The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-19
Maurice Connell Tells the Story Of the Expe-
dents Whereby the Little Party Kept
Life in Their Emaciated Bodies.
Retelling the Old Story Of Suffering and
PriYation in the Arctic.
The Outward Voyage British Admiration of
American Courage, Foresight and Skill
Important Points Settled
TALKS WITH THE SURVIVORS.
The Coming Of Relief-Frightful Privations
of the Party.


of the Party.
ST.. JOHNS, N. f., July Is. Sergeant Long,
Of the Greedy party, who was the first to re-
spond to the welcome tone of the steam whistle,
says he and Sergeant Brainard were the first to
hear the sound, and they helped each other to
crawl outof the tent When Long got clear of
the ENHANCEMENT of the tent, which had been
swept to the ground, hesrose to his feet with
great difficulty, and succeeded in clambering up
to a rock that gave the most extensive view in
that neighborhood. Brainard went back to the
tent, but Long remained looking out,
searching in every direction for
some strange object At length
he saw an unwonted sight a large black object
about mile distant, which at first looked like
rock but he knew there was no rock in that
place. Suddenly the approaching steam launch
changed its course, and Long recognized the ap-
proach of the rescuers. He came down from
the rock, went toward the camp raised the flag
pole and the flag which had been blown down
during gale, and held it for about two minutes,
until his strength gave out, and it was blown
once more to the ground He then advanced
totteringly in the direction of the little steamer
and in few minutes the warm hand Of Captain
Ash had grasped his in greeting.
Maurice Connell, who is still excessively weak,
stated in an interview that for some days after
his rescue he had no recollection of anything
that transpired He did not hear the awaken
ing scream of the whistle. When his comrades
shook him up from his PROSTATE position in
camp and told him Of the succor at hand he
wildly exclaimed, For Gods sake let me die in
peace" A teaspoonful of brandy applied to his
lips called back the feeting life spark, for Con
nell could not have survived more than a few
hours. He was by far the weakest of the seven
survivors, and the strongest must have sue
combed within forty eight hours Thestory told
by Connell, from his recollection of their starv-
ing experience, is simply heart-rending. He told
how they burned the hair off of
their sealskin boots and shoes, and cut them to
strips and boiled them into stew they ate vo-
raciously of them till their stomachs rebelled
and nausea and weakness ensued. In several
cases nature gave no call for twelve, fifteen and
even eighteen days, and bloody hemorrhage and
consequent weakness ensued prostrating the
victims for several days The difficulty of Keen
ing heat in the body was very great. The rule
of the camp was to permit no one to sleep longer
than two hours; he was awakened roughly, and
called upon to shake himself and beat his hands,
and pound his feet and restore circulation. This
was found absolutely necessary to prevent tor
por and possible death, the usual accompani-
ments of intense cold.
Commander Schley has received instruction
from the Secretary of the Navy to remain at St
Johns until twelve iron caskets are constructed
to receive the bodies of the deceased explorers
The survivors all doing well, but are still weak
and suffering from nervous prostration. Lieu
tenant Greeley has improved from one hundred
and twenty pounds weight on the 22d of June,
to one huAdred and sixty mine pounds to-day.
Sergeant Brainard and others are pulling up
proportionately The weather here is delightfril
and all that could be desired for the sufferers.
The mercury ranges between sixty five and sew
enty-fve degrees Great sympathy is evinced
by all classes here, alike for the survivors and
the dead, and every token of respect is mani
Tested for them
The Thetis and Bear, as they ride quietly at
anchor in the harbor Of St Johns, wear
sombre and mournful appearance, with the flag
of the United States at half mast
The United States war ship Alert arrived here
at P NJ Her detention was caused by fog
and search for the other ships of the squadron.
AL on board are well.
THE DEATH OF RICE.
Sergeant Julius R. Frederick relates the
mournfully tragic story of the sad death, on the
ice-coyered ground, of George Rice the artist Of
the expedition. On April Rice and Frederick
volunteered to leave camp to proceed distance
that was cached near Cape Isabella.
He had cached rife and hatehet
and provisions for five days. They Travelled for
three days, but failed to find the cache. On the
way toward their camp Rlce became weak and
finally gave up He was attacked by bloody
hux that gradually wore him down He sue
cumbed, and was inferred in an ice grave by his
companion. Frederick camped out that night
under fragment of boat, and next day re-
visited his companion to pay the last tribute to
his remains. Frederick retained sufficient
strength to drag back the sledge, with the
hatchet rifle and the cooking utensils to
camp, where he re-encountered more woe in the
form Of the death Of Lieut.. Lockwood and an
other of the party. The cached meat that Fred
erick and Rice were in search of was brought by
them, April6, from Cape Isabella, and abandoned
the next day, in order to drag Ellison, one of
their party, who had been frozen into camp.
Rice was the life of the Greedy party, full Of
hope, buoyancy and energy, and his death was a
terrible blow to them. He died in brave
struggle to prolong their existence.
FINDING THE MEN.