The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-10-16
POLAR PICTURES.

IULAh IIG1UKESa
Record of t.ie Observations Made by
GreeIy and His Associates I'm the
Arctie-The Midnight sun-The Bright
est stars and the Awfuiiy Oppressive
silcnce--LieutenanG LOckwO0d,s .Tour-
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. Fl. Greely first
stated the object of the Lady Franklin
Bay expedition, viz; To establish a
Polar station-one of the thirteen suo-
gested by Lieutenant Weypracht, of
Austria, who discovered Franz Josef
Land-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 was 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 /, 1881, with
heparty. She touched at Disco Island
and Upernayik to procure sledges,
dogs, skins and dog food. Two Esdui-
maax 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 Greely 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 Bay ex-
ceedingly dangerous anchorage. Nov
ing to Discovery Harbor the station
was there established on the site occu-
pied by the English expedition of 1875.
The erection of house was at once
commenced, and stores and equipments
landed. On the 26th of August came
the parting between the Greely 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. On the 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 was
finished about week after the Proteus
left. 1t was named, in honor of SEN
ator Conger, Fort Conger. During the
first month the cold affected the men
more than at any subsequent time at
Fort Conger. Later on in December the
temperature sank to from fifty to sixty
five degrees below zero, and so remained
for days at a time. But even in that
weather the cooks favorite amusement
was dancing bare headed, bare-armed.
and with slippered feet on the top of a
snow-drift During the day the men
dressed in ordinary outside clothing,
put their Hannels were very heavy.
Five men were generally for part of
the day engaged in scientific work
under Greely's direction, and in the
duties of the camp. The remainder
were employed generally about one
hour day, and devoted the rest of the
slme TO amusement. All slept in hunks
! IN the quarters, which were heated by
large coal stove, the average heat
maintained being fifty degrees above
zero. Checkers, cards, chess and read
ing We're the amusements of the even
ing. The life, Greely said. was far
from q lonely one. Many of the men
sald they had never passed two happier
years than those spent at Fort Conger.
On the 10th of October the sun left
them for one hundred and thirty-five
aays, and a twilight, varying from half
"a nour to tWenty-four hours, sue
ceeaed. For two weeks it was so dim
that the dial of watch could not be
read by it. On April IL the sun came
aDove the horizon and remained there
sL one hundred and thirty-fiye days, giving
tne party a great sufficiencY Of the
midnight san. During three months
sae stars were visible constantly, and
u sne consultations of Orion's Belt and
sle 5reat Bear were the brightest. The
]solln otar looked down from almost
ossefhead. Standing alone outside the
UT on one Of these night scenes were
sMelrdly grand. To the rorth famed
lss;a ls's aurora borealis, and bright constel-
,lssoas rIoss were set like jewels around the
dew ssss'ng moon. Over everything was
49, sllence' so horribly oppressive that
4aa alone IS almost tempted to kill