Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-13
BY TELEGRAPH.
CONTINUED from first page. ]

moving the bodies were not allowed to see
them The lips Of the officers were sealed.
When Commander Schley met Secretary
Chandler Aug. 2, on the arrival Of the ships
from St. Johns, he was very much agitated
and called the gentleman into the cabin OF
the vessel.
Undoubtedly he then communicated 10 him
the facts which had become an open secret.
The suferings and priyations of the men IN
their canvass hut during the long bitter win
ter of 1884 have not been half told. II has
been published that after the game gave out
in February, they lived principally on seal
skins, lichens and shrimps. AS matter OF
fact they were kept alive on human flesh.
When the rescuing party discovered the hall
starved survivors their first duty was TO look
10 the two men who were insensible from
cold and privatiOn even TO the point OF
death.
One Of them, German, was wild in his
delirium, .'Oh, . he shrieked, as the sailors
took hold of him to lift him tenderly, Don't
let them shoot me they did the others.
Must be killed and eaten as they were!
Don't let them, don't -
The sailors were Mortified but at once ex-
plaiued the mans words o Commander Schel-
ey After brief investigation he felt satisfied
that the poor fellow was speaking the truth
and that some of the men who persisted had
been stripped Of their flesh to keep their sur
yiying comrades alive.
IL rest solely on his oral testimony. He in
.tructed two or three gentlemen among whom
was DR.. Omer, the surgeon Of the Bear. to
make a careful examination and put their
conclusions in writing. This was done and
the reports are now in the hands of the navy
department. Lieutenant Greedy was decided
ly adverse TO having the bodies of the buried
dead disturbed. He thought it wise, as they
had been buried so long, to let them remain
10 their Arctic graves. Commander Schely
did not agree with him. The bodies were dug
from their graves in the little hill back of the
permanent camp established in Act 1888.
Most Of the blankets contained nothing but
heaps Of white bones, many of them picked
clean. The remains could be identified only
by the marks on the blankets. By enquiries,
Commander Schley discovered that many of
the : men who are said to have persisted
from starvation, had been eaten by their fam
ishng comrades.
It was the one last resort. The provided
supplies had not arrived. Death stared the
hungry and crazed men 10 the face, but there
was hope if life would hold out for few
weeks. II is reported that the only men who
escaped the knife were three or four who died
of scuryY.
The amputated limbs Of the men who after
ward persisted were eagerly devoured as food.
Chas b. Henry's death was particularly trag-
ic. He was young German without any
relatives in this country, and he joined Co. f
9TH Cavalry of Cincinnati.
His friends tried to dlssuade him from 90
ing with the expedition, but his spirit OF adj
venture vas aroused by tales of Arctic exploits
and he determined to 60 Driven to despair
by his frightful hunger, Hentry saw chance
to steal little more than his share OF ratlonS
and he made the attempt. He was found out
and shot for his crime. In the published oth-