THE GREELEY ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1232, 26 August 1884, Page 3

THE GREELEY ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The Acting-Secretary to the Navy received a telegram from St. John’s, Newfoundland, on July J7lh, sent by Commander W. S. Ashley, informing him that the A.-ctic Belief Expedition sent out to succor the Greeley exploring party had succeeded in finding and rescuing Lieutenant Greeley and six oilier survivors of his command. They were found by the relief ships Thetis, and Bear, five miles off Cape Sabine, in Smith’s Sound. These vessels arrived at St. John’s with the survivors on board at the dale of the despatch. The survivors are Lieutenant Greeley, Sergeant Bramard, Frederick Long, Ellison (the hospital steward), Bierdbick and Private Connell. Sergeant Ellison was very badly frostbitten, and died at Godhaven on July 6th, after undergoing a surgical operation that deprived him of both hands and feet. 17 of 25 persona comprising the Greeley Laay Franklin Bay Expedition perished by starvation at the point where the survivors were found. One was drowned while sealing to procure food. Twelve bodies of the dead were rescued and brought to St John’s, where they were put in metal burial cases for transport to the United States. One Esquimaux was buried at Disco, and five bodies buried in the ice near the camp were swept away to the sea by winds end currents before the arrival of the rescuing parly, The bodies recovered were preserved in tanks of alcohol, The rescue took place on the 22nd of June, under circumstances of great difficulty. The Thetis and Bear lay off from the shore about 300 yards, a terrific gale blowing from the S.W., a

| heavy He,-i i mi’iin- , .<n l l a I onnidable ice nip was apparem y i evitable. Lieut. Greeley and the other six survivors had to be transferred from Ibeir own camp to the ship in their sleeping bags, and while the launch was steaming from the land to the ship the destruction of the whole party at one time seemed certain. The sea swept furiously ovei them, and the fury of the wind threatened to capsize them. At length they were safely placed on board the rescuing squadron, where every possible precaution was made to ensure their recovery and comfort. The Greeley expedition was composed entirely of soldiers, picked men, from officers, non-commissioned officers and privates of the American army, and was made in connection with the Signal Service. It may be considered an outcome of the labora of Count Wilezet and Lieut. Weypricht, of Austria, who at a “ Polar Conference, 11 held first in Home in 1878, a second at Hamburg in 1879, a third in Berne in 1880, and a fourth in St. Petersburg in 1881, secured the consent of the Powers of Europe to send out expeditionary parties to make one year’s observations simultaneously throughout the Arctic Circles. There were to bo

eight circum-polar stations established, and after some delay the Ut ited States agreed to make of them at Lady Franklin Bay, for which the expedition sailed in 1881, with the result stated. No' 'ithstanding the tremendous suffering* i f the party, the purpose of the expedition was measurably carried out. Greeley brings back copies of meterological, tidal, astronomical, magnetic, pendulum, and other observations , also pendulum, gale and standard thermometer, forty-eight photographic negatives, a collection of blank and photographic proofs. According to a plan agreed on by the different nation*, the vrork of observing and recording was began at all stations simultaneously with corresponding institutions, on an identical plan, and continued for thirteen months, ending September Ist, 1883. During the whole of this time continued observations were taken at every bom in all branches, —meteorological, magnetic, and astronomical, temperature of air and water, pressure and humidity of atmosphere, velocity and direction of wind, rain, snow, aurora, etc. On the Ist and 15th of each' month, so-called term days, magnetic observations were taken every five minutes, from midnight to midnight, and during one hour at every 20 seconds. The mean time of Gottingen observatory had been previously determined and adopted at all stations by international agreement. These observations were also to be carried out on term days at all meteorological and magnetic observatories • f all countries, as well as by their national vessels in all parts of the world. Naturally, researches in other departments of science, zoolog3 r , botany, geology, and geography were prosecuted as much as possible at all stations. The party subsisted at first on provisions which had been stored by previous explorers, and afterwards on strips of sealskin cut off their clothing. On the 22nd July President Arthur received the following cable message from Queen Victoria “Queen Victoria heartily congratulates the President and people of the United States on the rescue of Lieutenant Greeley and the gallant survivors of the Arctic expedition. She trusts favorable reports have been received from the survivors.” The President sent_ a reply in which he again thanked the British nation for the gift of the Alert. The officers of the Loch Garry say that Greeley lacked foresight, and hint that there is a feeling of coolness between the 1 rescuers and the rescued, and a close watch is kept on Greeley lest he should tell the reporters too much. Some say that the story is an old sailors’ growl, and duo to Scotch prejudices. One of the Loch Garry's officers says Greeley did well for the sailors until August, 1883, when he struck that floating cake of ice, and then he began to show his weakness. There he stayed and allowed the men to die like sheep. The season was in his favor; he could easily have reached Lyttelton Island, where there were provisions enough for one year. He was only 35 miles south of the island, and could have made the distance in less than two days. They were afraid of the water, and when they got on the ice they would not go. ____________