The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-23

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were the most northern party OF eight estab-
lished by international concert about the pole,
for the purpose OF taking meteorological and
other observations systematically, by COMPARE
son Of which 1t was thought that important
additions to our knowledge might be made
These parties were TO remain at their posts of
observation for two years The vessel which
took Greedy to his station found Smiths Sound
clear Of Ice and proceeded without difficulty or
delay to the place appointed. Greedy and his
party were left with an ample supply of pro-
visions and other necessities for more than two
years. and since that time no tidings from them
have come until now. In june 1882, an at
tempt was made to carry supplies to Lieuten-
ant Greedy by the ship Neptune. The vessel,
after many perils, reached no farther north
than seventy-nine degrees and twenty minutes,
but caches were established at Cape Sabine,
Littleton Island and Cape neutrality-suspicious.,
records and boats being left. The ship reached
St. Johns, Newfoundland, on her return pas
sage, September "a. Lieutenant A. CARING
ton OF the United States Army was selected to
command the second party to go to the relief
of Greedy. On June 20, 1883, he sailed from
St. Johns, Newfoundland, on the steamship
Proteus the same vessel that carried Greedy
and his men to Lady Franklin Bay. The
United States steamship Yantic accompanied
the Proteus as a supply ship and base God
haven Harbor was entered on July z; coal
bunkers were filled, stores for the Greedy party
were taken on board, preparations were made
to form depots, and everything was got in
order for the voyage The Yantic arrived on
July IL. On the 21st southeast Cary Island
was reached, and stores and records left with
the cache of the Mares expedition. The ship
was finally nipped by the ice, about four miles
from Cape Albert, and sunk. The stores we're
saved, and after many hardships the crew sue
ceeded in eifectng their retreat, leaving stores
for the Greedy party at Payer Harbor and Cape
Sabine, and definite description of all stores
at the cairn OF the Mares expedition on Bre-
WORT Island. The last relief expedition, which
sailed the present season, included three steam
ers-the Alert, the Thetis and the Bear. The
fist was presented by the British government,
and was regarded as one OF the strongest ves-
sells afloat the present season. She was in com
mand OF Commander Coffin. The Thets was
the flagship of the fleet She was originally a
Dundee steam whaler, being the stanchest and
most weathery vessel in the Dundee fleet.
She was commanded by Commander W. s.
Schley. The steamer Bear was seal steamer
haiing from Dundee. She was commanded by
| Lieutenant w. III. Emory. On June % both the
| Bear and the Thetis ran across through open
| water to Cape Sabine, arriving at Payer Harbor
| at ten minutes of seven o'clock, where they
made fast to the Ice Parties we're at once
| sent to scOur the ad accent hills for records. In
about an hour cheer was heard, but in the
| high wind that was blowing 1t was impossible
| to locate the direction from which it came. Soon
after Seaman Yewell came running toward the
ship shouting: we have found the Greedy
partyH Shortly after this Ensign Harlow sig
nailed from shore: 81 have found the Greedy
record. Send five men," He had discovered
a record, dated October 90, signed by Lock-
| wood and cache which contained the scien-
| tific papers and instruments Mr.. Harlow was
directed to return to the ship, and, while the
Thetis was waiting for his party Commander
| Schley went on board the Bear, which steamed
around toward Cooked Hat Island. The The
| It's soon followed. and her boats were sent,
| with men and officers, to assist those of the
Bear already ashore. The flags and pennants
| which had been presented to the two ships by
| the American Yacht Club, to be hoisted in the
| highest latitude reached, we're thrown out to
| the breeze. 1t was blowing heavy gale from
the south, fortunately off shore, or they could
not have been able to effect a landing. The scene
at the camp beggared description 1t is suffi-
Gent to say that they were starving, and, but
for the timely relief afforded, some of them
would have died during the night. Cornell
had been given up as lost. The gale was kill
| ing them, and Major Greedy says that he gave
himself only about sixty more hours to live.
Fredericks, Long and Brainerd were the strong
est of the party, and they were only able with
great difficulty to walk down to the boat. 1t
is a remarkable coincidence that J. w. Nor
man. the ice pilot OF the Thets, who was mate
Of the Proteus in 1881, and the last person to
say goodbye to Greedy at Lady Franklin Bay,
was also the first to greet him here, having
accompanied Lieutenant Colwel in the Bear 8
| steam launch, and, being the first to arrive at
the camp he jumped ashore at once. Upon
landing, with his pocket full of bread, he heard
| from Long the melancholy news that there
were but seven left. and knowing that Greedy
was one of them he ran up the hill to within
hailing distance and called out: " You are all
right, Greedy; there are two ships here for you -
The major, recognizing the voice, replied: Is
that you, Norman? Cut the tent" The tent
had been blown down on them and they were
too weak to set it up again. They had not
eaten anything warm for more than two days,
being unable to crawl out and build fire.
Food was given them with great caution, under
the direction of the surgeons The work OF
getting them on board the ships and disin-
terring and embarking the remains Of the
dead, was attended with great difficulty, as it
was blowing so hard that it was almost impos-
sibe to stand on the hillside, and several of
the boats came near swamping alongside OF
the ships before they could be discharged.
This accomplished the ships returned to Payer
Harbor, where they tied up for the night Such
is a brief summary Of the reports of suffering,
death and rescue The story enforces its own
lesson. These men have been sacrificed to a
within under the name Of science. At the most
they could only tell us few things about al
most inaccessible head-lands and the northern
lights; and all that we could learn about them,
all that Arctic exploration has ever taught the
world, is not worth the life of one brave man.
The country is coming to see the wickedness
Of this business That 1t will be wholly stopped,
is perhaps too much to hope Such is the fas-
cination of the icy regions that the men who
suffer most in them are the first to hasten
back But the experiences of the De Long and
Greedy expeditions have, let us hope, made il
impossible for our government to again enter
into such schemes for self-murder.
Granville.-The school in district No. A.