Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-18
THE ARCTIC EMERGENCY.
Suggestion that GreeIy Ate Human Flesh
inwittingIy-CannIb is Not
Rare or Impossible ThiBg-An ABB
sTact of the LADY Franklin
Bay Expedition.
WASHINGTON. D C.. Aug. Is.

Lieut.. POSrIi, an officer DT the signal service
, who was present at the Greedy reception at
: Portsmouth, and also at the funeral OF the
dead in New York. and who talked with all
the survivors, said in conversation with a
Star reporter today The journals which
were kept by the individual members of the
party, were discontinued upon leaving Fort
Conger, at Lady Franklin Bay. After reach
ing camp Clay, one or Two diaries were kept,
one by >ergt Brainari"
DO they make any illusion 10 the canni.
oallsm among the party asked the report
er.
No, think not, You see, the men were
too far gone u keep any note Of events when
they were reduced to such straits as to eat
human flesh But, then, there Is no doubt Of
the canuibaiism. There was no chance
either Of keeping the Iact secret. Too many
men knew it. II wa. only hoped it could be
kept quiet until Greedy could make an official
report, when matters were more quiet, and
the public could reason better regarding the
exigencies of the case"
who let the cat out of the bag:"
"Well, suppose il was Norman. He is apt
to yet on spree and talk too mach. But the
matter would have become known ANYHOW,
because as | said, too many people knew it.
The survivors talked about il when they were
first rescued in a half-crazed condition Now,
have talked with Greely and the rest Of the
survivors, and with the officers of the rescu-
ing party, and IN tell you my opinion regard
ins that story. There is no doubt about it.
truth, and there is no doubt about Greev's
honesty when he says if there was cannibal-
ism, he did not know it. When these men
were rescued they were not responsible
beings. They had undoubtedly subsisted on
human flesh for some time. | have no doubt
that, driven to despair bv hunger, they would
20 out and cut some flesh of the bodies Of
their dead comrades and partake of it. Greely
was in mighty bad condition. He was con.
fined 10 the tent by extreme weakness. He
was mighty popular with the majority of the
party, and when the men obtained something
to eat it was their mutual impulse to share il
with their commander. He partook of human
flesh without knowing what lie was eating.
His mental and bodily strength were too far
gone to know or care. There is no doubt in
my mind but that some of those who died also
partook of human flesh | tell you it will be
a long time before the horrors of Camp Clay
are known thoroughly. The story of the JOY
of the survivors when they were found is
ridiculous. Lieut.. Colwell, vi no was the first
man to reach the tent told me that when they
met Long, who, you know, came part way to
meet them. he was completely played out.
When asked how many were living, he gasp
ngly replied. seven Where are thew
asked Colwell. over there he said, family,
pointing to the hill. OF course they hurried
over the hill and found the tent. 1t was
closed and either Chief Engineer Lowe. or
Norman cut it. Colwell stuck his head in,
and Greedy, who was but the semblance of
man, raised himself on his hands and knees
and gazcd in a perfectly dazed manner Col
well ddn know him and asked HIM three
times who he was. but he couldn't reply.
Branerd then said It's Capt Greely.' Col
well then gave them all a small amount of
pemican, He was afraid of giving them too
much, and sent for the surgeon to come
ashore. The men then began to curse him
for not giving them food. Greedy said pit
eouSly, Il think after all that I've been
through YOU might give me something to eat
Iou see those men were in terrible condi
+ ton. As | said, they ate human flesh, and
Greely ate it too. but don't believe that he
knew 1t, Little Connell told me the close
call he had, SAID Lieut. Powell, musingly.
/ You know he was Just about at the point of
death VIXEN they found him. Said he: My
mind was perfectly clear when the rescuers
arrived but was so near gone that they
thought was dead. They felt me and moved
me, and finally decided that it was no use.
All this time hadn't been able to tell them
that was alive. They were just about to
/ carry out my remains, when, realizing the
situation, made superhuman effort, bound
to SPEAK if Ii killed me, and succeeded in
muttering, NO d-n you, I'm not dead yet
OF course they then gave me attention and
was fortunately brought around all right"
at was Brainerd, you say, who kept the
most complete diary
Yes, think so. He is noble man. that
( Brainerd. Greedy gave me an instance of his
unsetish disposition, which was, in fact,
heroism. When we weighed our provisions
at Camp Clay in the tall, we allotted so much
per man to last through the winter, and put
Brainerd in charge of the supplies to distrib
ute them pro rata. Well, in the spring when
we weighed our stores again | found that
there was small percentage over what
should have been left. That man Brainerd
had actually stinted himself and had not eat
en- his tull allowance so that we might be
little better of than we expected, and so that
he should not be open to the imputation of
taking more than his share.
WAS that affecting story about the meeting
of Greedy and his wife corrcct:' asked the
reporter.
"No. 1t was mnde out Of whole cloth. The
meeting, no doubt, was an affecting one. but
il didn't occur in the way described. Mrs
Greedy travelled night and day from San
Diego. but she didn't break down but once
/ and that was only for moment when she