CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE GREELY EXPEDITION. 



One of the great tragedies of the Arctic grew out of the expedition of 

 Adolphus W. Greely, then a Heutenant of the United States army, and now a 

 major-general, in 1 88 1-4. All the horrors of which the frozen north is capa- 

 ble befell this party. Misfortune was their lot, and death overtook a majority 

 of the travelers. Yet there is no page in the history of Arctic exploits more 

 thrilling, for it showed, just as war does, the stuff of which American soldiers 

 are made. The fortitude of Greely and his followers and the pluck with 

 which they pursued the search for knowledge in the face of starvation and 

 sickness, has served as an example to every polar explorer in later years. 



Lieut. Greely, after gallant service in the civil war, had given his atten- 

 tion to the work of the signal corps, of which he was an officer. He had 

 become an ardent student of the Arctic, and was eager to venture into the 

 north. In 1880 came the opportunity, when congress appropriated funds 

 for the establishment of polar stations, — half-way spots by which it was 

 hoped the pole could be reached by easy stages. Greely's enthusiasm pushed 

 him to the front, at this time, and to his delight he was given the command 

 of the expedition. On the steamer Proteus he and his party sailed from St. 

 John's N. F., July 7, 1881, and made a quick trip up Baffin's Bay, and into 

 the regions where previous explorers had "staked out their claims." The 

 destination was almost reached when a solid ice-pack delayed the vessel in 

 the southwest part of Lady Franklin Bay. This ice, however, moved to the 

 eastward in time to send the ship on her way after a week, and DiscoVery 

 Harbor was attained. At this point Lieut. Greely established his settle- 

 ment, and named it Fort Conger, a name destined to be surrounded with 

 suggestions of tragedy for all time. After the party had built a substantial 

 house, and landed large stores of provisions and coal the Proteus returned to 

 America, leaving the explorers to their investigations. 



From August i, 1882, for a year, the scientific work proceeded without 

 misadventure. Enough was accomplished in this period to give the trip fame 



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