Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-07-18

great duty OF relieving Lieutenant Greeiy.
The Greely party are very much improved
since their rescue, but their condition wss
critical IN the extreme when they were found
aud for several DAYS sfter. Forty-eight hours
delay in reaching them would have proved
fatal 10 those nov living. The season north
is late and the closest for wears. Smiths
Sound wns not open when leit Cape Sabine.
The winter about Melville Bay was the most
severe for twenty years. The great result
is entirely due 70 the unwesriPd energy OF
yourself and the secretary Of war in fitting
out this expedition for the work il has had
the honor TO accomplish.
W. S. ScHLEY.
The Greedy expedition sailed from 81.
Johns. Newfoundland, july :, 1881, on the
steamer Proteus, ior Lady Franklin Bay.
IL consisted OF ~ officers and men follows :;
First Lieutenant A. w. Greeley, Fifth
cavalry, acting signal officer and assistant
Second Lieutenant Frederick F Bisling
bury, Eleventh Infantry, acting signal otfi-
Ger.
Second Lieutenant James B. Lockwood,
Twenty Infantry. acting signal officer.
Sergeant Edward Israel, Signal officer, L.
5. A.
Sergeant Winfield $ Jewell, signal corps.
Sergeant George W. Rice, signal corps.
Sergeant Hsmpden $. Gardiner, signal
corps.
Sergeant VIM. IL. Bross, general service.
L. : A.
Sergeant David L. Brainard, Company l.,
second cavalry.
Sergeant David Linn, Company c. second
cavalry.
Corporal Daniel c. Starr, Company F,
second cavalry.
Corporal Paul Grimm. Company II,
eleventh infantry.
Corporal Nicolas SAILOR. Company II, sec
ond cavalry.
Corporal Joseph Ellison, Company f, tenth
infantry
privates-Charles b. Henry. Company f.
Fifth Cavalry; Maurice Connell, Company
b. Third Cavalry; Jacob Bender. Company
+, Ninth Infantry; William Whistler Com
pany +, Ninth infantry; Francis Long Com
pany F, Ninth infantry; Henry Biederbick
Company G, Seventeenth Infantry. Julius
Fredericks. Company l., Secoud Cavalry
James Ryan. Company II, Second Cavalry;
William A. Ellis. Company c. Second Cav
airy,
Five days out from ST. Johns the Proteus
encountered vast bodies of ice, but passed
safely through the pack and made the harbor
of Godhavcn, Greenland, without further
serious obstacle. Here IL dogs and two
slcdges were taken on board, also a quantity
of walrus flesh and dried f,h to feed the
dogs, and white whale skin as an anti scor-
butte Sailing from Godhaven the Proteus
reached Upernavik July "a. after having
stopped day at Rttenbank, where DR. Clay
and Mr. Pavey were taken on board as mem
bers of the expedition. Upernavik was left
July % No obstacles of ice were encnun-
ter,d IN Melville bay As was expected, and
having made landings at the Carey Islands,
LittletIn Island and other places, the party
entered Lady franklin Bay, and on August
had approached within ten miles of their des-
tination-Discovery Harbor, where they were
stopped by ice and had to lay at anchor seven
days before it moved. Finally. they landed
on August II, 1851, unloaded the stores which
were to last them two years, and put up the
arctic house which they had brought. The
station was named Fort Conger in honor Of
Senator Congtr uf Michigan. The Proteus
left August Is and steamed back to st. Johns
without accident since then nothing has
been heard directly from the party until TODAY
RumOrs have reached this country from var
Gus sources. but they were traced back to
the EsquimauX and little reliance was placed
in them.
Corporal Starr and Private Ryan we're
relieved and returned to the Proteus. In
addition to the men mentioned above, JAMS
Edward, an Esquimaax, and Frederick Thor
ley Christensen. a half breed. both engaged
at Proven. accompanied the expedition. Ac
coriingly. the number left at Fort Conger BY
the Proteus was 26.
The plan was to take supplies to the party
the next yesr. July 5. 1882, the Neptune,
under command of VIM Beehe, sailed from
= In 81 -
and rough seas were encountered. but the
Neptune reached Godhaven on July II. and
took on further supplies. on the 22d she
was nipped in an ice field, but gale opened
the pack and the vessel proceeded only to be
stopped again after posing Littleton Island
She put into Pandora hsrbor and waited until
August 7. when the voyage was resumed, but
her progress was again stopped by ice, and
after waiting several weeks il was found
useless to attempt to get further north. The
stores were placed in coaches on Cape Sabine
and Littlet0n Island, where the Greey party
might find them. and the Neptune's prov was
pointed homeward on the 9Th of September.
The Neptune did not come within 100 miles
of Greely's station.
The second failure to reach the party WIS
made last wear and is fresh in the recOllec-
ton of everybody. Lieut.. f.. A. Darlington
of the seventh cavalry was selected by the
government to command this expedition. On
June 20, 1888 he sailed from St. Johns in
the Proteus, the same vessel which took the
Greeley party in the first place. The Pro-
teus was accompanied by the L. S. steamship
Yahtic as a supply ship and base. From
Godhaven the Proteus sailed several days in
advance of the Yantic. and passing Littleton
Island was ismmed in the ice and foundered.
All hands escaped safely and made their way
southwark until rescued by the Yantic The
expedition resulted even more dissstriously
than that Of the previous year Bl1nders
inexperience and divided command accounts
for the failure.
Preparations were begun az soon as posi-
BILE for another attempt this year The con
tr1l of it vas given wholly to the navy depart
mant Congress voted large sum for it.
besides offering s25, 900 reward for the rescue
of Greedy and his men by outside parties
Three vessels composed the expedltion-the
Thetis. a Dundee steam whsler, purchased bv
the government, the Bear, steam sealer.
and the Alert. a gift from the British govern
ment Commander ". 5. Schley was select
ed to command the expedition. He received
no particuler instructions but was to rely on
his own Judgment and find Greedy if he
could The supply ship Bear was the ir.t to
sail She left New York, April "a. The
Theiis sailed May !, and the Alert some days
late. All proceeded to ST. Johns and thence
set sail for the north as speedy as possible
No mains or expense vas spared in fitting out