The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-11-29

Greedy and HIS Associates I'm the
Arctic.The Midnight sun-The Bright
est stars and the Awfuiiy Oppressive 1
silence--Lieutenant LockwOOd's Jour- |
ney.
For the purpose Of obtaining some |
idea of the general nature and probable
value of the scientific observations
made by Greedy at Lady Franklin Bay,
an Associated Press agent visited him
at Portsmouth, N. II. Greedy first
stated the object of the Lady Franklin
Bay expedition, viz: To establish 8
Polar station-one of the thirteen sug-
gested by Lieutenant Weypracht, OF
Austria, who. discovered Franz Josef
d-simultaneous observations OF all
physical phenomena were to, be taken.
The complete programme which was to
be followed was arranged by an Inter
national Polar Congress, in which the
representatives of thirteen nations took
part. The observations in which the
greatest possible accuracy wass.to be
had were those of the declination and
deviation of the magnetic needle, the
temperature of the air and sea, height
of the barometer, and mean and maxi
mum fall of the tides. All explora
tions were incidental to the main OBJ
jects of the expedition.
The expedition was fitted out under
the authority of Congress; was COM
posed of three officers OF the army, one
acting surgeon, and nineteen enlisted
men from the army. Stores for twenty
seven months were put on the Proteus,
which left st. Johns, July l, 1881, with
the party. She touched at Disco Island
and Upernayik to procure sledges,
dogs, skins and dog food. Two Esqui-
maux were added to the party at
Proven. Landing was made at Carey
Island in north water and the provisions
cached by Mares in 1875 in the Alert
were found in good condition. At
Littleton Island Freely personally re-
covered the English arctic mail left by
Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in
1876. At Carl Ritter Bay, in Kennedy
Channel, cache of provisions for use on
retreat was made. 1t was the original
intention to establish the Polar station
at Water Course Bay, but heavy masses
of ice rendered Water Course Bav ex-
ceedingly dangerous anchorage. Nov
ing to Discovery Harbor the station
pied by the English expedition of 1875.
The erection of a house; was at once
commenced, and stores and equipments
landed. On the 2sth of August came
the parting between the Greedy party
and the men of the Proteus. The little
band gathered on the frozen shore
and watched the Proteus as she
steamed slowly down Lady Franklin
Bay. Onthe evening of the same day
the temperature sank below the freez.
ing point, and an icy arctic winter was
= on them in earnest. Their house wa:
finished about = week after the Proteu:
left. 1t was named. in honor of Sen
ator Conger, Fort Conger. During tho
first month the cold affected the mer
more than at any subsequent time a
Fort Conger Later on in December the
temperature sank to from fifty to sixty
five degrees below zero, and so remained
: for DAYS at time. But even in tha
- weather the cooks fayorite amusement
/. was dancing bare headed. bare-armed
and with slippered feet on the top of /:
snow-driit- During the day the mel
dressed, in. ordinary outside clothing
but their flannels were very heavy
Five men were generally for part o
the. day engaged in Scientific worl
! under Greefy's direction, and in tn
duties of the camp. The remainde
were EMPLOYED generally about on
hour a day, and devoted the rest of tn
time to amusement. All slept in bunk
in the quarters, which were heated b
: a large coal stove, the average hea
maintained being fifty degrees abov
zero. Checkers, cards, chess and read
ing were the amusements of the even
ing. The life, Greelv said, was ia
: from lonely one. Many of the me
said they had mover passed two happie
years than those sper.t at Fort Conce1
On the 18th of October the sun lei
them for one hundred and thirty-fiy
days, and q twilight, varying from ha
an hour Eve g twsn t:1 hours, SUI s.