Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-23
ARCTIC HORRORS.
S0FFFRISos OF oRAELrspARrr'
Commander sehIe''. Reper. Of the Finding
lny lelerrnpl % ,he pI.p..chI

| Iiiy telegraph 20 The Dlspstchl
WARRINGTON. ID. O.. October 2s.-iht
report OF Commodore Winfield Scott schIey
| OF the expedition under his command ioi
the relief OF the Giecly party has been SUP.
| mitted 10 the Secretary Of the Navy. ~
cites The ordtrs under which the eNpeui'
| ton was organized. and then enters upon
a graphic narrative OF the events oil tue
voysge.
The gre alter portion Of the report IS gwen
up 10 description Of the finding OF urec'y
and his party and the rescue OF the sirv'-
/ vors. Commodore Schley describes ~ 'i-
lows the in prcssIvc scene tnsideoi 'rccly
tent;
Lieutenant Greeiy was found In his
slcep.ng-bay, his body inclined forward
snd his btad resting upon bis lett hand.
| The Book OF Common PRAYER MAS open ana
held in his right hand. lie appeared to dc
reading prayers 10 Private Conneil, whose
contitlon was most desperate and critical:
He WAS cold TO the waisf, all sensation OF
hunger gone, and was speechless ana a.
most breathless. His eyes were fixed aud
classy. Indeed his weakness was such that
il was with difficulty be swallowed stimu-
lspts given him by Doctors Greens and
| Ames. His Jaws had dropped. his heart
WIS barely puIsating, and his body temper
sture was very low.
This tender scene OF helpless, almost
| furnished officer. consoling a dying com.
| panion, was In itself one that brought tcIrs
| to the eyes OF the strongest and stoutest
| who stood about them on the merciful err
rand OF relief. Sergeants BraInerd and
| Fredcricks and Hospital BREEDER
| heck were extremely weak and hardly able
| 10 stand they were no longer able 10 ven-
| ture away from their camp TO seek food,
nor prepare their simple diet OF boiled seal
skin, nor TO collect leeches, nor TO catch
sbrimps, upon which they had to depend 20
great extent to sustain life. Their face.
hands, and limbs were swollen to such
an extent that they could not be recog.
nized. This indicated that the eutrc party
had hut a short lease Of life, probably not
more than forty eight hours at most. This
| fact was recognized bv them all, and had
| come to them from their experience during
that long and desolate winter In watching
their dying companions, as one after an.
other passed away from them forever.
Poor Sergeant Ellyson was found in his
sloeping.bag, where he had lain helpless
and hopeless for months with hands and feet
frozen of. Strapped to one OF the stumps
was found spoon which some companion
|
| himself. Ills physical condition otherwise
| appeared to he the best OF all the survivors,
| and this may be attributed to the tact that
each Of bis companions had doled out To
| him from their small allowance OF food
something to help him on account OF his
complete helplessness to add anything to
his own hy hunting about the rocks for
| lichens or catching shrimp. He suffered
no waste Of strength by exeItiOn incident
thereto. This case OF Ellyson was such as
only brave and generous men, suffer-
ing with each other under most DIES.
| perate circumstances, could think Of
| Sergeant Long was very much reduced,
| though in somewhat better condition than
some OF the others. His Office Of hunter
OF the starving party made 1t necessary ia
increase slightly his pittance OF food 10
| maintain his strength, that he might con-
| tinue the battle for food and life for the
| helpless. In his case, however. the effee,
| OF this continuous effort had told ITS story
in his wasted form. Shorter and shorter
| journeys were made in good weather, while
| in the frequent bad weather OF that region
| his strength was so much impaired tina,
when the joyful signal OF the whistle wa,
beard lie had only enough left TO staggpr
to the rocks overlooking the water to see II
the signals heard had proceeded from sbil :
| i'm sight. His first visit was bitter dsap-
poiutment, as he saw nothing. A second
WRIT, fifteen minutes later, brought him
within fifty yards OF tue Bears s.eani-cut.
ter, and In view OF the relief ships coming
sround Sabine. When the steam-cutteI
ran into the beach where Long was seen
he rolled down the Recovered cliff and
was taken into the cutter. He informed
| 4 al wal1 hiatt ha nf
camp was Just over the cliff.
In the case Of Sergeant Ellyson the med
zeal officers we're fearful from the first that
his chance for life was very small. As soon
as healtbful food was available and the di
gestiye functions should be reestablished
tullv a hcalthful round OF blood circpla
ton would begin its distribution Of new
life to the injured parts. and inflammation
would naturally occur. III Ellyson'.
strength should increase more rapidly
than TIE Inflammation ampution OF the In
jured parts would perhaps save bis life.
Several days after his rescue June 18th
DR.. Green reported that Ellyson wa
threatened with congestion OF The BRAN
The SYMPTOMS increased rapidly until thu
poor fellow lost his reason. At God Haver
hi. condition was so critical that the sur
geon Of the expedition, after consultation
determined TO amputate both feet above thu
ankle as the only chance Of life left the sui
feror. The disease. however, tr iumphed
and amid the bleak scenes that had sur
rounded him for three years in his heroic
sacrifice and within the desolate solitude
of that region OF everlasting Ice and snow
surrounded by his sorTowing comrades, III
passed away.
Lieutenant Greely was physically tn
weakest but mentally the most vigorous
bis party. He had lain in sleeping-ba:
for weeks on account OF his gradually fail
ing strength. He was unable to stan'
alone for any length OF time and was almos
helpless except in sitting possures. Al
the pangs OF hunger had ceased; his ap
pearance was wild; his hair was long AM
unkempt; lis face and hands were GOV
cred with sooty, black dirt; his bod
scarcely covered with WORKOUT clothes
his form was wasted; his joints wer
swollen, and his eyes were sunken. Ill
nrst inquiry was il they were not English
men. hut when he was told that we wer
his own countrymsn he paused for me
ment as il rejecting, then said "and al
clad to see you.
The condition OF his camp was in keer
ing with the scene inside the tent-de'
ne, ate and desolate. The bleak barenes
OF the spot, over which wild the Arcti
bird would not fly; the row OF graves o
the little ridge 100 feet away, with the pre-
truding heads and feet OF those latei
buried-a sad but silent witness TO ID
daily Increasing weakness OF the littl
band of survivors; the deserted winter
quarters in the hollow below, with II
broken wall invaded by water frOl
melting snow and ice above 1t. III
dead bodies OF the two companions wer
stretched OH the ice-foct that remained
The wIeiched apology for cooking utensils
improyised by them in their sore distress
hardly deserving the name; The scattere
aud woTn-out clothes and sleeplng-oae
Of the dead The absence OF all 100
save a few cups full OF boiled sealskl
scrap.: the wild and weird scene OF snow
ice, and glaciers overlooking anu Owe
hanging this desolate camp. completed
picture as Startling us it was Impressive
hope never again in my life TO look upo
, such wretchedneSs and such destlt'
, tor. The picture was more star'iln
and more deeply pathetic than
, had ever dreamed could be possible.
, beholdng it. stood for moment aino
unnamed, and then realized that II u
: oxpediliou had demonstrated any one fhir
! more than another it was that an hour bi
its value TO at least one OF that part
- stonter hearts than mine felt full OF 20