The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-18
ARCTIC ADVENTURES.
The Work of the Lady Franklin
Bay Exposition.
LIEUT.. GREELY's INTERESTING
NARRATIVE.

ated Press complete resume of the Lady
Franklin Bay expedition. In abstract form it
was as follows:
The Proteus steamed from St. Johns, N. F.. July
q, 1881, with the party on board. She touched at
Disco Island and Upernavik to procure sledges
dogs, skins, and dog food Two Esquimaux were
added to the party at Proven. A landing was made
at Cary Island in the north water and the provi-
sions cached by Mares in the Alert in ] 875 were
found in good condition At Littleton Island Lieut.
Greedy personally recovered the English Arctic
mail left by Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in
1876. At Carlritter Bay in Kennedys channel, a
cache of provisions for on the retreat was made.
1t was originally the intention to establish polar
station at Water Course bay but the heavy masses
of ancient ice which were encountered rendered
Water course bay an exceedingly dangerous an
| chorage. Moving to Discovery Harbor station
was there established on the site occupied by the
| English expedition of 1875. The erection Of
house was at once commenced, and stores and equip
ments landed.
On the tn of August came the sad parting be-
tween the Greedy party and the men of the Pro
teus. The little band gathered on the frozen shore
and tearfully watched the Proteus as she steamed
| slowly down Lady Franklin bay, leaving them to
the mercies of the cruel north. On the evening of
the same day the temperature sank below the freez
ing point, and the icy Arctic winter on them in
earnest. Their house was finished about week
after the Proteus left and named in honor of
Senator Conger-Fort Conger. During the first
month the cold affected the men more than at any
subsequent time at Fort Conger. Later on in De
cember the temperature sank from 5Go to $50 be-
low zero, and SO remained for days at a time but
even in that weather the cooks favorite amusement
was dancing bareheaded, barearmed and with slip
pered feet on top of snow drift. During the day
We dressed in ordinary outside clothing which a
Boston gentleman wears during the winter, but our
iannels were very heavy. Five of the men were
generally for part of the day engaged in scientific
work under Lieut.. Greelys direction and in the du-
ties of the camp the rest of the were employed
generally about one hour day and devoted the re-
malnder OF the time to amusement. All slept in
hunks and their quarters wereheated by large coal
stove, the average heat maintained being 300 above
zero. Playing checkers, cards and chess and read
ing were the amusements of the evenings This life
said by Iii0ut. GreolY he far from
one, and many of the men said they had never pass
ed two happier years than those at Fort Conger.
On the 10th of October the sun left us for 1876
days, and twilight varying from one half hour to
twenty-four hours succeeded. For two months it
vas SO dim that a watch could not be read by it:
On April 18th the sun came above the horizon and
remained there for l35 days, giving the party a
great suficiency of midnight sun. During three
months the stars We're visible constantly, the con-
stellatons of Orions belt and the Great Bear being
the brightest. The North star looked down from
| almost overhead.
nights the scene was weirdly grand. To the north
famed the Aurora Borealis and bright constella-
lions were SET ike Jewels around the glowing MOON
Over everything was dead silence horribly OPP
pressive that man alone is almost tempted to kill
himself so lonely does he feel. The moon would re-
main in sight for from IL to IL days at time and
she was much appreciated. The Thermometer reg
istered June 30, 1882, the highest temperature at
| Lady Franklin Bay which we knew during eur stay
was 620 above zero. The lowest in February
1888, and was $50 below zero. In this February
our mercury froze and remained solid for Is days
| ~ lutrus0 WdS Inc COIu. IQ0 mercury
| in the thermometer invariably rose
during storms or high winds. The highest
barometer was slightly above 81 inches and the
lowest slightly below 20 inches, showing great
range The greatest variations were in the winter.
Our eleetromer instrument used to ascertain the
presence OF electricity was set up, but to the as
constituent of 1t Greedy, not the slightest results
were obtained. The displays of the aurora were
very good, but not to be compared with those seen
at Disco Island or Upernavik. So far as It, Greely
could observe, no cracking sound accompanied the
display and their general shape that of rib
bon The south western horizan was the quarter in
which the brightest displays were seen.
Sir George Mares reported in 1876, that no
shadow was cast by the aurora but Lit. Greedy says
he distinctly observed his shadow cast by it, There
electrical disturbance save those manifested
by the rumbling as of distant thunder heard twice
far away to the north
interesting fact was discovered viz That the tides
in Lady Franklin bay came from the north while
those at Melville bay and Cape Sabine came from
the south. The temperature of this north tide is
20 warmer than that of the southern tide at
Cape Sabine Why this was, Lit. Greedy would
not venture to state. The average rise of I'll spring
tides at Lady Franklin bay was found to be feet
At Cape Sabine the highest tide rise was II feet.
Surf MAS only observed twice during two years. At
Lady Franklin bay the average temperature of the
water was 29o above zero or 80 below the freezing
point.
