Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-10-01
A THRILLING NARRATIVE,
BY the Man Who Found the
Greedy Party.
The Lone Sentinel on the Cliff and the
Starving Men.

Mr.. Frank Emo, of st. Louis, durins
visit to New York was one Of u par.
ty who visited that now famous vessel
the Bear, and who, through acquaint.
ance with its chief engineer, Captain
Lowe, were enabled to hear from that
officers own lips detailed account Of
the rescue of the Greedy party and the
thrilling scenes incidental to it. lie
brings back with him one OF the small
pieces of bo0t-leather which, when the
relief arrived, had already been cut up
preparatory to boiling for soup, The
leather is part of the upper of strong
boot which had been considerably worn,
and the piece is about an inch square,
that being the size to which the boots
were usually reduced before boiling.
Captain Lowe, it will be remembered,
was in command of the little steam
launch which located the sufferers. The
launch was steaming along the ice
bound coast late in the afternoon Of tho
day of rescue, and keeping sharp
lookout for any sign Of life on that ster-
lie shore, when an object that looked
something like man was seen on the
top of cliff that lowered high above
the water, the outlines being clear
against the sky beyond, The published
pictures of this sentinel or lookout rep
resent him as vigorously or joyously
waving handkerchief. Captain Lowe
Saysthat this givesno correct conception
Of the fact. The mans body was mo-
tionless, but he held one arm out at al
most full length, and waved very
leebly the old hat which he held in his
hand. The instant they made sure
that it was human being they blew
the whistle of the launch, and the poor
fellow, seeing that he was discovered,
fell apparently sensoless into heap
upon the barren rock, part Of his body
hanging over the ledge. The launch
made for the nearest landing point,
and sending Il couple of men to climb
the cliff and rescue the lookout while
tho balance Of the party ran to where
the tumble-dOwn tent sheltered the bal
ance of the survivors. The sentinel or
lookout was on duty in accordance
with system which had been adopted
at the outset, but he hal only clamb-
cred to his great height by aid of the
other starving men, who returned to
their tent after seeing him up on the
rock. Wnen the sailors found him he
lay unable to move, with barely sign
of consciousness, and a movement of
few more inches would have precipita-
ted him into the sea. The main party
on reaching the tent found one end of
it blocked with ice. Going around to
the other side they raised the flap and
saw the sufferers all lying down in
their sacks, with their feet close to-
gether and their bodies radiating
something like the spokes of wheel,
AS the intruders entere !, Greedy, who
was nearest to them, lifted himself to
"a sitting posture. SuciEg Captain
Loves uniform, he growled:
"What are you doing here? Why
don't you go away? Don't you know
am in command of this expedition"
The poor fellow was evidently par
TALLY dtlirious. He was fed very spar
ingly, and this angered him all the
more, he fercely demanding to know
whether he and his men had not suf-
ferel enough already without being
starved still further.
The therm ometcr indicated only l9o
below zero, SO the cold was not very in
tense, and the work of removing the
survivors was not attended with much |
suffering. Captain Lowe denied most
positively the report that any of the
men exclaimed: Don't shoot us, aud
eat us like they did poor Henry"
Nothing Of the kind was ever said AS
to the canuibalism, however, he said
there was no room to doubt that. All
of the bodies, he said, bore evidences
of it, if their testimony was necessary
to establish it. The skin had beer
very neatly cut away from the flesh
with a surgeons knife, the flesh re-
moved from under it, and the skin
was then returned to its place. Great
care had evidently been taken not to
disfgure any Of the faces. 50, Louis
Post Dispatch.