McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-07-24
Lieut.. Greedy and Six Others
Rescued In the Nick
of Time.
Seven Out of the Original Twenty.
five Perish in the Arctic
Region.
Horrible Details of the Manner in
Which the Brave Explorers Were
Compelled to Subsist.

The acting secretary of the navy re-
ceiyed telegram from St. Johns on the
18th stating that the Greedy expedition had
found the survivors Of Greely's party. The
survivors number seven men in all. Their
names are Lieutenant Greedy, Sergeant
Brainard, Sergeant Fredericks, Sergeant
Long, Sergeant Ellison, Hospital Stewart
Bieberback and Private Connell. They
were found by the relief ships '.Thetis"
and "Bear, - five miles off Cape Sabine in
Smiths sound. Sergeant Ellison was very
badly frost bitten and died at Godhaven on
July 9th while undergoing surgical opera
ton. The relief ships "Thetis" and
"Bear,'' with the survivors, are now at
St. Johns, N. r.
The following is second telegram re-
ceived at the navy department:
ST. JOHNS, N. F., July 17.-9 a. INTO
Hon. II. B. Chandler, Secretary of the
Navy, Washington: The ''Thetis, :"
''Bear'' and clock Garry" arrived here
separated from the Alert one hundred
and fifty miles north during gale. At 8
O'Clock p. m. on June 22d, five miles off
Cape Sabine, in Smiths sound, the ''TLe-
tis' and "Bear' rescued alive Lieutenant
A. w. Greedy, Sergeant Brainard, Ser
geant Frederick, Sergeant Long, Hospital
Steward Beidenbeck, Private COnnell and
Sergeant Ellison, the only survivors of the
Lady Franklin Bay expedition. Sergeant
Ellison lost both bis hands by frost bite and
died July 9th at Godhaven, three days after
amputation, which had become imperative.
Seventeen Of the twenty five persons COM
posing the expedition persisted by starva-
ton at the point where they were found.
+, One was drowned while sealing to procure
food. Twelve bodies of the dead men were
tbs" and Bear One Esquimaux,
Turnedike, was buried at Disco, in ac-
cordance with the desire of the inspector Of
Western Greenland. Five bodies, buried
in ice near the camp, were swept away to
sea by the winds and currents before my
arrival and could not be recov-
cred. The names OF the dead recov-
cred, with date of death, are as follows:
Sergeant Cross, January 1, 1884; Wederick,
an Esquimaux, April 9th: Sergeant Linn.
April 18th; Lieutenant Lockwood, Al ril
9tn; Sergeant Jewell, April 18th; Private
23rd; Private Henry, June 18Th. The names
of the dead buried in the ice fort, with date
of death, whose bodies were not recovered,
are as follows: Sergeant Rice, April 9th,
1884; Corporal Salem, June Sd; Private Ben
der, June 9th; Assistant Surgeon Pavy,
June 9Th; Sergeant Gardner, June 18th;
drowned by breaking through newly formed
ice while sealing, j. Edwards, April OATH
1 would earnestly suggest that the bodies
now on board be placed in metallic cases
Ill
= sea way. This appears to me imperative.
Greedy abandoned Fort Conger August 8,
1888, and reached Baird inlet September
Goth following, with the entire party we'll.
He abandoned all his boats and was adrift
for thirty days on an ice foe in Smith
Sound. His permanent camp was estab
lished October 81, 1888, at the point where
he was found. During nine months his
party had to live upon a scanty supply of
food brought from Fort Conger and that
cached at Payer harbor and Cape Isabella
BY Sir Geo. Nores in ls5, but
lapse of time; that cached by
Beebe at Cape Sabine in 1882, small
amount saved from the wreck of the "Pro-
teus'' in 1888, and landed by Lieutenants
Darlington and Colwelt on the beach where
Greeley's party was found. When these
provisions were consumed the party was
forced to live upon boiled seal skin stripped
from their sealskin clothing, and lichens
and shrimps caught in good weather, when
they were strong enough to make exertions.
As it took ], 80 shrimps to fill gallon meas
ure, the labor was too exhausting to depend
upon them to sustain life entirely. The
channel between Cape Sabina and Littleton
island did not close on account of violent
gales all winter, SO that 240 rations at the
latter point could not be reached. All
Greeley's records and all the Instruments
brought bv him from Fort Conger are re.
covered and are On board. From Hare
Island to Smiths sound had a constant
and furious struggle with impossible
foes: Solid barriers were overcome by
watchfulness and patience. No opportunity
to advance mile escaped me, and for sew
eral hundred miles the ships were forced to
ram their way from lead to lead through ice
varying in thickness from three TO six feet,
and when rated much greater. The
June 10th, after q passage of twenty
one days in Melville bay with two
advance ships of the Dundee whal-
ing fleet, and continued to Cape
Sabine. returning seven days later
the feet off Westenholm island and an
nounced Greely's rescue to them, that they
might not be delayed from their fishing
grounds nor be tempted into the dangers Of
Smiths sound in view of the reward of
across Melville Bay they fell In with the
s.Alert' and ''Loch Garry" off the DEVILS
Thumb, struggling through heavy ice.
Commander Coffin did admirably to get
along so far with the transport so early in
the season, before an opening had occurred.
Lieut.. Emery with the "Bear' has sup
ported me throughout with great skillful-
ness and unfiinching readiness in accom-
plishing difficult tasks in relieving Greedy.
The Greedy party are much improved since
their rescue, but were in critical condition
in the extreme when found and for several
DAYS after. Forty EIGHT hours delay in
reaching them would have been fatal to all
now living. The season north is later than
for years. Smiths sound was not open
when left Cape Sabine. The winter about
Melville Bay was the most severe in twenty
wears. The great result is entirely due to
the unwearied energy of yourself and the
secretary of war in fitting out the expedi-
ton for the work it has had the honor to
accomplish.
(Signed) VS.. SCHLEY, Commander.
DISPATCH FROM LIEUT.. GREEDY.
ST. JOHNS, July Ito the chief signal
officer, Washington: Brainerd, Bierder-
back, Council, Fredericks, Long and my
self, the sole survivors, arrived to- day, hav-
ing been rescued at the point of death from
Ekrryl