The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-08-28

both years, between Cape Bryant and Cape
Britannia, but could not touch bottom with
a 175 fathOms line. Markham, few years
before, about one hundred miles to the west,
got bottom at - fathOms Lockwood found
at his fuTthest north about the same
vegetation as at Lady Franklin
Bay, but no signs of a Polar cur
rent or an open Polar sea. In 1888 he was
stopped Tfear Cape Bryant, 125 miles from
| Lady Franklin Bay, by an open channel eX-
tending west to the coast OF Grtnnel Land.
| The width of this channel varied from 200
yards to five miles, but on the north the ice
packs extended as far as could be seen with
Il glass. With his supply of provisions, the
failure of which had caused his return the
year before, Lockwood was confident he
could have reached eight-five degrees north
if this open channel had not barred his
way.
NO FOSSIL REMAINS
were discovered on the trip and the only
ones found were the trunl of trees ON the
southwest coast of Grinnel Land. The only
sea animals seen by Lockwood at eighty
| three degrees, twenty y~nve minutes, were
walruS and seals, and strange TO say the
walTus is not to be found at Lady Franklin
Bay. AT eIghty-three degrees, twenty y-five
minutes, the DETECTION of the magnetic
needle was one hundred and four degrees
weSt-mOre than one fourth of a circle. AS
far as Lockwood went the northeastern trend
of the Greenland coast continued. The
maps of the regions he discovered are in the
possession of Lieutenant Greedy, and are
very carefully made. All through the two
years at Lady Franklin Bay the magnetic
needle was never quiet except during
storms. In February, 1888, preparations
| for the retreat were made by establishing a
| depot at Cape Baird, twelve miles to the
south. Day after day the anxious men
! looked off over Lady Franklin Bay, expect
/ inCr q loo IN that flpU might
mence their journey toward home At last,
August 49, 1888, the welcome news that
! the ice was open was brought All
| had been made ready, and that very
| day the party embarked in their lit
! tie steam launch. Behind them they
| left their dogs, as they could not be taken.
-Four barrels of pork and some seal oil were
! left for the animals. Lady Franklin Bay
was crossed to Cape Baird, distance of
| thirteen miles, and then the western coast
of Grnnell Land was followed south as far
as Cape Hawkes.. l. rye quantities of
heavy ice were met, and there was extreme
| danger every moment that the little launch
would be crushed, and several times all the
! boats were nearly lost. The suffering of
! the men was great. They were now within
! fifty miles of Cape Sabine. Starting from
| Cape Hawkes. direct from Babes Island, the
| party was caught in an ice pack and frozen
! in, ten miles south of Cape Hawkes.. In
miles on foes, suffering terribly with cold.
| So they drifted to within eleven miles of
! Cape Sabine and were obliged to
! ABANDON THE STEAM LAUNCH
| September 10. The pack now remained
motiOnless for three days, and several times
! the party got within two or three miles of
! Cape Sabine only to be drifted back by
| southwest gales. Five seals were killed and
eaten while the party was drifting about.
! Eventually a heavy northwest gale drove
! them by Cape Sabine within mile of Bre
! wort Island, but they could not land. Sep
! tember d there arose the most
! terrific gale they had yet seen on the Arctic
| ocean. Their ice foe was driven hither and
! thither by the tempest, and the waves
| washed over them again and again, the
| spray freezing to them and causing them
! intense suffering. Night came on, one of
! inky blackneSS; the wind threw heavy foes
| together, and crash after crash of ice break
! ing from their own foe warned the men that
! death was near to them. No man knew the
/ minute the foe might break up and the
! water engulf them. The first faint light of
dawn showed them that little re-
maiHed of the foe on which they
! were. The sea washed another close
to them. Closer it came, and at last
| the men succeeded in getting upon it, The
| storm slowly subsidized and they gained the
| land at EsquimauX Point, near Baird's IN
| let, September 30. Here winter quarters
! were built, and scouts were sent to Cape Is
| abela and Cape Sabine In a few days
| they returned. Their report sent thrill of
! horror to every heart At Cape Isabella
! and Cape Sabine were found only one thOus-
! and eight hundred ratiOnS, and from Gar
! lingtOn's records they learned the fate of the
/ Proteus. Every one knew that death must
! come TO nearly all of the party long before
! ship of rescue could force it's way into Mel
! vile. Efforts were made to sustain their
| spirits by lectures and light reading OCtO-
ber Is the party removed to Cape Sabine.
! January Is Cross died of Scurvy. IN April
the rations issued daily had dwindled to
! four ounces of meat and six ounces of
/ bread.
MAN AFTER MAN DIED,
/ and all hope had fled when on that day the
! blast of a whistle reused the survivors from
! the ltethargy of approaching death. Lieu
| tenant Greedy, when asked as to his ideas
/ upon the probable result of Arctic eXplOra-
tions, said: Il co not think the North Pole
! can be reached unless every circumstance
/ heretofore found to be unfavOrable should
prove favorable to the party attempting to
reach the pole. If it is to be done at all it
will be done by way of Franz Josef Land.
/ 1t could not be reached by the Jeanette
route. That there is an open polar sea / am
! we'll nigh certain. This is proved by ice
drifting out of MusseI Bay and SpitZbeTgen
! in midwinter, and the Northern drift of the
polar pack experiment by Pavy and Lock
! wood in eighty-twO degre es and three min
utes. Men can stand two winters very well
at Lady Franklin Bay, but physical strength
rapidly deteriOrates If we had every sup
| ply needed, we could perhaps have lived
! eight or ten years at Lady Franklin Bay"