POLAR HOSPITALS 



were pulling at the tent, but, not being able to get in, a 

 knife did the work in an instant, and through the opening 

 thus made, Lieutenant J. C. Colwell, U. S. Navy, and 

 Captain J. W. Norman, the ice pilot, thrust forth their 

 hands. In one of these I spied a few biscuits, or hard-tack, 

 which I ravenously grasped, and passed on to my com- 

 rades, reaching for more; but Lieutenant Colwell was care- 

 ful and permitted us to have but little until the arrival of 

 the surgeons, Drs. Green and Ames, through whose skill 

 and combined efforts we were soon so far restored as to 

 permit of our removal to the vessels, U. S. S. " Thetis " 

 and " Bear," where we were most tenderly cared for, and 

 where we soon gathered new strength and fresh interest in 

 life. 



Poor crippled Elison was still alive, and most tenderly 

 cared for, but as his feet and fingers had sloughed off by 

 nature's own work, the wounds became inflamed. As soon 

 as stronger food caused his blood to flow more rapidly 

 through his body, an amputation of the affected limbs had 

 to be resorted to, which was successfully accomplished; but 

 there was not enough strength left in him to withstand the 

 shock; he died, July 8, on board the " Bear," in Godhavn 

 Harbor, Disco Island, Greenland, after having patiently 

 suffered during eight months such torture as few persons 

 ever suffered before. 



It was not until we had been for some little time aboard 

 the relief ships that we were sufficiently recovered to take 

 a real interest in the details which led to our timely res- 

 cue. I have frequently been asked the question as to 

 what our feelings were when we knew we were saved. I 

 do not believe that, at that moment, there was much feeling 

 in any one of us ; and this can be the more readily appreci- 

 ated when it is understood that perhaps forty-eight hours 

 longer would have been too late for the rescuing party to 

 find one man alive. We were dazed, stupefied, dying of 

 hunger and weakness, and, expecting only death, were 

 patiently awaiting its approach. The sudden and unex- 

 pected arrival of those who were to give life back to us 

 came as a flash of lightning from a clear sky. None of us 

 was enabled to realize the exact nature of events trans- 

 piring about us; we were too weary to feel or show emo- 

 tion, and the dread of death was long since passed. 

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