The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-18
ONLY SEVEN SAVED.

TERRIBLE TALE OF PRHvATION
AND sDFFERHEG.
Related by Lieutenant Greedy TO
Reporter.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE acting secretary
OF the navy has this morning received a tele-
gram from St. Johns, Newfoundland, stating
that the Greedy relief expedition has found the
survivors of Lieutenant Greely's party, seven
men in all.
Lieut.. Greedy.
Sergeant Brainard.
Sergeant Long.
Sergeant FIedericks.
Sergeant Ellison.
Hospital Steward Beiderbck
Private Cornell.
They were found by the relief ships, Thetis
and Bear, near the mouth OF Smiths Sound
on the 23d of June.
Sergeant Ellison was much Frustrated and
and badly frost-bittsn when found ANA died
on the 9th of July, after undergoing surgi-
cal operation.
The relief ships Thetis and Bear, with the
survivors, are now at St. Johns, Newton nd
land.
The Detailed Report.
The following telegram was received this
morning from Commander Schley:
ST, JOINS, N. f., July 17-9A A. NJ.
Hon. W. E. Chandler, Washington:
The Thetis, Bear and Lock Garry arrived
here today from West Greenland. All we'll.
They separated from the Alert $50 miles north
during a gale. At 9 p M, June o. five miles
off Cane Sabine in Smiths Sound, the Thetis
and Bear rescued alive Lieutenant A. W.
Greedy, Sergeant Brainard, Sergeant Freder-
icks, Sergeant Long, Hospital Steward Beider-
back, Private Connell and Sergeant Ellison,
the only survivor Of the Lady Franklin Bay
expedition. Sergeant Ellison had lost both
hands and feet by frost bite, and died July at
Godhaven, three days after amputation, which
bad become imperative. Seventeen OF the %
persons composing this expedition persisted by
starvation at the point where found One was
drowned while sealing to provide food. Twelve
bodies of the dead were rescued and are now
on board the Thetis and Bear One Eskimo,
Turnevik buried at Disco in accordance
with the desire of the inspector OF Western
Greenland. Five bodies buried in the ice fort
near the camp we're swept away to sea by
winds and currents before my arrival and could
not be recovered. The names of the dead re-
covered with the date of death ara as follows:
Sergt. Cross. Jan. l. 1884.
Wederick, Eskimo April 5.
Sergt Linn, Aprll6.
Lieut. Lockwood, April ..
Sergeant Jewell, April IL.
Private Ellis, May 10.
Sergeant Raston, May 49,
Private Whistler. May "a.
Sergeant Israel, May II.
Lieutenant Kingsbury, June ].
Private Henry, June 3.
Private Schneider, June Is.
The names of the dead, buried in the ice
fort, with date OF death, where the bodies were
not recovered, ara as follows:
Sergeant Rice, April 8, 1884.
Corporal Salem. June 3.
Private Bender. June 16
acting Assistant Surgeon Psvy, June &.
Sergeant Gardiner, June 10.
Drowned while breaking through the newly
formed ice while sealing, Jonas Edwards, Es-
kimo, April "a.
| would urgently suggest that the bodies
now an board be p laced in metallic cases mere
for safer and better transportation in a sea way
This appears to me imperative. Greedy aban-
doned Fort Conger Aug 8, 1883, and reached
Baird Inlet Sept. 90 following, with the entire
party well. lie abandoned all his boats and
was adrift for thirty days ice foe in
Smiths Sound. His permanent camp was es-
tablished Oct. 81, 1885, at the point where he
was found. During nine months his party had
to live upon a scant allowance of food brought
from Fort Conger, that cached at Payer Hsr-
Dor and Cape Isabella By Sir George Mares in
1875, but found much damaged by lapse of
time; that cached by Beebe at Cape Sabine
in 1882 and small amount saved from the
wreck of the Proteus in 1888, and landed by
Lieuts. Darlington and Colwell the beach
these provisions we're consumed, the party was
forced to live upon boiled sealskin, strips from
their sealskin clothing, licheDs and shrimps
preserved in good weather when they we're
strong enough to make exertion AS 1900
shrimps were required to fill gallon measure
the labor was too exhausting to depend upon
them to sustain life entirely. The channel be-
tween Cape Sabine and Littleton Island did
not close On account of violent gales all win
ter, so that 240 rations at the latter point could
not be reached.
All GreelY's records and all the instruments
brought by him from Fort CoDger are recover.
ed, and are on hoard. From Hare Island to
Smiths Sound / had a constant and furious
struggle with ice in impossible foes. Solid
barriers of ice were overcome by Watchfulness
and pAtience No opportunity TO advance
mile escaped me, and for several hundred
miles the ships we're forced to ram their way
from lead to lead through ice varying
in thickness from three to six feet, and W hen
RATED much greater. The Thetis and Bear
reached Cape York June 49, after passage of
q days in Melville Bay, with the two advance
ships of the Dundee whaings fleet, and con-
tinued to Cape Sabine. Returning, seven days
later, fell in with three others of this feet off
j Wastenholme Island and announced Greely's
rescue TO them, that they might not be de-
laSed from their fishing grounds nor be tempt
ed intosthe dangers of Smiths Sound, in
view of the reward of 900 offered by Con-
gresS
Returning across Melville Bay, fell in with
the Alert and Lock Garry off DEVILS Thumb,
| struggling through heavy ice. Commander
Coffin did admirably 10 get along SO far with
| the transport SO early In the season before an
| opening had occurred. Lieut.. Emory with the
Bear has supported me throughout with great
skillfulness and unfinching readiness in &C.
complishiDg the great duty of relieving Greedy
/ / would ask instruction about the Lock Garry
as the charter party held by her master differs
/ in several respects from mine. The Greedy
! party are very much improved since rescue,
H.xk. 49,
when found, and for several DAYS after
Forty-eight hours delay in reaching here
would have been fatal to those now living
! The season north is late and the closest for
/ years. Smiths Sound was not open when 1
left Cape Sabine. The winter about Melville
Bay was the most severe for twenty years.
This great result is entirely due TO the un.
| waaried energy of yourself and the Secretary
! OF War in fitting out this expedition for tae
| work it has had the honor to accomplish.
(Signed1 W. I. SCHLEY, Commander.
The Greedy party it will be remembered,
went out in the Summer OF 1881, to man one
: of the eleven stations which the leading gov
ernments of the world had agreed to maintain
within the Arctic zone to make simultaneous
observations. 1t was one of the best equipped
| parties which ever went North. The station
chosen for its observations was on the North of
| Lady Franklin Bay, and the party were aud-
ed from the Proteus in July, 1881. Ample
provisions were taken for two years, and
rangements were made for an expedition to
carry new supplies the next Summer. The
| attempt of 1882 to reach the party with sup
plies failed, and that of 1888 failed likewise,
SO that the survivors must have suffered much
from hunger and privation, unless on their
retreat Southwark they may have been for
tunste enough to find some of the caches OF
| supplies left by the vessels which were not
able to penetrate to the station.
ALOURNFUL TIDKNGs.
Greely's Dispatches to GEN. Haxen.
WASHINGTON, July II.
General Hazen this afternoon received the
following telegram from Lieut.. Greedy:
ST. JOHNS N. F., July II.
CHIEF Signal Officer, Washington: