The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-08-21
FAMINE'S FRENZY.
Shocking Story Of Cannibalism Among
0reely's Starving Party in
Greenland.
Some Of the Explorers Killed and Their
Bones Picked Clean with Wolfsh
Relish.
fEew York special

flew York special.I
Written documents now in possession OF
the Navy Department at Washington add
to the record Of miserable human snffer-
Ing, already published in connection with
the finding Of tho Greely relief expedition,
the most shocking stories Of inhumanity
and cannibalism. All the facts have been
in the possession OF Secretary Chandler
for nearly three weeks, but SO closely have
they been guarded and so strictly have
the naval officers and sailors maintained
the silence imposed on them, that not even
an inkling Of the true aud horri-
ble condition OF affairs has YET
reached tho public ear. Tho sufferings
and privations Of the men in their hut dur
ing the long bitter winter Of 1884 have not
half been told. II has been published that
after game gave ont early in February they
lived principally on seal skins. lichens and
shrimps. As a matter Of fact they were
kept alive Oh human flesh. When tho res
ciiing party discovered the survivors. the
first duty was to look To the two men who
were insensible from cold and privation
even to the Ioint Of death. One Of them, a
German, was will and deliiions. oh, he
shrieked. as the sailors took hold of him tC
| lift him tendcriy. don't let them shoot me
as they did poor Henry. Must be killed
and eaten. rs Henry was? Don't let them
do it. Don't do ii.
| The sailors We're Mortified, but at once
| reported til, mans words to Commander
| Schley. when the horrible reality was
brought ont before m investigating COM
| mittee. Commander Schley instructed two
or three gentlemen. among whom was DR.
| Amcs, the surgeon Of the Bear, to make {
| careful examination and put their conciu.
sions IN writing. This was done. and ths
reports aress ssnow in the hands of the Nav,
Department.
Lieut. Greely was decidedly averse tc
having the bodies If the buried dead dis
| turbed, but the bodies were dug from theil
graves. Most of the blankets contained
nothing but heaps of white bones. many ol
them picked clean. BY inquiries Com
mander Schley discovered many Of the sew
enteen men, who are said to have per.
their famishing comrades. II was tn,
one last resort. II is reported that the onl,
men who escaped the knife were three o
four who died of scuryy. The amputate,
limbs Of the men who afterward persisted
were eagerly devoured as food. Whethe
the four bodies that were swept ont to Sc
and never recovered would have added fur
ther evidence To this story Of horrible
cannibalsm cannot be learned now
though the papers i'll the possession o
the Navy Department give MI the particular
as told by the survivors.
Charles Il. Henrys death was particu
larry Tragic. Driven to despair by hi
frightful hunger, Henry saw an opportunit
10 steal little more than his share Of IN
tons, and he made the attempt. He wa
found out and shot for his crime. In til
published official report, the death Of thi
man is set down rs having occurred o.
Jun. &. When the body was found hi
hands and face, though shrnnken, We're in
tact and recognizable. but nearly every
where else the skin had been stripped from
him, and the flesh picked from the bones
Even his heart and lungs were eaten by hi
comrades. The body was in this condition
when it was inferred last Saturday Th
letter his friend, Mr. Robert :. Oberfeldei
Of Sidney. Neh., is daily looking for, vii
probably never come to hight.