New-York tribune., 1884-01-05
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE RELIEF OF GREELY.
IMPORTANCE OF AN EARLY START.
SUGGESTIONS BY DIR. BEssELs. LIEUTENANT COLI
WELL AND Mr.. KEENAN,.

WELL AND MR. KEENAN,
WAsHINGToN, JAM 4.-Dr Emil Besse,s.
chief scientific corps Of the Polars Expedition.
gave the Greey Relief to-day his opinion respect
ing the proper 10 be taken for the relief OF Lers
tenant Greedy and party. He favored expedition in
vessel not too large 10 Payer Harb0r, Cape Sabine
From that point in the water should be open 20
as TO permit further northng by the ship several boats
should be sent up along the OF the Sound.
These boats should by all means he accompanied BY
"umiaks light wooden frames covered with leather.
Captain Graah explored the east OF Greenland in
umiaks. In going up the vessel should make careful
search for the Grcey party aOn the coast Of Greenland.
The vessel should not attempt to cross Melville Bay be-
fore the middle Of june and should reach Payer HarOr
as soon thereafter as the ice would permit Captain
Mares private letter. bad expressed the opinion that
the attempt get north OF Payer Harbor should not be
made before the latter part of August.
In 10 questions by the Board Dr. Bessels de-
scrbed his experience with the Poarts and told Of The
clothing, food etc, which that experience showed To be
most servceable for Arctic exploration, and the chances
for subsistence upon the game OF the country The
Polars people made several attempts to cross from
Polars Bay Har6or to Lady Franklin Bay but were m
successful Tho leads too narrow TO be nayigated
and too wide for sledging. There were two or three
slight attacks OF scurvy the Poar' attributable. Dr.
Bessels thought the dampness Of the quarters and
clothing and the food The disorder made its ap
pearquce at a time when there abundant supply
OF fresh meat and the steward who had charge OF all the
stores and naturally wei supplied personally, was
the first attacked. Drinking water was 10 be Oh
tanned from berg Ice. IL contained no trace OF saline
matter
AN EARLY START NECESSARY.
Lieutenant Colweu was introduced to the Board aud
asked If he had any advice to give in addition TO that
embodied I'm the letter delivered to the Board by Lieute-
ant Darlington He said # would be necessary relief
was be afforded Grecly get the vessel on the spot
at the earliest possible moment: "f" he said, "Mr
/
spring. II he down from his place next spring 10
Lttlcton Island he will there find 10 supplies and VIII
need item as soon ms vessel get To m For that
think the vessel should get up there TO COM
meut II the vessel IS not there early. You viii md
scotch whacI up there ahead OF rs IN. an KNOW we
party is there and Lttleton Island VIII be only diys
run out OF their way win pay them To get up thert as
a business operation and bring the party down mere
MIR. KINNANs SUGGESTIONS.
The last person to appear before the Board to-day VAS
Mr. George KEENAN, OF this city who called as IN
expert the methods Of sledging and camping ont IN
winter pracsed by the natives In Arctic Asia IN reply
10 questions asked by Lieutenant Davis, Mr. kennan
said that his Arctic experience was comprised IN thfte
years o active service IN Northeastern SIBERIA WhelS IN
the course OF the tim" mentioned he ira "'d OF stdSes
about 1000 miles lie had only TWO OF l! GO %
relief TO Lieutenant Grecy, and they were as LooWs;
me GON'ihmeml sioulu UnJf q ] III sinIlJ sue
cccd in succorug relieving Lieutenant GLtcy parry
fleet from st. johns and Dundee, he ,aid Iomprsei
twelve or fifteen ships and II entered b,l pay TNe,5
The route followed 10y these vessels was up the Greenland
coast and Melville Bay to the Vicinity OF Cape
York, ard thence the head OF lhHns Bay just
south OF Smith Sound to the coast OF Glnc Lana ].
TSd Ie csscs Cs dr roHs Melville Bay to open commG
ncatiOn Cape York Esquinaux ana among those
ENumaux the survivors OF tho Lady Franklin Bay party
should first bo sought. If Lieutenant Greely and bis
men to the mouth of Smiths sound last tau
and unable account OF the atcnesS OF the season
reach upernaylk in boats they won9 seeS 1000 ana
by spring be living there In extreme desuton ana
distress It extremely important to utilize every
chance Of getting relief TO them a tbe earnest PosslDIo
time. reward would stimulate the 0nlceis ana crews
OF whaling vessels To find them and afford them such
relief and as the whaers WOuld pl0DaDy DS nIsi On te
ground should bo made worth their While 10 stop AZ
Cape York, communicate win the NATIVES across tne
shore lee and succOr the GTeeiy SURVIVORS II to aS1er
there. ia 1881, Mr.. Kcnnan SAID. fourteen whnlefs
last spring. left the hnrbOr of ST Johns Mr. keinai
second suggestion that the chairman OF the Boaru
at to Sr George Mares to Captain stephenson
whO wintcrcd M Lady Franklin Bay III inc Discovery III
1850 and To Commander Markham asking Tor ADVICE
and recommendations. -,
As a third general suggestion Mr. Kennan urged the
Importance prompt selection of leader for the pro
posed expedition II was, In his Judgment the very nrs.
have time to study the problem presented to him. and
partly because lac could justly be held responsible for
results unless he had taken part in the preparations
THE KIND OF LEADER NEEDED.
Mr. Kcnnan also urged the importance Of selecting as
such leader q man who had had Arctic experience.
This" he said Is the prime requisite Character 2nd
seamauship are of course be taken into consideration,
bnt without Arctic experience they may be utterly un-
availing. -,
Kcnnan described I'm detail the travelling and camping
methods the siberian natives and C0ssacks, their
srdges clothing, shoes food, ETC. and pointed OUT
what hc regarded the advantageous features O eaeh
lie also described shelter tent devised 10y him for the
use OF slcde parties which hc thought could bc pitched
ana made TO stand and afford perfect protection IN
almost any storm, and which was he thought worth an
experimental tI1d.
At 8 o'clock the Court adjourned.