St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-23

shrimps, upon which they had
to depend to great extent
to sustain life Their faces hands and limbs
were swollen to such an extent they could
not be recognized. This indicated that most
of the party had short lease of life, proba-
big not more than forty-eight hours at most.
This fact was recognized! by them all, and it
came to them from their experience during
that long and deSolate winter in watching
their dying companions, as one after another
passed away from amongst them forever.
Poor Sergeant Ellison was found in his sleep
ing bag, where he had lain help
less and hopeless for months, with
his hands and feet frozen
off. Strapped to one of the stumps was
found spoon, which some companion had
strapped there to enable him 10 iced himself
His physical condition appeared to be the
best of any of the survivors, a1d this may be
attributed to the fact that each of his com
panions had dealt out to him from their
small allowance of food something to help
him on account of his complete helplessness
to add anything to his own by hunting about
the rocks for lichens or catching shrimps.
He suffered no waste OF strength
by the eXertion incident thereto.
This case of Ellison was
such as only brave and generous men, sui
fering with each other under the most despe-
rate circumstances, could think Of Scrgt.
Long was very much reduced, though in
somewhat better condition than some of the
others. His Office of hunter for the starving
party had made it necessary to increase
slightly his pittance of food to maintain his
strength, that he might continue to battle
for food and life for the helpless. In his
case, however, the effect of this continued
effort had told its story in his wasted form.
| Shorter and shorter Journeys were made in
good weather, while in the frequent bad
weather of that region his strength was
so much i'm paired that when the joyful signal
whistle was beard he had only enough left to
stagger out to the rocks overlooking the
water to see if the signal he heard had pro
ceeded from ships in sight His first visit
was bitter disappointment, as he saw moth
! ing. 4 second visit fifteen minutes later
brought him within 500 yards Of the Bears
steam cutter, and in view of the relief ships
coming around Cape Sabine When tie
/ steam cutter ran into the beach where Long
was seen he roll down the ice covered
| cliff and was taken into the cutter. He in
| formed Lieutenant Colwell that the location
of the camp was just over the cliff. OF
| Sergeant Z lsou the medical officers
were fearful from the first
that his chances of life were very small As
soon as healthful food was available, and the
| digestive functions should be re-establshed
| fully, healthful round of blood circulation
would begin its distribution of new life to
the injured parts. and Inflammation would
naturally occur. If Ellison's strength should
increase more rapidly than the infam m alton,
amputation of the injured parts would prob
ably save his life. Several DAYS after his res
cue, June IS, DR.. Green reported Ellison
was threatened with congestion of the brain
The symptoms increased rapidly, till the
poor fellow lost his reason. at Godha-
| ven his condition was so critical
the surgeons of the expedition, after consul
tation, determined to amputate both feet
above the ankles as the only chance of the
life of the sufferer. The disease, however,
trium pied. and amid the bleak scenes that
surrounded him for three years in his heroic
sacrifice, and within the desolate solitude of
that region of everlasting ice and snow, sur
rounded by his Borrowing comrades, he
passed away. Lieut. Greely was physically
the weakest, but mentally the most vigorous
of his party. He had been in his sleeping
bag for weeks, and on account of his gradu-
ally falling strength he was unable to stand
alone Tor any length of time, and was almost
helpless except in sitting posture. All
pangs of hunger had ceased, his appearance
was wild, his hair was long
and unkept, his face and hands
covered with black dirt, his body scantils
covered with worn out clothes, his form way
wasted, his joints swollen and his eyes
sunken. His inquiry was if they were not
Englishmen, but was told we were his own
countrymen. He paused for a moment as
if rejecting, and then said, II am glad to
see you" The condition of his camp was
in keeping with the scene. Inside the tent
it was desperate and desolate. The bleak
barreDness of the spot over which the wild
arctic winds would fly, the row of graves on
a little ridge 100 feet away, with
protrudiRg heads and feet of
those lately buried, a sad but silent witness
to the daily increasing weakness of the little
band of survivors; the deserted winter quar-
tiers in the hollow below, with its broken wall
invaded by the water from the melting snow
and ice above IT.; the dead bodies of two COM
paniOns stretched on the ice at the foot; all
that remained of the wretched apology for
cooking utensils, improvised by them in their
sore distress, hardly deserved tue name the
Old and worn out clothes and sleeping bags OF
the dead; the absence OF all food
save few cupsful OF boiled
sealsSin scraps; tue wild and weird
scene OF snow, ice and glaciers overlooking
ana overhan ging the desolate camp, com
pleted the picture, as startling as it was i'm
pressive. / hope never again in my life to
look upon such wretcheGHess and such desti-
tuition. The picture was more startling and
more deeply pathetic than had ever dreamed
could be possible. In behclding it | stood
for a moment almost unnamed, and then
realized that II the expedition had demon
strated any one thing more than another ii
was that an hour had ifs value
to at least one OF that party.
Stoutcr hearts than mine felt full Of
sorrow, Eyes that had not wept for years
were moistened With tears in soIemnity OF
that precious hour in tne lives OF that heroic
little band Of sufferers until this moment SO
hopeless and helpless"
The remainder Of the report IS taken Ut
with q description of the exhumstioa Of the
dead bodies, getting them On board the shin
and the measures adopted for their preserve
ton. In this connection il is stated that in
preparing the bodies OF the dead for trans
pcrtatiou in alcohol 70 ST. johns, It WIS
) found that six Of them, Lieut.. KisIlpgbury,
Sergeauts Jewell and Ralsion, Privates
Whistler, Henry and Ellis, had been cut aud
flesh parts removed 70 a greater or less ex-
tent. All the other bodies we're found intact
Commodore Scbley speaks in terms Of the
highest commentator o. al the officers and
I men in lis command.