Wolves Weighing 80 pounds were killed around
Fort Conger and there are foxes and other animals
there. OF fish there is a wonderful scarcity. Per
haps the greatest surprise of the expedition was
the taking from Lake Alexander, fresh water
lake 100 feet above the level four pound sal
mon. From the bay or sea only two very small
| fish were taken during the entire two years and
very few are to be found north of Cape Sabine,
Vegetation at Lady Franklin bay is about he
same as that at Cape Sabine and comprises messy
l1chhes, willow and saXifrage. Snow storms of
course most frequent and rain falls very rarely.
| The highest velocity of the wind was registered
| during terrific snow storm and it was 10 miles
per hour.
Lockwood's trips to the north in 1882 and 1883
were productive of most valuable results. Standing
| on the 18th of May in each year where DR.. Hayes
l had formerly stood at about the time of
Lockwood from an elevation of 1000 feet using the
strongest glass upon Halls basin and Robeson's
channel could discern nothing but ice packs. Here
it was that Dr. Hayes claimed to have seen an open
| polar sea. On the trip of 1882 Lockwood reached
m. This was about 300 miles directly north of
Lady Franklin Bay, but to get there he travelled
| over 1900 miles Of open water and broken packs
| frequently causing him to retrace his steps 90
miles. Lockwood sounded the sea both years be
| tween Cape Bryant and Cape Britannia. but could
not touch bottom with 185 iathoms of line. M ark
| ham, a few years before, about 100 miles to the
| west got bottom at 70 fathoms. Lockwood found
at the fai hest north about the vegetation as
Lady Franklin Bay but signs of the polar cnrrent
| or an open polar sea- In 1883 he was stopped
| near Cape Bryant 125 miles from Lady Franklin
| Bay, by an open channel extending west to the
/ coast OF Grnnell Land. The width of the channel
varied from 200 yards to five miles, but on the north
| ice packs extended as far could be seen with
glass With his supply of provisions the failure of
which had caused his return the year before Lock
| wood was confident he could have reached 86o
North if this open channel had not barred his way
IOSSll REMAINS were discovered this trip and
the only ones found the trunks of on the
coast OF Grinnell Land, and the only sea animals
seen by Lockwood at $50 20 were walrus and seal;
and strange to say the walrus not to be found
Lady Franklin Bay. AT lat. $50 25' the DETECTION
| OF the magnetic needle was 104o West; more than
| a quarter of circle
| AS far as Lockwood went, the northeastern trend
| OF the Greenland coast still continued. Maps OF
the new region he discovered in the possession
| OF Lieut.. Greedy, and are very carefully made. AL
| though two years at Lady Franklin Bay the m az.
netic needle was never quiet except during storms
In February, 1888, preparations for retreat were
made by establishing depot at Cape Baird, IL
! miles to the South, On Aug. 8, 1883, the welcome
| news that the ice was open was brought. All had
| been made ready and that bold party en- barked in
their dogs, because they could not be taken; -four
barrels of pork and some seal oil left for the
| animals. Lady Franklin Bay was crossed to Cape
Baird, distance of IS miles, and then the western
coast of Grinnell Land was followed South as fan
as Cape Hawkes.. Large quantities of heavy ice
were met, and extreme was the danger that the lit
| tie launch would at any moment be crushed, and
the suffering of the men was great They were
| now within 90 miles of Cape Sabine Striking
| from Caps Hawkes. direct for Bates Island the par
ty was caught in an ice pack and frozen in 10 miles
south OF Cape Hawkes., and in thirteen days they
drltted South 20 miles on foes suffering horribly
| from cold; SO they drifted to within IL miles Of
Cape Sabine, and were obliged to abandon the steam
launch on Sept. 10. The pack now remained mo
tonless for three days and several times the party
got within two or three miles of Cape Sabine, only
to be driven back by southwest gales. Five seal
were killed and eaten while the party was drifting
about Eventually heavy northwest gale drovt
them by Cape Sabine, within mile Of BreevOor
Island, but they could not land.
On the 22d of September arose the most terrific
gale yet seen on the Arctic ocean and the ice flot
was driven hither and thither, waves washed oyel
them again and again, tie spray freezing to then
and causing intense suffering. After night of in
tense suffering aud imminent danger, the storm
slowly subsidized and they aimed for the land at Els
quimaux Point near Bands Inlet, on the 29th O.
september. Here winter quarterf were built anC
scouts sent to Cape Isabella and Cape Sabine Ii
a few days they returned and their report sent
thrill of horror to every heart. At Cape Isabel,
and Cape Sabine were found only 1900 rations
and from Garngton's records they learned the fat,
| of the Proteus. Every one knew that death mus
come to nearly all the party long before the coming
summer ship OF rescue could force its way intl
| Melville Bay. Efforts were made to sustain tn,
spirits of the men by lectures and light reading On
October 10Th the party removed to Cape Sabine
| On the 18th of January Cross died of scurvy. Ii
April the ratons issued daily had dwindled to fou
ounces OF meat and six ounces of bread. Man afte
man died and all hone had fed on that Stormy da,