The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-08
HEAOIsM OF FREDERICK.
An Arctic Experience. of an Indian
apoIis Man Again Recalled.

In his review Of the events of the last
quarter Of a century, President Andrews,
OF Brown University, touches upon arctic
explorations. In the November Scribner
he mentions the Greedy expedition and Incl
dentally pays tribute to the heroism Of pri-
vate Frederick. These remarks are repro
duced as being OF special interest here.
where Frederick, as an attache of the
sign service office for many years, is
so well known. After describing the straits
to which the Greedy party was reduced by
scarcity of food. the writer says:
When provisions ran low a resolutc
English meat cached rsios at Cane oIq sabe,l al
twenty-five miles from camp, in the direc-
ton OF Point Eskimo, but beyond. In spite
ed on eating snow. Soon his hands, face
and feet were fearfully frozen. With great
dii1culty he was brought back. to camp,
losing his hands, feet and nose by natural
amputation. He was thenceforth allowed
double the portion OF his comrades. a
spoon being strapped to his arm that he
might eat without help.
"a second effort, brave and sad. by Ser
geant Rice and private Frederick alone,
TO recover the English meat, proved equally
vain and even more disastrous. Risking
their lives at almost every step OF the way,
they at last reached the place, only to find,
after hours or searching among the foes,
that their triumph was a barren One-the
English meat had drifted from the shore.
Tnere was nothing 10 do DuI 10 go creep
ing back to camp, If they could get there,
but Rice, having wet and frozen his feet,
was spent and could not walk a step. He
begged Frederick to go and leave him to
die. but Frederick would not. Instead,
drawing the sledge close Under the edge OF
q iceberg, he placed Rice upon IL, wrapped
his frozen feet with the temiak or fur-lined
Jacket taken from his own back for this
purpose, and then sat and held his unfor-
tunate comrade till the ~latter's pain was
relieved by death. Frederick was minded
20 die there, too. What use in returning TO
Starvation camp with his story Of disap-
pointmentt But fearing that those in camp
would plan a rescue and end their lives in
unnecessary misery, he resolved to go back.
fhe dauntless fellow got as far as Point
Eskimo, God only knows how. Here they
had left their sleeping bag, expecting to
return to IL the same day they parted from
It, as they would ave done had the meat
been found and had Rice not failed. After
refreshing himself with bread and tea, the
exhausted Frederick crawled into the bag
and slept. On awakening, much stronger,
made no effort to bury poor Rice. the in
domitable man pushed back all hat awful
way and gave the frozen corpse of his low
sng comrade such burial as he could He
then made the best OF his slow and painful
journey 10 Greely's camp. Gnawing hun
ger tempted him to eat Rice's ration. for
which none could or would have blamed
him. but he refused. He would use what
was his own. but would not rob the living
or the dead. He reached camp hardly
alive. hauling the sledge with Rice's dole
of crumbs upon 1t, to tell how costly and
how bootless his mission had been!'