Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-05-29
THE RESCUE OF GRgEIY,
0olnmander schley's Account Of the Pa
& thetic Incid smt.

The strange fascination which ats
taches to stories Of exploration, dan8er
and suffering in the bleak and dasolate
acrtic region will cause book to be pub
lished in a few days by Charles Serb
ner's Sons to be read with eagerness.
This is ""The Rescue of Greedy" by
Commander ". s. Schley, who had
charge Of the successful relief expe-
dition Of 1884, and by Professor ]. r.
Solely, also Of the United States Navy,
who has access to the official documents
bearing on the case. f&..
The story is at old one, but as an-
thoritatively and pathesically told by
Commander Schloy, it is worth retsll-
ing, And so, passing over the discov-
cry of Greely's records, which are given
entire, oa Brevoort Island, we make a
condensation Of the narrative, taking it
up ut the point where the cutter Of the
rescuing party approached the spot
where the provisions of thewrecked Pro
teus had been Left
AT last tie boat arrived ut the site of
the wreck cache, and the shore was
eagerly scanned, but nothing could be
seen. Rounding the next point, the
cutter opened out the cove beyond.
There, on the top of little ridge, fifty
or sixty yards above the ice-foot, was
plainly outlined the figure of a man.
Instantly the coxswain caught up the
boat hook and waved his flag. The
man on the ridge had seen them, for he
stopped, picked up signal flag from
the rock and waved il in reply Then
he was seen coming slowly and eau
tiously down the steep, rocky slope.
Twice no fell down before he reached
the foot. AS he approached, still walk
ing feebly and with difficulty, Colwell
hailed him from the bow of the
boat:
1""Who are there left ?" "Seven left"
AS tbs cutter struck the ice. Colwell
jumped off and went up to him. He
was {. CHASTITY sight AS he spoke, his
.utterance was thick aud muulbling,
and in his agitation his jaws worked in
conyulsiye witches. As the two met,
the man, with {. sudden impulse, took
off his glove and shook Colwell's hand.
"Where are they?" asked Colwell,
briefly. 'In tho tent" said the man,
pointing over Ills shoulder, cover the
hill-~the tent is down" SIS Mr.. Greedy
alive?" Eyes Greely's alive" "Any
other ohicers?" mo" Then he re-
peated absently, 1.-THE tent is down."
"Who are you?" "Long."
Before this colloquy was over, Lowe
and No, man had started mp the hill.
Hastily filling his pocket with bread
and taking the two cans of pemmican,
Colwell told the coxswain to take Long
into the cutter. aud started after the
others with Ash. Hurryiug on across
the intervening hollow, Colwell came
up with Lowe and Norman, just as
they were greeting soldierly- looking
man who had come out from the tent
AS Co,weu approached, Norman was
saying to The man There is the lieu
tenant" And he added to ColweIl---
''!li'is is Sergeant Brainard. Brainard
immediately drew himself up to the
''position OF the scldier,' and was about
to salute, when Colwell took his hand.
AT this moment there was confused
murmur within the tent, and voice
said--"Who's thcro?" Norman an
swered, ats ACKNOWLEDGEMENT who
was in tho Proteusg"' This was followed
by cries Of "Oh, it's Nornsan!'' and
sound like feeble cheer
meanwhile one Of the relief party,
who in his agitation and excitement
was crying like child was down on his
hands and knees trying to rcn away
tho stones that held down the Tapping
tented 9TH. Colwell called for knife,
cut slit in the tent cover, and looked
in. It was a.sight Of horror. * *,
Directly opposite, on =. his hands and
knees, was dark man with long mat
ted beard, in a dirty and tattered dress
ing gown with a little redSskull cap on
his head, and brilliant, staring eyes,
AS Colwell appeared, he raised himself
q little, and put on q pair Of eye glasses
"Who are you?" asked Colwell. The
man made, no answer, staring at him
vacantly. who are your again.
One Of the men spoke up, ssThat's the
major-Major Greely.' Colwell crawled
in and took him by the hand, saying to
him, "Greelv, is this you? %. eyes"
said Greedy, in faint, broken voice,
hesitating and shutting with his words,
Eyes seven Of us. left--here we are
dying-like men. Did what came to
do-beat the best record" Then he
fell back exhausted. .s@.
The scene, as Colwell looked around,
was one Of misery and squalor.
There was no food left in the tent, but
two or three cans OF thin repulsive-
looking jelly, made by boiling strips cut
from the sealskin clothing. Except
Council and Ellison, the feeblest of the
party was Lieutenant Greedy. His
strength was failing fast. Hercould not
stand upright, and for some time he had
not left his sleeping bag. He lived on
the food which the others brought him
but all pangs Of hun ger had ceased. and
his wasted form and sunken eyes and
swollen joints told plainly enough what
was in store for him. JIG
AS soon as Colwell understood the
condition Of affairs, he sent Chief En-
gineer Lowe back to the cuttersto put
OFF to the Bear with Long, to report
what had happened, and bring off the
the others with the surgeon and stimu-
/. lants. Fredericks and Bierderbick
presently got up and came out. Col
well gave them, as we'll US Greedy and
il Ellison, littls of the biscuit he had in
his pocket, which they munched slow
II and deliberately. Then he gave
them another bit, while Norman opened
& one of the cans Of penmican. Scraping
off little with knife Colwell fed them
slowly by turns. Il wasa pitiable sight.
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