CHAPTER IX 



GREELY'S EXPEDITION (1881-84) 



Lieutenant Weypuecht, of the Austro-Hungarian Ex- 

 pedition, at the meeting of the German Scientific and 

 Medical Association, at Gratz, in September 1875, 

 presented a plea for systematic Polar exploration and 

 research. 



A Commission, appointed by Prince Bismarck to con- 

 sider the question, strongly commended the plan to the 

 Bundesrath and to all interested nations. 



The Turko-Russian War delayed the question until 

 1879, when an International Polar Conference met at 

 Hamburg in October. At this Conference twelve stations 

 were agreed upon, one of which was to be in the 

 Archipelago of North America. 



The United States did not at first take any action in 

 the matter, but ultimately they decided that the Signal 

 Service should form a Polar station at Lady Franklin 

 Bay, and carry out the programme outlined by the 

 Hamburg Polar Conference. 



A sum of 25,000 dollars was appropriated for the 

 expedition, and Lieutenant Greely was appointed to the 

 command. He was instructed to establish the station 

 near Lady Franklin Bay and contiguous to the coal-seam 

 discovered by the English Expedition of 1875. The 

 steamer on arrival at the station was to discharge her 



cargo and then return to St. John's, Newfoundland. 



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