The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-11-29
POLAR PICTURES.

Record of the observations Made by
Greely and His Associates I'm the
ArctEc-The Midnight Sun-The Bright
est stars and the Awfuily Oppressive
siIence-- Lieutenant LOcMwOOd's Jour.
ney.
For the purpose of obtaining some
idea of the general nature and probable
value Of the scientific observations
made by Greely at Lady Franklin Bay,
on Associated Press agent visited him
at Portsmouth, N. H. Greely first
stated the object of the Lady Franklin
Bay expedition, viz: To establish a
Polar station -one of the thirteen sug-
gested by Lieutenant Weypracht, of
Austria, who discovered Franz Josef
Land d-simultaneous observations of all
physical phenomena were to be taken
The complete programme which was to
be followed was arranged by an Inter
national Polar Congress. in which the
representatives of thirteen nations took
part. The observations in which the
greatest possible accuracy was to be
had were those of the declination and
deviation of the magnetic needle, the
temperature of the air and sea, height
of the barometer, and mean and maxi
mum fall of the tides. All explora-
tions were incidental to the main OBJ
| jects of the expedition.
The expedition was fitted out under
the authority of Congress; was COM
| posed of three officers OF the army, one
! acting surgeon, and nineteen enlisted
men from the army. Stores for twenty
seven months were put on the Proteus,
which left St. Johns, July /, 1881, with
the party. She touched at Disco Island
and Upernavik to procure sledges,
dogs, skins and dog food. Two Esqui-
maux were added to the party at
Proven. Landing was made at Carey
| Island in north water and the provisions
cached by Mares in 1875 in the Alert
were found in good condition. AT
Littleton Island Greely personally re-
covered the English arctic mail left by
Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in
1876. At Carl Ritter Bay, in Kennedy
| Channel, cache of provisions for use on
retreat was made. 1t was the original
intention TO establish the Polar station
at Water Course Bay, but heavy masses
of ice rendered Water Course Bav ex-
ceeding}y dangerous anchorage. Nov
ing to Discovery Harbor the station
was there established on the site occu-
pied by the English expedition of 1875.
The erection of house was at once
commenced, and stores and equipments
landed. On the 28th of August came
the parting between the Greely party
and the men of the Proteus. The little
band gathered on the frozen shore
and watched the Proteus as she
steamed slowly down Lady Franklir
Bay. On the evening of the same day
the temperature sank below the freez
ing point, and an icy arctic winter was
on them in earnest Their house was
finished about week after the Proteus
left. 1t was named, in honor of Sen
ator Conger, Fort Conger. During the
first month the cold affected the mer
more than at any subsequent time a
Fort Conger. Later on in December the
temperature sank to from fifty to sixty
five degrees below zero, and so remainec
for days at Il time But even in tha
weather the cooks favorite amusemen
was dancing bare headed, bare-armed
and with slippered feet on the top of /;
snowdri t. During the day the mel
dressed in ordinary outside clothing
but their flannels were very heavy
Five men were generally for part o
the day engaged in scientific worl
under Greely's direction, and in tn,
duties of the camp. The remainde
were employed generally about on,
hour day, and devoted the rest of tn,
time to amusement. All slept in bunk
in the quarters, which were heated b,
large coal stove, the average hea
maintained being fifty degrees abov,
zero. Che .ker5. cards. chess and read
ing were the amusements of the even
ing. The life, Greely said, was ia
from lonely one Many of the mel
said they had never passed two happie
years than those speEt at Fort Conger
On the 18th of October the sun lef
them for one hundred and thirty-fv
days. and twilight, varying from hal
an hour to twenty-four hours, sue
ceeded. For two weeks it was so din
that the dial of watch could not b
read by it. On April IL the sun cam
above the horizon and remained ther
Que hundred and thirty-tive days, givin
the party a great sufficiency of tn
midnight sun. During three month
the stars were visible constantly, an
TIE COtiSlGiIdtioHS O1 OIiOH , DCtL du
the Great Bear were the brightest. Th
North Star looked down from almos
overhead Standing alone outside tn
! fort on one of these night scenes wer
weirdly grand. To the north fame
the aurora borealis, and bright conste
lations were set like jewels around til
1 glowing moon. Over everything was
dead silence, SO horribly oppressive ths
a man alone is almost tempted TO XII
himself, so lonely does be feel. Ih
astronomer of the party said that wit
the naked eye star of one degre
smaller magnitude than can be see
here in the same way might be di
cerned. The moon would remain
: sight from eleven to twelve days at
q tine. The thermometer registered o
: June 80 the highest temperature {
:; Lady Franklin Bay which we kne
Il during our stay. 1t was fifty two d'
i grees above zero. The lowest was
. February, lSS3-sixty-six degrees belo
Il zero. In this February our mercur
j. | frnro and fo~ Eftaa