Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-20

miles to the west, got bottom at seven
ty-tWo fathoms. Lockwood found at
his tarthest north about the same vege-
tatlon as at Lady Franklin BAY,
but no signs of an open polar
current or an open polar sea.
In 1883 he was stopped near Cane
Bryant, 1875 miles from Lady Franklin
Bay, by an open channel extending
west to the coast of Grinne11 Land
The width of this channel varied from
200 yards to five miles, but on the north
the 1ce-packs extended as far as could
be seen with a 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 IS 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
trunks of trees on the southwest coast
OF Grinnell Land. The only sea animals
seen by Lockwood at 80 degrees 25
minutes were walrus and seals, and,
strange to say, walrus is not to be found
at Lady Franklin Bay. At SO degrees
% minutes the DETECTION of the mag
netic needle was 104 degrees west
more than a quarter of circle. As far
as Lockwood went the northeastern
trend of the Greenland coast continued.
The maps Of the new regions he dis
covered are in the possession of Lieut..
Greedy and are very carefully made.
ALI through two years at Lady Franklin
Bay the magnetic needle was never
quiet except during storms.
Tn February 1899 1opoy,oro+io,,c 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
expecting the ice to open so that they
might commence their journey towards
home. At last, August 10, 1883, the
welcome news that the ice was open was
brought. All had been made ready,
and that very day the party embarked
in little 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, a distance of thirteen miles, and
then the western coast of GrinneI Land
was followed south as far as Cape
Hawkes.. Large quantities of heavy ice
were met, and there was extreme danger
every moment chat the little launch
would be crushed. Several times all
the boats were nearly lost. The suffer-
ing of the men was great. They we're
now within fifty miles of Cape Sabine.
Striking from Cape Hawkes. for Bates
Island, the party was caught in an ice
pack and frozen in, ten miles south of
Cape Hawkes., and in thirteen days they
drifted south twenty-five miles on foes,
suffering horribly from 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 motionles
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 were drifting
about. Eventually heavy northwest
gale drove them by Cape Sabine within
a mile of Brevoort Island, but they
could not land. September % 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 freez-
ing to them and causing them intense
suffering. Night came on-one of inky
blackness. The wind threw the heavy
foes together, and crash after crash of
ice breaking from their own foe warned
| the men that death was near to them,
and no man knew at what minute the
foe might break up and water engulf
them. The first faint light of dawn
showed them that little remained of the
foe on which they were. The sea
washed another close to them. Close it
came, and at last at the word the men
succeeded in getting upon it. The
storm slowly subsidized and they gained
land at Esquimaux Point near Baird's
Inlet, September 29.
The winter quarters were built, and
scouts were sent to Cape Isabella and
Cape Sabine. In few days they re-
turned. Their report sent thrill of
horror to every heart. At Cape Isabel
La and Cape Sabine were found only
1900 rations, and from Garlington's
records they learned the fate of the
Proteus. Every one knew death must
come to nearly all of the party long be-
fore ship of rescue could force it's way
into Melville Bay. Efforts were made
to sustain the spirits of the men by
lectures and light reading. October Is
the party removed to Cape Sabine.
January Is Gross died of scurvy. In
April the rations issued daily had dwin-
died to four ounces of meat and six
ounces of bread. Man after man died,
and all hope had fed, when, that day,
the blast of their whistle raised the
survivors from the lethargy of approach
ing death.
Lieut.. Greedy, when asked as to his
ideas upon the probable results OF Arc
tic explorations, said: II do not think
the North Pole can be reached unless
every circumstance hitherto 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 the way of Franz josef Land. It
could never be reached by the jean
| nette route. That there is an open Po-