Evening star., 1934-07-15
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Washington was thrilled fifty years
ago by the receipt of a telegram
Il from ST. Johns,
A'0o0uo VI Iho Nova Scotia, from
Greedy Party. c o m Or; w. s.
announcing the arrival there of the
ships of the Greely relief expedition
with the six survivors Of the Lady
Franklin Bay expedition. The surviv-
ors were Lieut.. A. w Greely, Sergt.
Brainerd, Sergt. Fredericks, Sergt.
Long, Hospital Steward Beiderback
and Pvt. Connell. A few hours after
ward telegram from Lieut.. Greely
was received by Gen. Hazen chief of
the Signal Service, making a pre-
liminary report. The Star OF July II.
1884 devotes the unusual space of
three and half columns on the first
page to an account of the rescue and
as far as disclosed. the results of the
expedition. 1t says:
THE news of the rescue Of the
survivors of the Greely party, which
was received at o'clock. spread like
were made of those who were sup
posed to know as to its authenticity
The telegram was received in three
sections. AS soon as the first section,
which contained the full news, was
received it was Immediately submitted
to Admiral Nichols, who was Acting
Secretary of the Navy during the alb
sence of Secretary Chandler. With
the telegram in his hand he sought
Gen. Sheridan, Acting Secretary of
War, and after breaking the news to
him the two officials proceeded to the
White House and showed the telegram
to the President, who has taken
deep interest in the expedition and
expressed great concern at the sad
death of so many of the party. AS
the succeeding kilograms were received
copies were made on the hektograph
and sent to the various Government
officials in the different departments
and the whole telegram was put upon
the wires and sent to Secretary
Chandler at West Point and to Secre-
tary Lincoln at New York. The
families of Lieut.. Greely, Comdr
OCIiltJ anu LlEuI. EsAuOlJ NClC hloD
informed of the rescue.
For hours after the first receipt of
the news there was great excitement
at the Navy Department. The chief
clerks room was crowded with clerks,
outside officials and newspaper report
ers, anxious to get the fun returns
The telephone kept up a constant
ringing and inquiries came from all
parts of the city from interested
parties asking for information regard
ing the safety of certain members of
the party. In the judge advocate
generals Office, adjoining that of the
chief clerk. a typewriter was kept
going to make copy of the telegram,
which was Immediately manifolded by
means of the hektograph. Newspaper
reporters, unwilling TO wait for the
official copies, took down the news as
it was dictated to the typewriter and
the information was flashed over the
wires in every direction. After the
excitement had subsidized the telephone
kept up its ringing"
The Star in the same issue said
editorialy:
The public will soon learn the
details of the frightful journey of
Greely and his men some 400 miles
as they fought their way southwark
through the ice in the hope of meet
ing the relieving party. a journey
which it appears that Greely COM
menced in accordance with his original
plan. The story will grow with that
Of the Jeannette's party as a narra-
tive of unsurpassed heroism without
adequate returns TO any one, scientific
or otherwise. actual or prospective. 1t
will probably put an end, for the
present, to Arctic explorations carried
on by Government aid; but the love
OF adventure is too strong in human