Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-08
SCHLEY'S PERTLOUS TALE
THE RESCUER OF GREELY DE.
TAILS HIS EXPERIENCE,

"eight Neither Gained Nor Lost on the
EOyage-A Terrible Picture Presented
Dy the Camp of the Survivors-CauDi.
balism Not to be Mentioned In His
Report.
Commander Schley, who win taka
charge of the Bureau of Equipment Of
the Navy Department tomorrow, saws a
Washington special of Sept. 4 to the
Boston Herald, said to-day in an inter.
view:
II am very glad indeed to be here. Our
voyage was quite a sailing away from
the joyous, sunny, pleasant world that
we are accustomed to. l did not suffer
from the effects of the exposure to anV
great extent. L had no uncertainty or
anxiety to prey upon my mind. l was
absolutely certain of what | had to do
ready for any emergency, prepared for
the worst or the best, and had the utmost
confidence in my men. My only regret
was that it was not year earlier. The
voyage was, OF course. one of periI and
discomfort, but l did not lose Or cain "s =
pounds weight, and am in VerY good
health. The whole voyage was
one of sensational scenes and
incidents, perilous moments, furious
storms, narrow escapes, etc. but
there was nothing to compare with the
terrible lmpressiveness of the hour of
rescue. The only tears / have shed for
many year were shed on that memorable
occasion, and there was not man who
could retain his compOsure. The scene
was inexpressibly horrible and thrilling.
A little camp of survivors, looking
actually like skeletons, and nearly all of
whom were in the last stages of starva-
tiOn, while one at least, Connell. was
actually in the very agony of death.
doomed to die within an hour if nourish-
ment had not been at hand, and uncon-
sclous Tor two days afterward that he had
been saved. The little camp, desOIate.
filthy, barren, on an icebound coast. with
the long row of graves that told their
story with awful pathos-the first grave
made with all the care and skill
that village sexton could have be-
slowed upon it; the second less carefully
constructed; the ird more narrow and
shallow, and ta0thers showing waning
strength Bd1llng energy, until the last
body tha~nad just been dragged out OF
sight of the camp, and left to the mercy
OF WIND and storm uncovered, because no
one could lift the earth or ice with which
to cover him. The picture was a terrible
one indeed, and the days Immediately
following were scarcely less terrible.
Greely and those of his party who were
rescued were Dathed in the cabin. They
were perfect skeletons wrapped in skin.
Every bone was clearly visible. Hips
and ribs were frightfully prominent.
These men were hungry every five min
utes; raVenous is an inadequate word"
''When will your report be made?'
"lt will go to Secretary Chandler within
ten days, describing every detail of the
expedition from its inception to its aban-
donment, illustrated by 800 instantaneous
photographs and covering $50 pages"
w nat will 1t tell about cannibalism r1
Nothing whatever. The discovery of
the living and the dead will be accurately
described, the mutilation of the bodies.
ETC., but no conclusions will be drawn. 1
really know nothing about it, as have
said, and it is not my business,
The trouble has been that too much has
been said. Lieut.. Greely, however,
has very discreetly kept quiet,
in due time. At the
time of his rescue, Greedy was the weak
est physically and strongest mentally of
the entire party. | have seen the state
ments about dissensiOns in the party,
and that Long and Bralnerd headed sepa-
rateparties at the time of the rescue.
saw nothing to indicate this, and know
nothing about it. Without defending
Lieut.. Greedy at all, l should not make up
ny mind against him in any particular
before his official report has been made.
can see no sense in the desire to exhume
Private Henry's remains. L have officially
stated that his body was one of those mu-
Hated, and nothing more could be ac-
by its disinterment."