The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-08-23
A THRILLING STORY.
THE LIFE LED BY GREELY,S
ARCTIC EXPLORERS.
Description of the Two Years Resi-.
dence, Sights, observations. Pleas.
ures and Sufferings Of the Party.


dence, Sights, observations, Pleas.
ures and Suferings of the Party.
From Arttctes 0tuen by Lieutenant Greeiy to The
associated Press.
On the 2Sth of August, 1891, the Greely
party and the men of the PrOteus who re
turned, parted at Discovery Bay. On the
same day the temperature sank below the
freezing point and the icy Arctic wind
was on them in earnest. During the first
month the cold affected the men more
than at any subsequent time. Later on
In december the temperature sank from
90 to 50 degrees below zero and so re
manned for days at time, but even in
that weather the cooks favorite amuse-
ment was dancing bare headed, bare arm
ed and with slippered feet on the top of
snow drift. During the day the men
dressed in the ordinary outside clothing
but their hannels were heavy Five of
the men were for part of the day en-
gagged in scientific work under Lieutenant
Greely's direction, and in the duties of the
camp; the rest of the men were employ
ed generally about one hour a day, and
devoted the remainder of the time to
amusement. All slept in hunks.
HOW THE MEN LIVED
The quarters were heated by large
coal stove, the average heat maintained
being 50 degrees above zero. Playing
checkers, cards and chess and reading
were the amusement of the evening. The
life was said by Lieutenant Greely to be
far from a lonely one, and many of the
men said they had never passed two hap
pier years than those passed at Fort Con
ger On October 18th the sunlight left
them for 135 days, and a twilight varying
from half an hour to twentyfOur hours
succeeded. For two months it was so dim
that the dial of watch could not be read
by it. On April 1 the sun came above
the horizon and remained there for 35
days, giving the party great suf1iciency
of midnight sun. During these months
the stars were visible constantly, the con
stellations of Orions Belt and the Great
Bear being the brightest. The North Star
looked down from almost overhead
Standing alone outside the fort on one of
these nights the scenery was wierdly grand.
To the north famed the aurora borealis
and the bright consultations were set like
jewels around the glowing moon.
A COLD, LONELY LAND.
Over everything was dead silence, so hor
ribly oppressive that man alone is almost
tempted to kill himself so lonely does he
feel. The moon would remain in sight for
from 1 to IL days at time The ther-
highest temperature at Lady Franklin
Bay which was known during the stay 1t
was 80 degrees above zero. The lowest
was in February, 1888, and was &C de-
grees below zero. In this February the
mercury frOze and remained solid for fif-
teen days so intense was the cold
The displays of aurora were good, but
not to be compared with those seen at
Disco Island. The general shape was that
of a ribbon The southwesterly horizon
was the quarter in which the brightest
displays were seen. Sir George Mares re-
ported in 1876 that no shadow was cast
by the aurora, but Lieutenant Greely
says that he distinctly observed the shadow
cast by it.
LITTLE ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE LIFE.
At Lady Franklin Bay the average tenn
perature of the water was 90 degrees
above zero, or three degrees below the
freezing point. Wolves weighing ninety
pounds were killed around Fort Conger
and there are foxes and other animals
there. OF fish there is a wonderful
scarcity. Perhaps the greatest surprise
Of the expedition was the taking from.
Lake Alexander fresh water lake fifteen
feet above the sea level, four pound sal
mon. From the bay or sea only two small
fish were taken during the entire two years.
and few are to be found north of Cape
Sabine. The vegetation at Lady Franklin
Bay was about the same as at Cape Sa
bine, and comprised moses, lichens, will
lows and saxifrage. Snow storms were
frequent and rain fell rarely. The high
est velocity of the wind was registered
during a terrific snow storm, seventy miles
an hour. Lockwood's trips to the North
in 1882 and 1888 were productive of the
most valuable results. Standing on the
10th of May in each year where DR. Hays
had formerly stood at about the same day,
Lockwood from an elevation of 2, 600 feet,
using his strongest glass on Halls Basin
and Robeson's Channel, could discern
nothing but ice packs. Here it was DR..
Hayes claimed to have seen his open Polar
sea.
THE FURTHEST NORTH EVER REACHED.
On the trip of 1882 Lockwood reached
the highest latitude ever attained-83
degrees, % minutes. This was about
800 miles directly north of Lady Frank
lin Bay, but to get there, he travelled
over 1000 miles, the open water and
broken packs frequently causing him to
retrace his steps 80 miles. Lockwood
sounded the sea both years between Cape
Bryant and Cape Britannia, but could
not touch bottom with 135 fathoms Of
line. LOCKWOOD found at his furthest
north about the same vegetation as at
Lady Franklin Bay, but no signs of