The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-19

were added to the stores. Sailing from God
haven, the Proteus reached Upernavik on
the oath of July, and left there
July 49, going north at full speed. Bafin's bay,
Smiths sound and Kennedy channel were found
remarkably free from Instructions. The season
was very exceptional There the Proteus, in
1881, found open water; the Neptune in 1882, and
the Proteus,4 in 1883, were driven back by i'm
measurable and impenetrable fields of Ice The
Mares expedition, in 1873, made the passage with
great difficulty, battling with the ice continually
and nearly losing their ships They were
twentyone days IN reaching Cape Frazer from
Llttleton island, but the Proteus made the same
distance in sixteen hours. The explorers passed
Cape Constitution, Kane's highest point, and
there they met with the first obstruction. On
the Ath they steamed up to the solid main pack,
extending right across the channel and appear
ing to be at least twenty feet thick The Pro-
teIFs had then reached the southwest part of
Lady Franklin bay, and was within ten miles of
her destination. For seven days the vessel was
moored to the ice, and Lieutenant Greely almost
despaired of attaining his object But the
ice moved to the eastward, and the ship
was forced at full speed until Discovery Harbor
was reached and there Lieut. Greely established
hls settlement, calling it Port Conger, in honor
OF Senator Conger, of Michigan, who had been
instrumental in passing the bill through Con-
gress which authorized the expedition The
Proteus left the party on Aug. Is, and arrived
SAFELY at st. Johns, after pleasant voyage
The company at Port Conger was well equip
ped for its exile. Stores of provisions sufficient
to last for fully two years were at hand The
house erected had double frames, and measured
sixty one by twenty-one feet In addition to
stores and supplies about one hundred and forty
tons of coal were landed. 1t was not doubted
tiat the members of the expedition could be
maze as comfortable and as safe from atmoS
pheric dangers as are the men Of the signal serv-
lee stationed on the submits of Pixies Peak and
Mt Washington, or the employees of the Hudson
Bay Company, stationed at Fort York, where q
temperature Of minus COZ is not uncommon.
scientific work began at once. The formal OBJ
serVatlons of the international series, however,
did not commence until August l, 1882. They
then continued for one year. The obligatory
work was to include researches into meteorology,
magnetism, the aurora and astronomy. The
voluntary or optional observations, which might
be made without the Congress insisting upon
science, including the temperature of the soil,
snow and ice, evaporation, terrestrial magnet
ism. and galvanic earth currents, in close con
nection with magnetic and auroral phenomena,
hydrographical, spectroscopica and pendulum
observations, as well as observations on atmos-
pheric electricity, the growth and structure Of
ice the physical properties of sea-water,a y etc.
Geological, geological and botanical collections
were to be ccunulated, and though mere ex-
ploration was not forbidden it was to be regard
ed as secondary to the proper work of the differ
ent parties.
Since August, 1881, until yesterday, nothing
definite had been heard from the Greedy party.
Rumors, it is true, have reached us from vari-
GUS sources, but as they have all been traced to
the Eskemo, it is needless to say that little
or no reliance was placed on them. 1t was un-
dorstood that fresh party with supplies, should
be sent out in 1882, and if this failed to reach
Lady Franklin bay, second in 1883. The gov
ernment did its part to carry out this plan
The Neptune, leaving st. Johns as early as
July g. 1882, found on July 20 an impossible
barrier of ice extending from Cape Sabine to
Cape Inglesfeld, and after waiting until Septem-
Der for an opening in the pack, (neyer being
able to penetrate it further than latitude 70 deg
20 min. J, returned to st. Johns, warned by the
formation of new ice, which was five inches
thick, that an attempt to reach the colony must
be deferred until another season The winter
quarters Of DIR. Kane were nearly degree fur
ther south than this. The Release and Arctic,
in 1855 had their progress arrested in IS deg. 80
min. DR.. Hayes's ship was frozen in degree
and half south of the Neptunes furthest.
The Pandora in 1876 could scarcely more than
sutar Smith sound, although the Alert and Dis
covery came from Lady Franklin bay the same
year. Captain Hall in 1873 with the Polaris,
Sir George Mares in 1875, with the Alert and
Discovery, and Lieut. Greedy in 1881, with the
Proteus, have gone beyond this barrier. One
year after the return of the Neptune the Proteus
sailed again, to meet the fate above recorded.