The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-27
A DINNER TO LIEUT.. GREELY.



/ Gen. Horace Porter, vice-presiden
of the club, presided. At his righ
sat the guest of the evening, Lieut.
Gseely, showing no traces OF the ter
rible sutierings and privations o
those summers and winters passed
In the far North while the Govern
ment was attempting to relieve him
He wore eyeglasses, but his luxuri
ant beard and hair, only slightly
tinged with gray, showed that hi
stock of vitality was In no wise ex
hausted by those harsh experiences
At the lett of Gen. Porter sat tn,
generable ex-Judge Charles P. DAILY
The other guests of the club were
Commander Schley aud Chief En-
glneer Melville, whUse names art
linked with Lieutenant Greely's In
the history of Arctic explorations
About $50 members of the club
were present.
When the last course had follow
ed its predecessors, General Porter
raped for order and, rising in his
place, welcomed Major Greely. Here
are some of the things he said {:
The Lotos Club is so cosmopOli-
tan. so impartial, and so unsectional
that 1t is always glad tc entertain
distinguished gentlemen either from
the South or the North, and having
at times entertained gentlemen from
the extreme South, we are offsetting
it tonight by giving agreeing to
one who comes from a point furthest
North. [Applause.l We hope that
the warmth in our hearts tonight
may offset something of that chill
which comes from the frozen regions
of the Pole. When our distinguish
ed guest was On his way from Eu-
rope we had determined to give him
Il dinner in this club which, what
ever the sacrifice, We intended to
make equal to any meal he had ever
eaten in his camp at Cape Sabine.
[ Laughter. At any rate, he did not
follow the advice of bis illustrious
namesake. This Greely did not ad
wise his followers to go West, but he
called upon them to 20 North. There
has been much surprise expressed
that he went so far from US and re-
manned away so long | was not at
all amazed at 1t. / had knowledge
enough of the army to know that
when a cavalry officer once gets on
his seven-league boots and starts out
either by land or sea, you cannot
tell how far he is going, or when he
will bring up in camp. A cavalry
officer when sent to sea becomes am
phibious, and / have no doubt that
if we were to subject Major Greely
to medical examination tonight,
we would find him web footed.
[ Laughter.
Major Greedy can no doubt en-
tighten Us on many interesting top
les in regard to the Pole and its vi
cinity. He will probably be able TO
contradict the slander breathed
against Sir John Franklin, when it
was said that he stood out with bis
vessel one autumn rather too late,
and hearing that his wife was COM
ing after him, he struck out further
North. and was frozen in forever. /
have no doubt that our guest can
give some interesting information to
railway people and others who have
great curiosity to know how an axis
revolving at maximum rate of
speed through so many years with
out luprication, can keep so cool.
Laughter.l
Earnestly as feel upon this sub
ject, / realize that 1 cannot express
in words the full measure ofthe graf
ifcation felt by this club tonight in
having at this board an officer who,
after having followed the flag of his
country through an honorable career
of four years in war, seized that flag
and planted it nearer to the coveted
Pole than a National banner had
ever been placed before by any Ma
tion or in any age. Loud Applause.
IL is not necessary for me to recall
to you the circumstances of that ex-
peGition, whose annals contain more
wonders than were ever recorded in
all the stories of ancient fable, and
they can never be effaced from your
recollections. | will not pause to re-
late how they entered upon that
death grapple with the relentless ice
fiend of the North of that marvel
Gus trip through Grinnell Land, in
which against dangers and obstacles
which would have appalled, any
hearts less stout than theirs, they
accomplished $50 miles in the short
space of twelve days; how after re-
turning they met with new trials.
with baffled efforts, with blasted
hopes how they were driven back
into their last camp; bow the gloom
of the long Polar winter night closed
down upon them how thej were
tortured more than Tantalus Of old,
and how they lost everything but
that indomitable, ever-present, IN
conquerable American pluck. which
saved them. Applause Rise to
your feet and drink royal and
hearty welcome in bumpers five
fathoms deep to the gallant leader
of the most successful Polar expedi-
ton which has ever been recorded
in history. Loud applause
When the chairman had closed
his remarks and the burst of braves,
handclappings and laughter had
Lieutenant Greedy rose to
reply. This vas the signal for the
tide of applause that had ebbed
away to the further corners of the
rooms, to roll back again with in
creasing volume, while the modest
soldier who had fought death and all
his terrors of cold and starvation in
bis ICY Businesses, stood bowing and
blushing.
Lieutenant Greeiy made a modest
acknowledgment of the compliment
paid him, and then sketched some
of the achievements of the expedi-
ton, paying eloquent tribute to the
courage. loyalty and devotion of his
men as something Of which all
Americans should be proud. "In
regard to the responsibility for the
disaster at Sabine he said. at is