The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-08-06
What An Arctic Traveller Says

WAsHHsrUS. July l7.-George Ksnnan of this
city, well known Arctic traveller and author, who
has takeu an active interest IN the attempts to n
lieys Lieutenant GreeIy's party, and who went be-
fore the Arctic Relief Board last spring TO urps
the offering of such a reward as would secure Ne
cooperation OF whalers IN the search, vas asked
by an Associated Press reporter to-night what he
thought or the news from ST. Johns He replied.
1T Is the story of remarkable and heruc achieve
ment IN \ field clUuded with disaster due to inco,
potency at Washington If Lieutenant Grsey
and his party had all returned to the United States
as they might have done had they been properly
supported their Arctic record IN pofnt Of skillfu
management and success; would have been uuuar-
allsled No other Arctic expedition has ever spent
Two consecutive winters and part of a third IN
such high latitudes and achieved such results with
out casualty or single case Of serious Sickness
II Lieutenant Greedy had found at the mouth OF
Smiths Sound, the food and shelter which he had
= night to expect there, he would have probably
brought his entire party back 10 the United States
in perfect health after three winters in the highest
northern attitudes that have ever been reached
and after series Of sledgiug campaigns which for
oodness and skillful execution have rarely If ever
been surpassed
Gould the disaster which bsfeII his party have
been averted with the knowledge available at the
time the relief expeditions were fitted outYr
-UnquestiOnably, aud that Is the ultv Of II. II
doubles the grief which must be felt In the face
OF such terrible catastrophe to think that two
snips on successive years. and probably third
have saved the lives of the eighteen dead men.
beebe IN lse2- anchored in PaEeY Hsrbor. lust
north Of Cape Sabine, with ship full of stores
harrington the next summer anchored in the
same place also With ship full OF stores and a
few days later the Yantic, with four months pro-
Visions on board, WIS only thirty miles aysay
ANY one of these three ships might have landed
stores enough exactly where GreeIY afterxard
made his winter camp to have carried that brave
party through. but their Commanding ofieers
were not ordered to do 50, and they did not think
of itn
Were GreeIy's movements thoss which II vas
anticipated be would maks?n
They we're precisely such as 1 Anticipated. II
vas thought at the Signal Office he would remain
At his station until September Ist but As |
pointed out IN letter to the New York Herald
on the 18th OF last September, If he remained IN
al September Isi, Re could not get azav at ali
that year on account Of the impracticabiiity Of
sledging operations along the coast IN the fall I
theretore thought be would abandon his station
IN July or August, 1883. and come down TO the
mouth Of Smiths Sound in boats, as he vas in
tact doing at the very time ny letter vas written
II vas OF coarse, terrible shock of disappolut-
nelt TO him when he failed 10 find shelter and
food where be expected. but the party seems to
have faced the terrors of the Arctic winter with
out shelter, IRE O. adequate food, in the most
heroic way, and to have held out to the last With
gnnlnching courage and tenacity. II few hun
dred more rations could have been saved from
the wreck of the Protsus, they would have eirrisj
the whole party through ALI bat one Of the dead
Peri.hed last spring, after the 4ih of April.
"hoE important are the discoveries made BY
Lieutenant Greely -
Prom the poinfof view of an Arctic coeurauter
they are Of hrst-class importance. Iieutsasut /
Greeiy has not only taken away from Commander
Markham, Of the British navy, the blue ribbon al
Arctic discovery, for the highest latitude ever al
tanned N any part Of the world but be has greatly
extended the limits Of Captain SaTss's eIplora-
tions, both IN Grassland and Grinnell Land. Tbe
fact that tEO Of Greelyis sledge parties were
stopped BY open water in the polar sea and that
both were at times sdrft IN the strong currents |
which Threatened to carry them heipessly agaV |
northEard, would seem to show the polar basin IL
not the solid sea Of ancient. immOvabe ice which
Mares describes and which be declares was never |
naTlRzbie- Lieutenant GTeely's explorations sx- |
tended oTer three degrees Of latitude and nearly
forty degrees of longitude. he has virtually asar
tanned the true outline Of GrinneIl Land. has /
crossed u from east 10 west, and on the northern
coast Of Grcenland has Eqne one degree Of Iaii-
t7de and ten degrees Of longitude beyond the /
farthsst PJint reached by Captain Ssresfs sccom-
plished sledging officer, Lieutsnans Belmont /
These achievements alone reflect the highest credit
zpOu Lieutenant Greeley and his men, iTt To tbes1
must Of oOurse be added great mas Of scieuti6c
knoSiedge gathered BY the party during their tTo i
years at LADY Franklin Bav