The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-11-07
The Rescue of Greely.
THE ARTIC EXPLORERs.-COM.
sCHEY's DESCRIPTION

The report of Commodore Winfield
Scott Schley of The expedition under
his command for the relief Of the Gree
ly party has been submitted to the
Secretary Of the Navy. 1t details at
length the hardships that attended the
voyage of the search vessels substan-
TALLY as they have been heretofore re-
lated and describes the scenes that at
tended the rescue. The impressive
scene under Grcely's tent is pictured as
follows:
Lieutenant Greely was found in his
sleeping bag, his body inclined for
ward and his head resting on his left
hand. The book of Common Prayer
was open and held in his right hand.
lie appeared to be reading prayers to
Private Connell, whose condition was
most desperate and critical. He was
cold to the waist, all sensation Of hun
ger gone, was speechless and almost
breathless. His eyes were fixed and
CLASSY. Indeed, his weakness was such
that it was with difficulty that he swal-
lowed the stimulants given him by Drs.
Green and Ames. His jaws had drop
ped, his heart was barely pulsating and
his body temperature very low.
AN AFFECTING SCENE.
This tender scene of helpless-al,
most famished-officer consoling dy-
ing companion was in itself one that
brought tears to the eyes of the strong
est and those who stood about them on
the merciful errand of relief. Sergeants
Brainard and Fredericks and Hospital
Stewart Biederbick were extremely
weak and hardly able to stand they
were no longer able to venture away
from their camp 10 seek food,no to pre-
pare their simple diet of boiled seal.
skin nor to collect lichens, nor to catch
shrilnps upon which they had to de-
pend to great extent to sustain life.
Their faces, hands and limbs were
swollen to such an extent that they
could not be recognized This indica-
ted that the entire party had but a
short lease of life, probably not more
than forty-eight hours at most. This
fact was recognized by them all and
had come to them from their expert
ence during that long and desolate
winter in watching their dying com,
panions, as one after another passed
away from among them forever.
BRAVE SERGEANT ELLISON,
Poor Sergeant Ellison was found in
his sleeping bag, where he had lain
helpless and hopeless for months, with
hands and feet frozen off. Strapped
to one of the stumps was found a
spoon, which some companions had Sc,
cured there to enable him to feed him.
self. His physical condition otherwise
appeared to be the best of any of the
survivors and this may be attributed t.
the fact that each of his companions
had doled out to him on account OF his
complete helplessness TO add anything
to his own by hunting about the rocks
for lchens or catching shrimp, He suf
fered no waste of strength by exertior
incident thereto. The case of Ellison
was such as only brave and generous
men, suffering with each other under
the most desperate circumstances, could
think of.
Sergeant Long was very much re
duced, though in somewhat better con
condition than some of the others. His
office of hunter for the starving party
had made il necessary to increase
slightly his pittance of food to main
tain his strength that he might contin
ne the battle for food aud life to the
helpless. In his case, however, the ei
feet of this continued effort has told