Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-08
GREEDY RESCUED.
The Survivors OF the Exploring Ex-
petition Found Famishing
off Cape Sabine.
All But Eight of the Party Die In Green.
land for the Want of Football
List of the mber of
the Expedition.
OFFICIAL TELEGRAM.

partment this morning:
ST.. JOHNS, N. T., July l7-9 A.. NJ:
Hon. William E.. Chandler, Secretary OF tho
Navy, Washington:
The Thetis, Bear and Lock Garry arrived
here from West Greenland. All are we'll.
We separated from the Alert $50 miles
during a gale. At nine p. m. June 90, five
miles off Cape Sabine, in Smiths Sound,
the Thetis and Bear rescued alive Lieu
tenant A. w. Greedy. Sergeant Brainard,
Sergeant Fredericks. Sergeant Long, Hos
pital Steward Beiderback, Private Cornell
and Sergeant Ellison, the only survivors of
the lady Franklin Bay expedition. Ser
geant Ellison had lost both hands and feet
by a frost bite and died July 6 at Godllaven
three days after amputatiOn which had be-
come imperative.
Seventeen OF the twenty-five per sons
composing the expedition persisted by star
walton at the point where found. One was
drowned while, sealing to procure food.
Twelve bodies of the dead were rescued
and are now on board the Thetis and Bear.
one, Eskimo Turvevik, was buried at Disco
in accordance with the desire Of the in
Spcctor of Western Greenland, and five
died as follows: Sergeant Cross, January
1, 1854; Wedenck Eskimo, April 5; Scr
geant Linn, April 6; Lieutenant Lockwood,
April 8; Sergeant Jewell, April 10; pri-
Yate Ellis, May 10; Sergeant Ralston,
May 23, and were buried in an ice fort near
the camp and swept away to sea by the
winds and currents before my arrival and
could not be recovered. Names of dead re-
covered, are as follows: Sergeant Cross,
Wedenck Eskimo, Sergeant Linn. Lieuten-
ant Lockwood, Sergeant Jewell, private
Ellis, Sergeant Ralston, private Henry, pri-
yate Schneider. The names of the dead
buried in the ice fort whose bodies were
not recovered, are as follows: Sergeant
Rice, Corporal Salem, private Bender, AS
sistant Surgeon Parey, Sergeant Gardner.
Drowned by breaking through newly formed
Ice while scaling, Jens Edward, an Esqui-
maux.
l would urgently suggest that the bodies
now on board be placed in metallic eases
here for safer and better transportation in u
sea way. This appears to be Imperative.
Greedy abandoned Fort Conger August Q,
1883, and reached Baird Inlet September
20 following, with the entire party we'll.
He abandoned all his boats and was adrift
thirty days on an ice iloe in Smiths Sound.
His permanent camp was established Oc-
tOber 21, 1888, at the point where he was
found. During nine months his party had
to live upon Il scant allowance OF food
brought from Fort Conger. that cache
at Payer llarbor and Cape Isabella by Sir
George Mares in 1878, but found much
damaged by lapse OF time, that cache by
Beebe at Cape Sabine in 1882, 4 small
amount saved from the wreck of the Pro-
teus i'll 1888 and landed by Lieutenants
Darlington and ColweIl on the beach near
where hrecly's party was found.
When these provisions were consumed
the party was forced to live upon
boiled sealskin stripped from the seal
skin clothing, and lecLcns and shrimps
caught in good weather, when they were
strong enough to make eXertions. AS it
took 1000 shrimps to fill Il gallon measure
the labor was too eXhausting to depend
upon them to sustain life entirely. The
channel between Cape Sabine and Littleton
Island did not close Oh account of the vio-
lent gales all winter, so that 24O rations at
the latter point could not be reached. All
of Greely's records and all instruments
brought by him from Fort Conger are re-
covered and on board.
From Hare Island to Smiths Sound ] had
q constant and furious struggle with ice in
impossible foes. Solid barriers We're over
come by WatchfulnesS and patience. No
opportunity to advance Il mile escaped me,
and for several hundred miles the ships
were forced to ram their way from lead to
lead through the ice, varying in thickness
from three 10 six feet and when RATED
much greater. Thu Thetis and Bear reached
Cape York June IS, after a passage Of
twenty-one days in Melville Bay, with
two advance ships of the Dundee whaling
t!ert and continued to Cape Sabine.
Returning seven days later we fell in with
seven others of this fleet off Wostenholme
Island and announced Greeiy's rescue to
them, that they might not be delayed from
their fishing grounds nor be tempted into the
dangers OF Smith Sound in view of the re-
ward Of $50, 00o offered by Congress. Re
turning across Melville Bay we fell in with
the Alert and D%ockgarry Off Devils Thumb,
struggling through heavy ice. Commander
Coffin did admirably to get along so far
with the Transport SO early in the season
before an opening occurred.
Lieutenant Emory with the Bear has sup
ported me throughout with great skillful-
hess and untlinching readiness in accom-
plishtng the great duty of relieving tho
Greedy party.
The Greedy party are very much i'm.
proved since the rescue, but were critical
iii the extreme when found and for several
days after. FOrty-eight hours delay in reach
ing them would have been fatal to al now
living. The season north is late and is tile
coolest for years. Smiths Sound was not
open when l left Cape Sabine. The winter
about Melville Bay was the most severe for
twenty years.
This great result is entirely due to the
unwearied energy of yourself and the Sec
rotary of War in fitting out this expedition
for the work it has had the honor to &C
coWplisn. w. S. SCHLEY,
,. Commander.
THE MEMBERS OF HI PARTY.
The Greedy expedition is composed of
the following persons: Adolphus w. Gree
~, First Lieutenant of the Fifth Cavalry.
Acting Signal Officer and Assistant, mar
rled, wife at present a resident of San
Diego, California; Frederick T.. kissing.
bury, Second Lieutenant OF the Eleventh
Infantry, Acting Signal Officer, widower,
two children; James 3. Lockwood. First
Lieutenant Twenty-third Infantry, Acting
Signal Officer, Washington, D. c., un.
married, is a son of General Lock
wood, lretired,) U. S. A.; Dr. Octave
P.7ey, Medical Officer, married, wtre's adj
dress Malyville, Nodway County. Mo; Ed
ward Israel, Sergeant of the Signal Corps,
Kalamazoo, Mich. unmarried. born at Kali
'anazoo, Mich: Winfield S. Jewell, Ser
gcant OF the Signal Corps, unmarried, born
at Lisbon, n. H.; George w. Rice, Ser
geant OF the Corps, Washington, d. G., I'M
married, born at Sidney, Nova Scotia;
David Z. l%alston, Sergeant of the Signal