The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-08-22
Mr.. Kislingbury's Body Exhumed.
A MEDICAL EXAMINATION or THE RE.
MAINS OF ONE OF THE OFFICERS OF THE
GREELEY EXPEDITION SHOWS THAT
TIiL BONES HAD BEEN STRIP
PED OF FLESH


ROCHESTER,. Aug. a.
The remains of Lieutenant Kisling.
bury, one of the victims of the Greely
expedition who died amid Arctic snow
last June, were disinterred this morn =.
ing, and the fact was established be
yond all question that canibalism was
resorted TO by the starving men of the
Greely expedition, and that the lives of
those saved were preserved only by
eating the dead bodies of their com
panions, Lieutenant Kislingburys
relatives here were filled with horrible
doubts as soon as they learned that
disclosures had been made in New
York regarding cannibalism among the
members of the expedition, and they
determined to learn the truth by ex-
huming the remains and having them
examined by competent physicians. The
services of l.. A. Jeffreys, undeltaker,
were secured, and this morning, with
the assistance of five men, he accom-
plished the work of taking up the cask-
ct from its resting place. This was
done in the presence of Assistant Su
perintendent Vaudeville, and the re-
mains were taken, as unearthed, to a
chapel near the entrance of the ceme-
terry.
AT eikht o'clock the casket was
opened by Mr. Jeffreys and Samuel r.
Barter in the presence of Frank w.
Kislngbury and John p Kslingbury,
brothers of the deceased DR.. Charles
Buckley, DIR. +. A. Vaudeville, Super
intendent Stillson, Assistant Superinten-
dent Vaudeville and two reporters.
The work of opening the heavy
iron receptacle was found comparative
ly easy, all there was to do being to
unscrew the fifty-two iron bolts which
held down the lid. The noiseless ease
with which the latter was pried from
its bed showed that there was an
absence of gas in the casket at all
Feeling his way into the mass of snowy
cotton waste which filed the coffin to
the top, Mr.. Jeffreys soon exclaimed !:
ale is there" A strong odor of alco-
hol but no very pronounced sugges-
tions of decay emanated from the cas-
ket
DR. Buckley who had put on a pair
of black leather gloves, uncovered the
lower portion Of the collins tenant and
then it appeared as if one of the legs.
the right one was missing but when
the waste was all removed it became
apparent that the limb was tied under
the left one
The physicians made thorough ex-
animation and the remains were then
placed back into the casket and lower
ed into the grave.
Afterwards Doctors Charles Buckley
and f. A. Vaudeville made joint afii-
davit, in which they recounted the
facts of the exhumation and examina-
ton of the remains and said that the
body, in their opinion weighed about
fifty pounds. On examination of the
head no signs of wounds or injuries
were visible. The skin was not bro
ken. The ears and nose were intact
The eyes were sunkeu and wasted. The
hair was thick and from five to SIX
inches long. The skin and muscles OF
the interior portion of the face and
neck were intact. From the upper
portion of the sternum and clavicle tc
the lower border of the fifth rib or
the left side the skin and muscle baG
been removed down to the ribs on the
right side. The skin and muscle dowr
to the lower border of the last rib were
gone. There were two openings be
tween the fourth and fifth intercosta
spaces into the thoracic cavity. The
muscles and skin of the anterior and
posterior of the thighs were entirely re
moved except the skin on the anterior
portion of the knee joints muscles anG
skin of left leg removed to within
three inches of ankle joint On righ
leg skin and muscle removed to withir
five inches of ankle jaint. Both feet
were intact. There was no vestige OF
integument or muscles on either arm
including the muscles of the shoulder
blades to the wrist joints, except or
the right forearm, the interosseoul
membrane remaining. The examina
tion OF the posterior portion of body
showed that the skin and muscles o
| the back, from the seventh cervica
vertebra, had been dissected or Gu
completely away down to the bones
with the exception of pieces of ski
from two to three inches square ol
each side of the upper portion of tn
sacrum The flesh removed was Gu
away with some sharp instrument
That remaining on the feet, hands an,
face showed no signs of decomposi
tion
/ w. II, Kislingbury, the brother 0
the dead explorer, says he believes tina
instead of eating bear the survivor
subsisted on the bodies of their dea,
companions.