Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-16

WEN CRAZED HY STARVATION.
A Talk with Lieut.. .Povvell-CanDabal.
ism Admitted-The Diaries Not Down
to that Awful Time-TerEible COndi.
ton OF the Men when EOdnd, ETC.
Lieut. Powell, an officer Of the signal service who
was present at the Greely reception at Portsmouth
and also at the funeral Of the dead at New York,
and who talked with all the survivors, said In con-
versation with STAR reporter to-day, "the journals
which were kept by the individual members of the
party were discontinued upon leaving Fort Conger at
Lady Franklin bay. After reaching Camp Clay one
or Two diaries were kept-one by Sergeant Brain
erd." "Do they make any allusiOn to the cannIbal-
ism among the party?" asked the reporter. .No,
think not You see, the men were too far gone to
keep any note of events when they were reduced to
such straits as to eat human flesh But then there
Is no doubt or the cannlbaliSnl. There was no
chance either OF keeping the fact secret; too many
kept quiet until Greely could make an official re-
port, when matters were more quiet and the public
could reason better regarding the exgencies of the
"Who let the cat out Of the bag ?" asked the re-
porter:
"Well, I suppose it was Norman He is apt to get
on spree and talk too much; hut the matter would
nave become known anyhow, because as said, too
many people knew 1t. The survivors talked about
1t when they were rescued in a half-crazed cOndi-
tton. Now, I have talked with Greely and the rest
OF the survivors, and with the officers of the res
cuing party, and I'll tell you my opinion regarding
that story. There is no doubt about its truth and
there is
NO DOUBT ABOUT GREELY's HONESTY
when he says II there was cannibal1sm he did not
know It, When these men were rescued they were
not responsible beings. They had undoubtedly
sabsisted on human flesh for some time. have no
would go out and cut some flesh off the bodies OF
their dead comrades and partake OF it, Greely
was In mighty bad condition. He was confined
TO the tent by extreme weakness. He was mighty
popular with the majority OF the party, and when
the men obtained something to eat, it was their
He partOok OF human flesh without knOW1n0syhat
he was eating; his mental and bodily strength was
too far gone to know or care. There is no doubt
IN my mind but what some OF those who died also
partOok OF human flesh l tell you 1t will be long
time before the horrors OF Camp Clay are known
thoroughly.
PIT1FUL CONDITION OF THE SURVIVORS WHEN FOUND.
The story OF the joy of the survivors when they
were found is ridiculous Lieut.. Colwell, who was
the first man to reach the tent, told me that when
they met Long, who, you know, came part way to
meet them, he was completely played out. When
how %any were LYING he replied
THERE" he said family, pointing to the hill OF
course they hurried over the hill and found the
Lowe or Norman cut It, Colwell stuck his head in
and Greedy, who was but the sembance OF man.
raised himself on his hands and knees and gazed in
him. and asked him three times who he was but he
couldn't reply. BraiEerd then said, .It's Capt.
Of f9lWe then them al snail
them too much, and sent for the surgeon to come
ashore The men then began to curse him for not
after all that I've been through you might give me
something to eat" You see those men were
IN A TERRIBLE CONDITION.
AS said they ate human flesh, and Greely ate
1t, too; but don't believe that he knew it. Little
Connel told me the close call he had" said Lieut.
Powell, musingiy. "YOu know he was Just about
at the point OF death when they found him. Said
he: My mind was perfectly clear when the res
cuers arrived, but was so near gone that they
thought was dead. They felt me and moved me.
and finally decided that it was no use All this
time hadn't been able to tell them that was alive.
They were just about to carry out my remains
effort bound TO speak II 1t killed me- and succeeded
IN mutterlng: mo, damn you, I'm not dead yet"
fortunately brought around all right"
BRAINERD's HEROIsM.
'Tt was Brainerd, you say. who kept the most
complete diary2" asked the reporter.
Eyes; think So" was the reply. "He is noble
man, that Brainerd. Greeiy gave me an instance
ism. When we weighed our provisions at Camp
Clay In the fall we allotted SO much per man to
charge of the supplies to distribute them pro rata
Well, In the spring when we weighed the stores
again found that there was a small percentage
over what should have been left That man Brain
erd had actually stinted himself and had not eaten
his full allowance, In order that might be lit
tie better on than We expected, and that he would
his share"
"Was that affecting story about
THE MEETING OF GREELY AND HIS WIFE
correct?n asked the reporter.
"No, 1t was made out Of whole cloth. The meet
ing, no doubt, was an affecting one but 1t didn't
occur I'm the way described. Mrs. eireely Travelled
night and day from San Diego, but she didn't
break down but once. and that was only for q
ment when she was In the barge which was taking
her TO the ThetiS The two NeSInthS (her brotherSI
were with her, and Gen and Mrs. Hazen. Greely
was on deck when the barge approached and. see
ing his wife in it, he climbed over the rail OF the
vessel and was about to jump into the barge. One
OF the Nesm1th boys, who had reached the deck,
caught him by the arm and said that his wife
wanted to see him below. He went down into the
captains cabin, and his wife followed. They met
In the captains stateroom, and no one saw them,
some minutes. The NeSmith boys remained out
side in the wardroom and, instead Of hugging,
laughing and crying, they were. quietly enjoying
some beer and crackers that one of the Officers
brought them"
The Remains of Sergeant Cross.
The sister of Sergeant Cross told STAR reporter
to-day that the family had decided not to disturb
the remains, now locked up in the vault at Congress
siOnal cemetery 1t is understood that they are
influenced to this determination by desire not to
go against the wishes OF the signal service officials
and that the brother OF the deceased Frank Cross,
is still bent upon exhuming the remains and II he
should finally determine upon an investigation, it
will not be for some days yet
AnOthcr Chaptef In the Awful Story OF
Cape Sabine.
THE SECRETS OF THE CAMP on SMITHS SOUND
PROBABILITY THAT DIR. PAvY WAS KILLED-DIsCON-
TENT AND DESPAIR OF THE MEN LEFT WITHOUT
FOOD IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
The New York Times OF to-day says:
"Until the death Of Surgeon Pavy, of the Greely
party, which occurred at the rapidly depopulated
camp on June 6th three weeks before rescu came,
the flesh cut from most OF the dead bodies for use
by the survivors as food and bait was removed by
a hand skilled in dissection. A few Of the bodies
had the fieshy portions cut away entire. But with
the majority the work had been so well done that
casual observer would not have suspected
without other evidence, of which there
was plenty, however. that the survt-
vors had been reduced to cannibalism,
and had for long time been subssttng principally
on the bodies OF their dead comrades It is not
coincidence that the body of DR.. Pavy, with those
or two others who died after him, should be re-
ported as washed away. With the surgeon gone
the Scalpel could not be used. Before, the bodies
had been left with little mark Of the terrible work
done After his death the survivors were forced to
dismember the bodies and denude them OF flesh In
way that left nothing but bones So these
unfortunates were reported as buried in an Ice foe
ana washed away, and to the list was added Corp.
sailor, who died on June 8, and Sergt. Rice, who