The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-11-16
TRAGIC RELICS
IN ARCTIC SEAS,
Mementos of Greedy Expedition
Found by Peary Aid.
FOOD PERFECTLY PRESERVED.


Professor Donald Mcmillan Ate Elk
pIorer's Provisions and Wore His
Abandoned coat-Raeine Dope Sheet
and Hymn Book Among Remnants
of III Fated Expedition.
Professor Donald Mcmillan of
Worcester, Mass, topographer with
the Peary expedition, although he did
not go to the north pole, had, after
Peary himself, the most interesting ex-
periences Of any of those in the party.
Remains of the expedition under
Greedy during his Ill fated attempt to
find the pole in 1881 to 1884 were dis
covered by the scientists at Fort Con-
ger, on Lady Franklin bay, in latitude
S1.44. Canned vegetables, including po-
tatoes, hominy and rhubarb; some penn
mican and tea and coffee were discov-
cred in great quantities.
"They were still good, too" said Pro-
fessor Mcmillan. II know, for / ate
some of them myself Sergeant David
R. Brainerd's trunk was found intact.
l used it as shelter in taking my OBJ
servations to protect me from storms"
In May, 1882, the Greedy party had
reached 1924 in north Greenland
They were on their return when the
winter set in, and they camped at Fort
Conger. Here the party became des-
perate and split. Seventeen of the
twenty-five members, under Lieuten-
ant Kislingbury, started of alone in
an effort to reach civilization. Limited
to nine pounds Of baggage and food
each, they were overcome by the ele-
ments, and all persisted. The remain.
der of the party who remained at Fort
Conger were rescued by Admiral (ther
Lieutenant) w. S. Schley, o. S. N, in
1884.
Boys Gift TO Explorer Found.
Among the relics found at Fort Con-
ger were many documents relating to
the expedition, including records in the
handwriting of Greedy, which had been
left behind on the arrival of the res
cuing party. One Of the finds was a
text book. and another was a temper
ance hymn book Both had belonged to
Lieutenant Kislingbury. The fyleaf of
the first bore Kislingbury's name and
was inscribed:
To my dear father from his Affection
ate son, Harry Kislingbury. May God be
with you and return you safely to US.
Lieutenant Kislingbury never return
ed to his son, who is still living in the
west. This book, which, with the
hymn book, was shown by Professor
Mcmillan, seemed tobhave been used
by students of Assumption college,
Sandwich, Ont, bearing the names Of
several, with the dates at which they
had used it. The words Harry Kis-
lingbury, Fort Custer, Montana" were
also written on the fyIeaf Lieuten-
ant Kislingbury was stationed at Fort
Custer when he received leave Of alb
sence to take part in the Greedy expe-
dition.
The song book bore the dedication:
To Lieutenant Frederick Kislingbury,
from his old friend and wellwisher, the
author, George w. Clarke Detroit, Mich,
May 49, 1881.
Wore Coat Greedy Left.
1--WE found Greely's coat on the
ground near the camp" said Professor
Mcmillan. Here is one Of the but
TONS" And he produced a gilt button
cut from the uniform worn by the ex-
plorer. ''The coat was in such good
state of preservation" the professor
went on, "that I wore it. 1t served tt.
keep out the cold too. Between the
pages of an old magazine bearing the
date 1880 1 found, too, several photo
by George B. Rice, official photogra-
pher of the expedition. The plates, of
course, were spoiled by their long ex-
posture to the elements
A bit of grim humor was contained
In the discovery of batch of dope
sheets" of the trotting races held in
the United States in 1881. These were
decipherable. and one might still see
the marks where the member Of the
party whose interest In racing was
carried into the arctic had marked his
selections Yet further insight into
the life of the party during the long
winter night was furnished by q note
book which contained the draft of
speech which was evidently delivered
at a banquet held during the long peri
cd of inactivity. The speech began:
Chairman and gentlemen thank
God there are no ladies'" and was ILL
ed with semi-humorous illusions to va
rious members Of the party and their
peculiarities and hobbies The speaker
said he was sorry to see so few faces,
but added that stress Of weather had
prevented many from being present on
this most "auspicious occasion"
Strange Musical instrument Found.
That the dreary period of waiting
was not without other bits of bright
ness was indicated by the finding of