The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-07-25
LIEUT.. GREEDY FOUND.
Only Six Out of Twenty-Five Men
Brought Back Alive.
Another Thrilling Chapter of Arc
tic Exploration,

announced the safe arrival of tho Greedy Re
lief expedition at St Johns, N. f.
The expedition had been successful, but the
success was marred by sorrow, as eighteen
out of the twenty five men who formed the
Greedy party had persisted from hunger and
exposure before the relieving party reached
them.
When rescued, on June %, the survivors
were in most deplorable condition, many
having been frost-bitten, and all dying of
hunger. In forty-eight hours more all would
have been dead. Sergeant Ellison had both
hands and feet SO badly frozen that they had
to be amputated, but he did not long survive
the operation, and he died on July 6. The
others are rapidly improving in health.
The vessels that composed the relieving ex-
petition were the Thetis, commanded by
Commander Schley; the Bear, in command
OF Lieutenant Emory, and the Alert, COM
manded by Commander Coffin.
Both expeditions are regarded, from scien-
tific standpoint, as the most successful that
have ever been made into the frozen regions
of the North, and as all of the records of OBJ
servations bearing on the researches of Lieu
tenant Greedy have been preserved the impor-
lance of his intelligent efforts cannot be over
estimated For the first time in period of
distinction of having penetrated to point
nearer the pole than any other country on the
globe. The first announcement of the safety
of Lieutenant Greedy was made in the follow
ing dispatch from Commander Schley to Sec
rotary Chandler, dated at st. Johns:
Hon. W. 3. Chandler, Secretary of the
Nary, Washington.
The Thetis, Bear and Lock Garry arrived
here to-day from West Greenland. All are
well. We separated from the Alert $50 miles
north during a gale. AT 8 T. NJ, June %, five
miles off Cape Sabine in Smiths sound, the
Thetis and Bear rescued alive Lieutenant A.
w. Greedy, Sergt. Branard, Sergt Freder
icks, Sergt. Long, Hospital Steward Beider-
back, Private Cornell and Sergt. Ellison, the
only survivors of the Lady Franklin Bay ex-
petition. Sergt Ellison had lost both hands
and feet by frostbite, and died July 6 at God
haven, three days after the amputation,
which had become imperative
Eighteen of the twenty five persons COM
posing this expedition persisted by starvation
at the point where found. One was drowned
while sealing to procure food. Twelve bodies
of the dead were rescued and are now on board
the Thetis and Bear. One, Esquimau Turns
vlk, was buried at Disco, in accordance with
the desire of the inspector of Western Green
land Five bodies buried in the ice fort near
the camp were swept away to sea by winds
and currents before my arrival and could MT
be recovered. The names of the dead which
were recovered, WIN the date OF deatn,
are as follows: Sergeant Cross, Janu-
airy 1, 1884; Wederick, Esquimau, April 5;
Sergeant Linn, April 6; Lieutenant Lock-
wood, April 9: Sergeant Jewell, April u;
Private Ellis May 10; Sergeant Ralston, May
%; Private Whisker May "a; Sergeant Israel,
May q; Lieutenant kingsbury, June l.; Fri
vate Henry, June g. Private Schneider June
Is. Names of dead buried in the ice fort,
with date of death, where bodies were not
recovered, as follows: Sergeant Rice, April
8, 1884; Corporal Salem, June 3 Private
Bender, June 10; Acting Assistant Sergeant
Pavy, June q; Sergeant Gardner, June IL.
Drowned while breaking through the newly
formed ice while sealing, Jens Edwards, Es-
Quimau, April "a.
would urgently suggest that the bodies
now on board be placed in metallic cases here
forsafer and better transportation in seaway.
This appears to me imperative Greedy aban-
doned Fort Conger August 0, 1881, and reached
Baird Inlet September %, following, with
the entire party well. He abandoned all
his boats and was adrift for thirty days on
an ice foe in Smiths sound: His perma-
nent camp was established October 81, 1888,
at point where he was found. During nine
months his party had to live upon scant
allowance of food brought from Fort
Conger, that cached at Payer Harbor and Cape
Isabella by Sir George Mares in 1875, but found
much damaged by lapse of time; that cached
by Beebe at Cape Sabine in 1882 and a small
in 1888, and landed by Lieuts. Darlington and
Colwell ON the beach where Greely's party was
found camped When these provisions were
consumed the party was forced to live upon
boiled sealsbin strips from their sealskin
clothing, lichens and shrimps preserved in
good weather, when they were strong
enough to make eXertion. AS 300 shrimpS
We're required to fill a gallon measure the
labor was too eXhausting to depend upon
them to sustain life entirely. The channel
/ between Cape Sabine and Liltleton island did
not close, on account of the violent gales all
winter so that 240 rations at the latter point
could not be reached. All of Gre ly's record:
and all instruments brought 10y him from
Fort Conger are recovered and are on board
From Hare Island to Smiths sound had G
constant ana furious struggle with ice in i'm
pasSable foes. Solid barriers of ice wer,
overcome by watchfulness and patience NJ
opportunity to advance a mile escaped me
and for several miles the ships were forced t
ram their way through ice varying in thick
ness from three to six feet, and when RATED
much greater. The Thetis and Bear reached
! Cape York June Is. after passage of twenty
one days in Melville Bay with the two ad
vance ships of the Dundee whaling fleet anC
continued to Cape Sabine. Returning sever
days later, we fell in with seven others of tn
fleet off Wostenhome Island and announced
Greely's rescue to them in order that they
might not be delayed from their fishinl
grounds or be tempted into the dangers o.
Smiths Sound in view of the reward Of S2j,
600 Offered by Congress.
Returning across Melville bay we fell il
with the Alert and Lock Garry off Devil
Thumb, struggling through the ice Com
mander Coffin did admirably u get along 81
far with the transport 50 early III the season
before an opening had occurred Lieutenant
Emory, with the Bear, has supported M
throughout with great skillfumeSs and nj
flinching readiness in accomplishing the gIca
duty of relieving Greedy. | would ask in
struction about the Lock Garry, as the char
ter party held by her master differs in severa
respects from mine,
The Greedy party are very much improves
since their rescue, but were critical in the eX
IRENE when found and for several days after
Forty-eight hours delay in reaching then
would have been fatal to all now living. Tn
season north is late and the closest for years
Smiths sound was not open when | lef
Cape Sabine. The winter about Melville ba
was the most severe for twenty years.
This great result is entirely due to the III
wearied energy of yourself and the secretary
OF war in fitting out this expedition for til,
work it has had the honor to accomplish.
w. S. SCHLEY, Commander