The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-10-01
SCALEYS RESCUE o. GRsELY.
His Daring Lead of a Relief Expeai-
ton TO the Frozen Arctic.

His Daring Lead of Relief Expeai-
tion TO the Frozen Arctic.
The most notable achievement in the
career of Commodore Scbley previous
to the bombardment of Santiago was
the rescue of Lieut.. Greedy and his
starving companions at Cape Sabine,
in the Arctic regions, in the summer OF
1884:
Schley, then a commander, had three
little ships, the Thetis, Bear and Alert
The Greely expedition people had fal-
len into a condition of extreme want,
in the fall and winter Of 1888 and 1854.
Utterly worn out and discouraged, in
the middle of September, 1883, Lieut..
Greely concluded that rescue vas im-
probable where they were. and he de-
cideG to break camp and proceed south
ward, where he hoped to establish him.
self on a point on the open sea, where
he might be able to attract the atten-
ton OF some passing whaler. The lit
tie party made its way more than lOo
miles over snow and hummocks, with
many distressing experiences, to Cape
Sabine, aud it was here that Schley
and his little squadron found them.
Schley was delayed in getting started
from the Brooklyn navy yard, and this
delay came near defeating the object
OF the expedition. His ships were
merest tumblebugs, barely able to get
out of their. own way, much -ess TO get
anywhere with dispatch. By the time
they entered the Straits of Belle Isle
in the progress nortbward the season
was dangerously far advanced, but
Schley cracked on all the steam his
boilers would carry and bowled along
with energy to the ice-bound shores Of
Greenland. Upon leaving Upernavik
great bergs began making their ap-
pearance. It is a pretty wide sea op-
posite Upernavik, yet the prospect was
very discouragiDg. One of the COM
manders Of Schley's squadron, Lieut..
Bill Emory, Of the Bear, advised stout
ly against undertaking unusual hazard
in going against the dangers OF the vast
ice field. In fact both commanders
were in favor Of extreme caution, but
Schley was not Of this mind. He said
in the conference with his associate
commanders:
eve have been sent to find Gree1r,
I will come back with Greedy or we
will all stay here" He hoisted the
signal to advance north, and led out
boldly with his flagship, the Thetis.
It was by the merest accident that
he discovered the poor Greely fellows
at Cape Sabine. 1T was only the con-
trast Of dirty, smoke-staiued tent
against background Of snow that at
tracted the attention Of the lookout in
the crows nest. II was at fist thought
to be a great rock. 1t was hundred
and odd miles south Of where the ex-
pedition was supposed to be, but
Schley thought it wise to miss no
chances, and when he found an open
ing through the mass OF lceDergs WIN
which he was surrounded, he made a
drive direct for the usual object:
When they were within two miles
Of the capes they discerned question
able evidences Of human habitation.
The ships came TO anchor, and a boat
party went ashore to investigate. To
their delight they found Greely and
his comrades. There was not one Of
the eight who was still alive who had
the strength to toss cracker ten feet.
Greely himself was PROSTATE, without
the power to raisf his hand two inches.
The others werd little better off, al
though some were able to be up, and
to stagger about just little, utterly
helpless, utterly hopeless, waiting in
anguish and in dread for the inevitable
end. The poor fellows were TOO hope
less even to smile when they saw res
cue in sight. Greely himself was so
far gone that he could not realize that
rescue was Mt hand