Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-25


south. Day after day the anxious
men looked off over Lady Franklin
bay expecting the ice to open so they
might commence their journey tow
ard home. At last, on Aug. 8, 1888,
the welcome news that the ice was
open was brought. All had been
made ready, and that very day the
party embarked in the little steam
launch. Behind them they left their
poor dogs, because they could not be
taken. Four barrels of pork and
some seal oil were left for the poor
animals. Lady Franklin bay was
crossed to Cape Baird, distance of
Ii miles, and then the western coast
of Grinnell land was followed south
as far as Cape Hawkes.. Large guam
titles of heavy ice were met, and cx-
treme was the danger that the little
launch would every moment be crush
ed. Several times all the boats were
nearly lost. The suffering of the
men was great. They were now
within so miles of Cape Sabine.
Striking from Cape Hawkes. direct
for Bates island the party was caught
in the ice pack and frozen in 10 miles
south of Cape Hawkes.. In 13 days
they drifted south 25 miles on the
foes, suffering horribly from the
cold. So they drifted to within II
miles of Cape Sabine and were oblig-
ed to abandon the steam launch on
Sept. 10. The pack now remained
motionless for three days and several
times the party got within two or
three miles of Cape Sabine, only to
be driven back by southwest gales.
Five seals were killed and eaten while
the party were drifting about.
Eventually a heavy northwest gale
drove them by Cape Sabine within a
mile of Brevoort island, but they
could not land.
On Sept. 22 arose the most terrific
gale they had yet seen on the Arctic
ocean; their ice foe was driven hith-
er and thither by the tempest, waves
washed over them again and again,
the spray freezing to them and caus-
ing intense suffering. Night came
ON, one of inky blackness. The sea
threw the heavy ice foes together and
crash after crash of ice breaking from
their own foe warned the heroes that
death was near to them. No man
knew at what minute the foe might
break up and the waters engulf them.
The first faint light of dawn showed
them that little remained of the foe
upon which they were. The sea
washed another close to them; closer
it came and at last at the word the
weary men succeeded in getting on it.
The storm slowly subsided and they
gained land at Esquimaux point near
Bairds inlet on the 29th of September.
Here winter quarters were built and
scouts were sent to Cape Isabella and
Cape Sabine. In a few days they
returned. Their report sent a thrill
of horror TO every heart. At Cape
Isabella and Cape Sabine were found
only 1900 rations, and from CARING
tom S records they learned the fate of
the Proteus. Every one knew that
death must come to nearly all the
party long before the coming summer
ships of rescue could force their way
into Melville bay. Efforts were made
to sustain the spirits of the men by
lectures and light reading. On Oct.
10 the party removed to Cape Sabine.
On Jan. Is Cross died of scurvy. In
April the rations issued daily had
dwindled to four ounces of meat and
six ounces of bread. Man after man
died, and all hope had fled on that
stormy day, when the blast of the
Thetis's whistle reused the survivors
from the lethargy OF approaching
death. Lieut.. Greely's graphic story
of his expedition was over, but the
agent, in closing, asked him few
questions to draw out his general
ideas upon Arctic exploration. In
reply to them, Lieut.. Greely said
81 do not think the north pole can be
reached unless every circumstance
hitherto found to be unfavorable
should be favorable to the party at
tempting to reach the pole. If it is
to be done at all, it will be by way of
Franz Josef land. 1t never could be
reached by the Jeannette's route.
That there is an open polar sea, Lieut..
Greely believes is well-nigh cert ain.
He said this was proved by the ice
drifting out of Mussel bay and Spitz-
bergen in midwinter and the northern
drift of the polar pack experienced
by Pavy and Lockwood in 'S2 and
'S3. ssMen can stand two winters
very well at Franklin bay, but phys
ical strength rapidly deteriorates. If
we had had every supply and neces-
sary of food, we could have lived
perhaps eight or ten years at Lady
Franklin bay
SISTER GRIMES CoNFEssIoN.-Sis-
Grimes arose in conference meeting
last Sunday evening bnrdened with
a quickening conscience. AS she
looked about her, her eagle eye glar-
ing above her silver-bowed spectacles
and beneath her frizette, the congre-
cation quailed and held their breath.