New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-24
THE GkEELY RESCUE.

The Navy Department deserves high praise
for the management Of the Arctic relief cXpedl-
ton. Ordinarily there has been delay In equip
ping vessels for service in high attitudes. All
the preparations for this seasons work have
been made with energy and promptneSs, and
although early dates were assigned for the sail
ing of the fleet, the ships are in readiness The
Bear will sail to-day, twcnty-fOur hours in adj
vance of the date originally mentioned; and
the Thetis will follow next week. and the Alert
on May 10. The work has been done in
thorough and workmanle way, and at the
same time with energy and dispatch. Secle-
tary Chandler seems to have anticipated all the
difficulties that would arise and 10 have over
come them. The scalcrs were selected and
purchased long before the Appropriation bill
was passed, and the various departments of
construction and equipment were warned a.
early as the first week in February of the ncccs-
sity for prompt action. The commander Of the
expedition wa, likewise urged to perfect his
plans, and TO have the fleet ready for sea mt the
earliest date practicable. As the result of all
these precautions The expedition is prepared to
enter upon its work
The Secretary of the Navy has also acted with
sound judgment in holding Commander Schley
responsible for the success of the expedition.
No detailed instructions have been given. The
mission of the expedition il briefly defined by
the Secretary to be this; to find and rescue or
ascertain the fate" of the Greedy party The
details are left entirely to the discretion of
Commander Schlcy He has filed with the De-
partmcnt brief memorandum of his general
plan of operations which has received the Sec
retarvs approval. The commander having
laid out The work for each VESSEL has not been
hammered with official admonitions and special
instructions He will go North with sense of
personal responsibility for the OF failure
of the expedition. The Department has done
everything to aid and nothing to hinder him in
efecting the rescue OF the Arctic garrison.
The Bear will ill up with coal at st. Johns
and push on To the Danish settlements in Green
land rs early rs the lee will permit. She will
nrobably reach Disco between the 18th and
Doth of MAY. The Thetis will convoy coal
steamer from st. Johns and is expected to ar
rive at Disco by the 25th of May, followed
by the Alert early in June. We notice with
regret that Upernavik is mentioned as the
rendezvous, the four vessels being under orders
to call nj Disco and then to pass on to the upper
settlement. JpernaNlk IL All open lOadsttad,
and does not offer secure anchorage during
Nav and June The harbor at Disco is the only
safe refuge on that coast and until the passage
Of Melville Bay is assured, the fleet may do bet
ter to wait there than to anchor OFT Upernayik.
Commander Schley evidently hopes TO reach
Littlcton Island with two of his ships early in
June. and TO have the Alert in the same waters
n month later. These are early dates. Although
there is urgent need of haste so far as the
Greedy party are concerned, the dangers OF
Arctic navigation ought not to be dlsregarded.
In these matters Commander Schley will prob
ably be governed by the actual condition of the
ice in Melville Bay and the advice OF the Dam
ish authorities.
1t is not improbable that the expedition will
find Melville Bay closed during June. and
Smith Sound impossible rs late as the middle