer was open and hello in his right hand. He
appeared to be reading the prayers to Private Con-
neil, whose condition was most desperate and criti-
CAL He was cold and had lost all sensation of hum
ger; he was also speechless and almost breathless
his eyes we're fixed and CLASSY. Indeed, the commo-
dore says, mis- weakness was such that it was with
difficulty that he swallowed the stimulants given by
Drs. Green and Amos. His jaws had dropped, his
heart was barely beating, and his body temperature
very low This tender scene of heples sness almost
of an officer consoling dying companion was in
itself one that brought tears to the eyes of the
strongest and stoutest of those who stocd about
them on that mournful day; and when released
Sergeants Brainard and Fredericks and Hospital
Steward Bierderbeck were extremely weak and
hardly able to stand. Poor Sergeant Ellison was
found IN his sleeping bag where he had lain help
feet frozen off.
Strapped to one of the stumps was found a spoon,
which some companion had secured there to enable
him to feed himself. His physical cond ton other
wise appeared to be the best OF any of the suryv-
ors this may be attributed to the fact that each
of his companions had doed out to him from their
small allowance of food something TO help him, on
account OF his complete helplessness. Lieut.. Gree
ly was physically the weakest but mentally the
most vig ,rous Of his party He had been in his
sleeping bag for weeks, on account of his gradually
failing strength He was unable to stand alone for
any length of time, and was almost helpless except
in sitting posture. All pangs of hunger bad ceas-
ed and his appearance was Wild his hair WAS long
and unkempt. his face and hands were covered
with sooty black dirt, his body scantily covered
with worn.out clothes his face wasted, his
joints swollen and his eyes sunken. His first il
quiry was if they were not Engishmen. but when
told that we were his own counIrymen he paused
moment, as If refecting, and then said, And am
glad to see you" The condition of his camp was
in keeping with the inside the tent desperate
and desolate. The bleak barrenness of the spot
over which the wild Arctic winds blew and the row
OF graves on the little ridge. which filled the way
with the protrudng heads and feet of those lately
buried. we're sad, out SILENT witnesses of the daily
increasing weakness Of the little hand of survivors,
with its broken wall invaded by water from the
melting snow and ice above it; the dead bodies of
two companions stretched on the ice that remained
the scattered and worn out clothes and sleeping
bags of the dead; the absence of all food, save a
few cups full of boiled sealskins; the wild and
weird scene Of the smooth ice and the glaciers
overlooking and overhanging the desert camp COM
plete picture as startling as it was impressive
The report describes exhuming the bodies of
the dead and method of their Identification and pre-
paration for transport rtation to ST. Johns. While
preparing the bodies it was found that six of them
Lieut.. Kisiagburg, Sergts Jes ell and Rolston,
Prlvates Whistler, Henry and Ellis had been cut
and the deshy parts removed to a greater or less
extent but all the other bodies found intact.
When the bodies of the dead were exposed in pre-
pairing them Identification was found to be com
plete. "Some of them" the Commodore, con-
tinues 'coud be recognized by the aid of picture
taken with us from home; others, whose features
had decayed were identified by other characteris-
tics. am satisfied that no mistake was made in
this important matter which so impressed us from
the beginning.
Commodore Schley speaks highly of the Dundee
whalers, to whom he was indebted for much valu-
able Information. The officers and crews of the
expedition are also greatly praised and Lieutenant
Emory. commander of the Bear, being especially
mentioned. The success of the expedition, the
by the muncence of Congress and of the Secretarys
of War and the Navy. The total cost of the eype-
diticn was $75, 900.