The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1884-09-04

VI tu0 kSUOst uetntS eoS FAvSeSsS ssso'
Of the scientific observations nsas b,
r.isut 0rsslsy Al Lady YnskIia Bay, :,
Associated Prsss agssi visited ths lisuiss
All Il his cottage on sssv.y's islsnd. n
vas vsry cordially received BY Lisut
Greeley. and uhea hs stated The object o
his visit the lissteDsnt at once villipgl,
consented 10 give al desired irformatiss
First. said the lieutenant. "lss ne stat.
The object oi the Lady FrAskiin bay sx
petition. II was proposed 10 establish u
Lady Franklia bay polar station --sns o.
the Is suggested BY Lieut. weyprscht o.
Austria, who discovered Franz JsssHand,
Sinultsssous observations Of all physical
phsnomena wore 10 bs takes. Tho com,
Plsts Prognnms which vas y bs followed
wa ssrasgsd by n iatsraatisaal polaI
coagrsss. In which representatives Of la
nations tosk part. The obssrvstieas IN
which the greatest psssibls accuracy VA
V - had vsrs those u deelinstisns ssA
dsviations u tls nsenssic sssals. tn
persturs OF the sir and see. height of bar
enstsr and mean and maximum rise and
fall Of the tide. All explorations we're in
cidental 10 the main object Of the sxpsdi.
tisp.
The expedition was fitted out under an.
thority Of an act sf congress approved
May ], 1880. Tho party was composed Of
three officers Of the army, one acting as
sistant surgeon and Is enlisted men, Sc
lectel BY recon mmsndation from the ranks
Of the army, bsromstsrs, hygrOnsters.
thermemsters. slectromstsrs and al nee
essary instruments for takisg scientific
data. Stores for 27 months were put on
the Preteus for the party. The Prsteus
steamed away from st. Johns, N. f., July
Z, 1881. with the party on beard. She
touched At Disco island and Upsrsavik to
procure slsdgss, dogs. skins and dog food.
Two EsquimaHx were added 10 the party
at Provss. Landing was made st Cary
island. in the North Water, and the pro-
visions cached by Mares in the Alert in
1876 we're found in good condition" At
Littletsn island Lieut.. Greedy personally
recovered the English Arctic mail left by
Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in 1876.
At Carl Ritter bay in Kennsdy's chsnnel
cache Ct provisions for the use Of the
retreat was made. II was the original
intention to establish the polar station at
Watercourss bay but the heavy masses OF
ancient ice which we're encountered rsn-
dsrsd wstsrceurss bay IN exceedingly
dangerous chsrage. Moving TO Discsv.
cry barber the station was there estab.
lishsa on the site occupied by the
English expedition Of 1876. The erection
Of house was at once commended and
the stores and equipments were landed.
On the % Of August came the sad parting
kstwesa 49, Gsssly party and the msa Of
Proteus. The little band gathered on the
frozen shsrs and tsarfully watched the
Protsus as she steamed slowly down Lady
Franklin bay, leaving them to the merciss
OF the cruel North. On the evening OF
the same day the temperature sank below
freezing point and the icy arctic winter
was on them in earnest. Their houss was
finished about week after the Proteus
left 1t was named in honor Of Senator
Conger. Fort Csngsr. During the first
month the cold affected the men more
than at any subsequent time at Fort Con-
ger. Later On in December the empers.
turs sank to fron 80 to 65 below zero and
remained for days st time, but even in
that weather the cocks favsrite snuss.
ment was dancing bars-hesdsd. bare armed
and with slippsrsd feet on the top OF
snsw drift, During the day they drsssed
il the ordinary outside clsthing which
Boston gentleman wears during the winter
their Aanssls were very heavy. Five sf
the men were generally, for part Of the
day. engaged in scientific work under
Lieut.. Grsely's directions, and in the
duties Of the camp the rest Of the men
were employed. generally absut one hour
. day, and devoted the remainder Of the
time to amusement. All slept in hunks
and the quarters we're heated by large
coal stove, the average heat maintained
being about 800 above zero. Playing
checkers, cards and chess, and reading |
we're the amusements Of the evening |
The life was said by Lieut.. Grsely to be
far from lonely one. and many Of the
men said they bad never passed two hap
pier years than those at Fort Csuger.
"On Oct 10, the sun left us for 1876 days.
aad twilight. varying from enc half hour
TO "a hours. succeeded. Fer two months
II vas - dim tAst watck eeuld net BE-
read by it. On April II the sua came
above the horizon and remained there 1876
days. giving the party great suficiency
Of midnight sun. During three months
the stars we're visibls constantly, the cen.
stsllations Of Orions belt and the Great
Bear being the brightest. The north star
looked down fron almost overhead.
Standing slsne outside the fort on one Of
these nights ths seeae was wisrdly grand.
To the north famed the aurora borealis,
asa the bright copstellAtions we're set
like jewels srousd the glowing neon.
Over everything vas enc dead silsucs. 80
horribly oppressive that man alone l.
slnsss tsnptsd 70 kill hinsslf. - lsnely
doss be fssl The Astrssonsr Of the par
y said that With the naked syss . star oi
one dsgrss smAiisr nagsitnds thss caa bs
seas here u The came way, might y dis.
csrssl. Ths moon would remain il sight
for from II 10 IL days a. time. ard she
vas nsch appreciated The Thermometer
registered On June 80, 1882, the highest
lam Y,~rstnre Al fxady Frsukiin bAv which |