Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-30

expedition, after consultation, deter
mined to amputate both f.et above
the ankle, as the only chance of life
lest TO the sufferer. The disease, how
ever, triumphed, and amid the black
scenes that had surrou Tded him for
three years in his heroic sacrifice and
within the desolate solitude of that
region of everlasting ice and snow,
surrounded by his sorrowing com
rades, he passed away.
Lieut.. Greedy was physically the
weakest, but mentally the most vigor-
Gus Of his party. He had lain IN his
sleeping bag for weeks on account of
his gradually falling strength. He
was unable to stand alone for any
length of time aud was almost help
less except in a sitting posture. All
pangs of hunger had ceased; his APP
pearance was wild; his hair was long
and unkept; his face and hands cover
ed with dirt; his body scantily cover
ed with worn-out clothes; his form
was wasted, his joints swollen and his
eyes sunken. His first inquiry was,
if they were not Engllshmen, but
when he was told that we were his
own countrymen he paused for mo
ment as if rejecting, then said: And
| am glad to see you.
AN AWFUL SCENE.
"The condition of his camp was in
keeping with the scene inside the
tent-desperate and desolate; the
bo VraYaec Of file c,,c+ r>,-a,. VIZ biob tba
wild Arctic birds would not fly; the
row of graves on a little ridge 100 feet
away, with the protrudlng heads and
feet of those lately buried, sad but
silent witness to the daily increasing
weakness of the little band of survi-
vors; the deserted winter quarters in
the hollow below, with its broken
wall, invaded by water from melting
snow and ice above it the dead bodies
of two companions stretched on the
ice foot that remained; the wretched
apology for cooking utensils impro-
vised by them in their sore distress,
hardly deserving of the name; the
scattered and WORKOUT clothes and
sleeping bags of the dead; the absence
of all food save a few cups full of
boiled sealskln scraps; the wild and
weird scene of snow, ice and glaciers,
overlooking and overhanging the
desolate camp, completed a picture as
startling as 1t was impressive. | hope
never again in nay life to look upon
such wretchedness and such destitu-
ton. The picture was more startling
ana more deeply pathetic than / had
ever dreamed could be possible. In
behclding it, | stood for a moment
almost unnamed, and then realized
that if the expedition had demonstrate
ed any one thing, more than another,
it was that an hour had itsvalue to at
least one of that party. Stouter hearts
than mine felt full of sorrow. Eyes
that had not wept for years were
moistened with tears IN the solemnity
of thai precious hour in the lives of
that heroic little band of sufferers,
until this moment so helpless and
hopeless.
The remainder of the repast is taken
up with a description of the exhuma.
ton of the dead bodies, getting them
on board the shi o and measures adopt
ed for their preservation. In this
connection it is stated that in prepar
ing the bodies of the dead for trans
portotion, in alcohol, to st. John, il
was found that six of them, Lieut..
Kislingbury, Sergts, Jewell and Raj
ston, and Privates Whistler, Henry
and Ellis, had been cut, and the
heshy parts removed to a greater OF
less extent. All the other bodies were
found intact.
Commodore Schley speaks in terms
of the highest commentator of all
the officers and men of his command.