The Opelousas courier., 1884-09-27
An Interesting Description of the
Rescue of the Greely Elk
pedition.

A Washington special dispatch to
the Cleveland Leader says: Com
Schley, the hero of the Greely relief
expedition, arrived here last night, ,and
to morrow will formally take charge
of the Bureau of Equipment and Re
cruiting of the Navy Department to
which lie has recently been promoted
| Touching his experience in the Arc
tics, he said: THE voyage was, of
course, one of peril and discomfort,
but | did not lose or gain pounds
weight, and am in very good health
The whole voyage was one of sensa-
tional scenes and incidents, perilous
moments, furious storms, narrow es-
capes, etc, but there was nothing to
compare to the terrible impressive
ness OF the hour of rescue. The only
tears that | have shed for many a year
were shed on that memorable occasion,
and there was not a man who could
re tain his composure. The scene was
inexpressibly horrible and thrilling. A
little camp of survivors, looking aetu
ally like skeletons. aud nearly all of
whom were in the last stages of starv-
alton, while Que at least, Council. was
actually in the very agony of death,
doomed to die within an hour if nour-
ishment bad not been at hand, and
unconscious for two. days afterward
that he had been saved; the little
camp, desolate, filthy, barren, on an
ice bound coast. with the long row of
graves that told their only story with
awful pathos; the first grave made
with all the care and skill that a vii
lage sexton could bestow upon it; the
second less carefully constructed, the
third more narrow and shallow, and
the others showing the waning strength
and failing energy, until the last body
had just been dragged out of sight of
the camp and left to the mercy of the
wind and storm, uncovered, because
none could lift the earth and ice with
which to cover him The picture was
terrible one indeed, and the days
Immediately following We're scarcely
less terrible. Greedy and those of his
party who were rescued were bathed
in the cabin; they were perfect skel
etons, wrapped in skins; every bone,
was clearly visible; the hips and ribs
We're frightfully prominent, Those
men were hungry every five minutes.
Rayenous is an inadequate word,''
When will yonr report be made?n
1T will go to Secretary Chandler
within ten days, describing every de-
tail of the expedition, from it's incep-
tion to its abandonment, illustrated by
300 instantaneous photographs and
covering $50 pages"
''What will it tell about cannibal-
ism!n
Nothing whatever. The discovery
of the living and the dead will be ac-
.curately described, the mutilation of
the bodies, etc, but no conclusions
will be drawn. / really know nothing
about it, as ] have repeatedly said, and
it is not my business. The trouble is
that too much has been said. Lieut..
Greely, however, has very discreetly
kept quiet, and will doubtless explain
everything in due time. AT the time
of the rescue Greedy was the weakest
physically and the strongest mentally
of the entire party. / have seen tho
statements about dissensiOns In the
party, aud that Long and Brainerd
headed separate parties at the time of
the rescue. | saw nothing to indicate
this, and know nothing about it. With.
out defending Lieut.. Greedy at all, /
should certainly not make up my mind
against him in any particular before
his official report has. been made. /
can see no sense in the desire to ex-
hume Private Henry's remains. /
have officially stated that his body was
of those mutilated, and nothing
more could be accomplished by the
disinterment.a