The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-10-23
THE GREEDY EXPEDITION.

WAsHINGToN, October 22.-The report
Of Commodore Winfield Scott Schley,
of the expedition under his command
for the relief of the Greedy party, has
been submitted to the Secretary of the
Navy. 1t cites the orders under which
the expedition was organized, and then
enters upon a graphic narrative of the
events of the voyage. But by far the
most interesting portion of the report is
that describing the discovery and rescue
Of Greedy and his men. Commodore
SchIey relates as follows the impressive
scene inside Greely's tent: Lieutenant
Greedy was found in his sleeping
bag: his body inclined forward, and
his head resting upon his left hand. A
book OF common prayer was open and
held in his right hand. He appeared to
be reading prayers TO private Council,
whose condition was most desperate
and critical. He was cold to the waist:
all sensation OF hunger was gone; he
was speeches. and almost breath
less; his eyes were fixed and CLASSY
Indeed, his weakness was such that il
was with difficulty he swallowed the
stimulants given him by Doctors Green
and Ames. His jaws had dropped, his
heart was barely pulsating and his body
temperature getting low; This tender
scene OF the helpless, almost
famiShed officer COnSoling a dying com
paniOn brought tears to the ewes of the
strongest and sterneSt of those who
stood about them on the merciful err
rand of relief. Sergeants Brain
ard and Fredericks, and Hospital
Steward Brierbacko were extremely
weak and hardly able to stand. They
were no longer able to venture away
from their camp to seek food, nor to
prepare their simple diet OF seal skin,
nor to collect lechens, nor to catch
shrimps, upon which they had to de-
pend, to q great extent, to sustain life.
Their faces, hands and limbs were
swollen to such an extent that they
could not be recognized This indi-
Gated that the entire party had but
Il short lease. of life, probably not more
than forty-eight hours at most. This
fact was recognized by them all, and
had come 10 them from their expert
ence during that long and desolate win
ter, In watching their dying compan-
ions as one after another passed away
from amongst them forever. Poor Ser
geant Ellison was found in his sleeping
hopeless for months with his hands
and feet frozen off. Strapped to
one of the stumps was found
a spoon which some companion had
strapped there to enable him to feed
himself. His physical condition other
wise appeared TO be the best of any CT
the survivors, and this may be attri-
buted 10 the fact that each of his COM
paniOns had dealt out to him from their
small allowance OF food something to
help him, on account OF his COM
piete helpleSSneSs to add ANYTHING
TO his own by hunting among rocks for
lechens, or catching ShrimpS. He suf-
fered no waste OF strength BY the exer-
ton incident thereto. This case of FL
lison was such as only brave and gener-
Gus men suffering with each other I'M
der the most desperate circumstances
could think OF. Sergeant Long was
very much reduced, though in some
what better condition than some
OF the others. His office OF
had made il necessary to increase
slightly his pittance OF food to main
tain his strength that he might con-
tlnue for food and life to the HELPLESS.
In this case, however, the effect OF this
continued effort had told its story
IN his wasted form. Shorter and,
shorter journeys were made in good
weather while in the frequent bad
weather of that region his strength
was so much impaired that when the
joyful signal of the whistle was heard he
had only enough strength left to stag
out to the rocks overlooking the water. |
to see if the signal heard had proceeded
from ships in sight. His first visit was q f!
bitter disappointment, as he saw moth |
ing; his second visit fifteen minutes !
later, brought him within fifty yards /
OF the Bears steam cutter, and in !
view OF the relief ships coming 4
around Cape Sabine. When the steam |
cutter ran into the breach where Long
was seen to roll down the ice-covered |
cliff and was taken into the cutter, he |
informed Lieutenant Colwell that the |
location OF the camp was. just over the |
elm. In the case of Sergeant Ellison, |
the medical officers were fearful from |
the first that his chances for life were
very small. As soon as healthful food |
was available and the digestive func- !
tons should be established fully, the /
healthful round OF blood in circulation /
would begin its distribution OF new life |
to the injured parts and inflammation
would naturally occur; if Ellison's /
strength should increase more rap |
idly than the inflammation the !
injured parts would perhaps save his /
life. Several days after his rescue, June
18th, DR.. Green reported that Ellison /
was threatened with congestion of the |
brain. The symptoms increased rapidly
until the poor fellow lost his reason. at
God Haven his condition was so critical
that the surgeon of the expedition,
after consultation, determined to ampu-
tate both feet above the ankle, as the
only chance of life left the sufferer. Di-
seaSe, however, triumphed. Amid the
bleak scene that had surrounded him for
three years IN his heroic sacrifice and
within the deSolate solitude of that re-
yion of everlasting ice and snow, sur
rounded by his sorrowing comrades, he
passed away"