166 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



RESCUE OF THE GREELY EXPEDITION. 



COMPILED BY THE EDITOR. 



On July 17th the thrilling news was received at the War Department in 

 Washington City, D. C, of the rescue on June 22d of the survivors of the Greely 

 expedition which left the United States in 1881, and in regard to whose fate the 

 most lively apprehensions have existed for the past year or more. This news 

 was, however, extremely depressing, since out of the twenty-five persons compris- 

 ing the original party only seven were found alive, one of whom (Ellison), died 

 soon after the discovery, from the effects of an operation necessitated by his dis- 

 abled condition. 



The following are the dispatches received at the War Department : 



St. Johns, N. F. 9 A. M., July 17th. 

 To Hon. Wm. E. Chandler, Secretary of the Navy, Washington : 



The Thetis, Bear and Loch Garry arrived here to-day from West Greenland, 

 all hands well. They separated from the Alert 150 miles north during a gale at 

 9 P, M., June 2 2d, five miles off Cape Sabine, in Smith's Sound. The Thetis 

 and Bear rescued aUve Lieut. A. W. Greely, Sergeant Brainard, Sergeant Fred- 

 ericks, Sergeant Long, Hospital Steward Beiderback, Private Connell and Ser- 

 geant Ellison, the only survivors of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition. Sergeant 

 Ellison had lost both hands and feet by frost bite, and died July 6th, at God 

 Haven, three days after amputation, which had become imperative. Seventeen 

 of the twenty-five persons composing the expedition perished by starvation at the 

 point where they were found. One was drowned while sealing to procure food. 

 Twelve of the bodies of the dead were rescued and are now board the Thetis and 

 Bear. One, the Esquimo Turnevick, was buried at Disco in accordance with 

 the desire of the inspector of Western Greenland. Five bodies buried in the 

 ice near the camp were swept away to sea by the winds and currents before my 

 arrival and could not be recovered. The names of the dead recovered, with 

 date of death, are as follows: Sergeant Cross, January i, 1884; Wederick, the 

 Esquimo, April 5 ; Sergeant Linn, April 6 ; Lieutenant Lockwood, April 9 ; Ser- 

 geant Rice, April 9; Corporal Salem, June 3 ; Private Bender, June 6 ; Assistant 

 Surgeon Pavy, June 6; Sergeant Gardner, June 12. Drowned by breaking 

 through the ice while sealing, Jens Edwards, an Esquimo, April 24. 



I would urgently suggest that the bodies now on board be placed in metallic 

 cases here for safer and better transportaion in a sea-way. This appears to me 

 imperative. Greely abandoned Fort Conger August 9, 1883, and reached the 

 Baird inlet September 29, following, with the entire party well. He abandoned 

 all his boats and was adrift thirty days on the ice-floe in Smith's Sound, His per- 

 manent camp was established October 21, 1883, at the point where he was found. 

 During nine months his party had to live upon a scant allowance of food brought 



