The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-10-31
THE RELIEF OF GREEDY.
The Rescue a. Detailed by Commodore schley.


The report of Commodore Winfield Scott
Schley, of the expedition under his command
for the relief of the Greedy party, has been
submitted to the secretary of the navy. IL
cites the orders under which the expedition
was organized and then enters upon graphic
narrative of the events of the voyage. But
by far the most interesting portion of the re-
port is that describing the discovery and res
cue of Greedy and his men. Commodore Sch
lev relates as follows the impressive scenes
inside of Greely's tent: Lieutenant Greedy
was found in his sleeping bag his body inclin-
ed forward and his head resting upon his left
hand. book of common prayer was open
and held in his right hand. He appeared to
be reading the prayers to Private Connell
whose condition was most desperate and critf-
cal He was terribly cold, all sensation hav-
ing gone, and he was speechless. and almost
hreathless. His eyes were fixed and CLASSY
l Ihdeed; ms weakness was such that 1t was
with difhculty he swallowed the stimulants
given him by Doctors Green and Ames. His
jaws had dropped: his heart was barely pulsa-
ting, and his body temperature was getting
low This tender scene of the helpless almost
famished officer consoling his diving compan.
ION was IN itself one that brought tears to the
who stood about them on the merciful errand
or relief. Sergeants Brainard and Frederick
and Hospital Steward Brierback, were ex-
tremely weak and hardly able to stand. They
We're no longer able to venture away from
their camp to seek food nor to prepare their
simple diet of sealskin; nor to collect lichens;
nor to catch shrimps. on which they had to
depend to great extent to sustain life Their
face, hands and limbs were swollen to
such an extent that they could not be
recognized. This indicated that the entire
party had but short lease on life, probably
not more than forty hours at the most. This
fact was recognized by them all, and had come
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 Ser
geant Ellison was found in his sleeping bag,
where he had lain helpless and hopeless for
months with hands and feet frozen of.
strapped 10 one of the stumps was found
spoon, which some companion had strapped
there to enable him to feed himself. His
physical condition otherwise appeared to be
the best of any of the survivors and this may
be attributed to the fact that each of his COM
panions had doed out TO him from their small
allowance of food something to help him, on
account of his complete helplessness to add
rocks for liohens or catching shrmps. He
suffered no waste of strength by the exertinn
incident thereto. This care of Ellison was
such as only brave and generous men, suffer-
ing with each other under most desperate cir
cumstances, could think Of" The remainder
of the report is taken up with a statement OF
the condition of the other survivors, descrip-
ton of the exhumation of the dead bodies,
getting them on board ship and the measures
adopted for their preservation. In this con-
nection II is stated that in preparing the
found that six of them had been cut and the
fieshy parts removed to greater or less ex-
tent. All the other bodies were found intact.
Commodore Schley speaks In terms of tn
highest commentator of all the officers and
men of his command.