The Greely Expedition.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 231, 27 August 1884, Page 2

The Greely Expedition.

PRIVATIONS OF THE SURVIVORS. ] (Per Mail Steamer.) The of the Navy has received a telegram from St. John's, Newfoundland, dated July 17, sent by Commander. W. S. Ashley, informing him that the Arctic relief expedition sent, out to sucoour the Greely exploring party bad succeeded m finding and rescuing the lieutenant and six survivors under his command. They were found by the relief ships Thetis and Bear five miles off Cape Sabine, m Smith's Sound. These vessels were m St. John's, New-' Foundjand, with the survivors on board at the date of the despatch, Their names are — Lieutent Greely, Sergeants Brainerd, Fredk. Long, Ellison, Hospital Steward, Bierdbick, and Private Connell. Sergeant Ellison was very badly frostbitten, and died at Godhayen, on July 6, after undergoing a surgical operation, that deprived him of both hands and feet. Seventeen out of the twenty-five persons comprising the Greely and the Lady Franklin Bay expedition perished by starvation. At the point were found, one was drowned while sealing to pro-, cure food. Twelve bodies of the dead were rescued and brought to St. John's where they were put m metal buried cases for better transport to the United States. One who expired was buried at Disco. Five bodies buried m ice near the camp were swept away to sea by the winds and currents before the arrival of the rescuing vessels. The bodies recovered were preserved m 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 was blowing from the southwest and a heavy sea was running,' and formidable * ice nip was apparently m evitable. Lieutenant Greely and the other six survivors had to be transferred from their camp to a steam launch and whale boat m their sleeping bags, and while steaming towards land the destruction of; the whole party at one time seemed certain. The sea "swept furiously over 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 md comfort. Commander Ashley says m bis despatch :-^The Thetis and Bear reached Cape York on June 19 after a passage of twenty-one daya. In Melville Bay they fell m with two advance ships of the Dundee whaling fleet, and continued to Cape Sabine. Returning seven days later they fell m with seven other vessels of this fleet of Wostenhelnq Island, and announced Greely's rescue to them, so that they. might not be delayed from their fishing grounds, nor be tempted" to face the dangers of Smith's Sound, in- view of the reward of 15,000 dollars offered by Congress. The scone, when the relief party and the sufferers met, was affecting. "We steamed towards the. pack," writes Commander Ashley* " and found the Greely party crying like children, and hugging each other, frantic with joy. lat once' put off m the cutter. They flew at me, and I thought them crazy. They seized each of the men m the boat, hugged them, kissed their hands, and did .everything to show their joy and gratitude. All of the party were frost-bitten and terribly emaciated. It would appear that the vessels of the Dundee whalingfleet shared largely m the work of rescuing Lieutenant Greely, who say 8 that the survivors owe their life to the indomitable energy of Commander Schley and Lieutenant Emoney, who. preceded by three and accompanied by five whalers, foiled their vessels from Upernatik through Molville Bay into open water at Cape York. During nine /months the party had to live upon the scanty allowance of food they, brought from Port Conger that was catched m a bay harbor and Cape Isabella by Sir George Nares m 1875, but which was found much damaged by lapse of time. Many Arctic voyagers, however^ think Greely is indebted for his life to the British . explorers, as the stores which he found were left by British exploring parties. : Greely's party also found some stores cached by Rerbe, "at Cape Sabine, m 1882, and a small amount saved from tye wreck pf the Proteus tn 1882, and landed by Messrs L. G. Garlington and Col well on the beach near where the survivors were found. When the provisions were consumed, the party was forced to live upon boiled sealskin, stripped from sealskin clothing, and lichens and shrimps, caught m good weather, when the men were strong enough to make exertion. As it took 1300 shrimps to fill a gallon measure, the labour was too exhaustive for them to, depend upon to sustain life entirely. Sixty-eight hours' delay m reaching their oamp would have been fatal to all now living. ' '