Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1884 — UNDER THE POLAR STAR. [ARTICLE]

UNDER THE POLAR STAR.

Greely Relates His Sad Story, in Which He Sets Forth the Object of His Expedition, And Tells of the Happy Days Spent at Fort Conger, and of Fearful Suffering. For the purpose of obtaining some idea of the general nature and probable value of the scientific observations made by Greely at Lady Franklin Bay the returned explorer was interviewed at Portsmouth, N. H. Greely first stated the object of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition, viz.: To establish a polar station, one of the thirteen suggested by Lieut Weyprecht, of Austria, who discovered Franz Josef Land*. Simultaneous observations of all physical phenomena were to be taken. The complete programme which was to be followed was arranged by an international polar congress, in which representatives of thirteen nations took part The observations, in which the greatest possible accuracy was to be had, were those of the declination and deviation of the magnetic needle, the temperature of air and sea, the height of the barometer, and the mean and maximum rise and fall of tides. All explanations were incidental to the main objects. The expedition was fitted out under the authority of Congress; it was composed of three officers of the army, one acting surgeon, and nineteen enlisted men from the army. Stores for twenty-seven months were put on the Proteus, which left St. John July 7, 1881, with the party. She touched at Disco Island and Upernavik to procure sledges, dogs, skins, and dog food. Two Esquimaux were added to the party at Proven. A landing was made at Carey Island and the provisions cached by Nares in 1875 in the Alert were found in good condition. At Littleton Island Greely personally recovered the English arctic mail left by Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in 1876. At Carl Ritter Bay, in Kennedy Channel, a cache of provisions for use" on the retreat was made. It was the original intention to establish the polar station at Water Course Bay, but heavy masses of ice rendered Water Course Bay exceedingly dangerous anchorage. Moving to Discovery Harbor, the station was there established on the site occupied by the English expedition of 1875. The erection of a house at once commenced, and stores and equipments landed. On the 28th of August came the parting between the Greely party and the men of the Proteus. The little band gathered on a frozen shore and watched the Proteus as she steamed slowly down Lady Franklin Bay. In the evening of the same day the temperature sank below the freezing point, and the arctic icy winter was on them in earnest Their house was finished about a week after the Proteus left. It was named, in honor of Senator. Conger, Fort Conger. During the first month the cold affected the men more than at qny subsequent time at Fort Conger. Later on, in December, the temperature sank to from 50 to 65 degrees below zero, and so remained days at a time. But even in that weather the cook’s favorite amusement was dancing, bare-headed, bare-armed, and with slippered feet, on top of a snow-drift. During the day the men dressed in ordinary outside clothing, but their flannels were very heavy. Five men were generally, for a part of the day, engaged in scientific work under Greely’s direction, and in the duties of a camp. The remainder were employed generally about one hour a day, and devoted the rest df the time to amusement. All slept in bunks in the quarters, which were heated by a large coal-stove, the average heat maintained being 50 degrees above zero. Checkers, cards, chess, and reading were the amusements of the evening. The life, Greely said, was far from a lonely one. Many of the men said they had never passed two happier years than those spent at Fort Conger. On the 15th of October, the sun left them 135 days, and a twilight varying from half an hour to twenty-four hours succeeded. For two months it was so dim that the dial of a watch could not be read by it. On April 11 the sun came above the horizon and remained there 135 days, giving the party a great sufficiency of the midnight sun. During three months the stars were risible constantly, the constellation of Orion’s belt and Great Bear being the brightest. The north star looked down from almost overhead. For one standing alone outside the fort on one of these nights the scene was weirdly grand. To the north flamed the aurora borealis, and bright constellations were set like jewels around the glowing moon. Over everything was a dead silence, so horribly oppressive that a man alone was almost tempted to kill himself, so lonely did he feel. The astronomer of the party said that with the naked eye a star of 1 degree smaller magnitude than could be seen here in the same way might be discerned. The moon would remain in sight from eleven to twelve days at a time. The thermometer registered on June 30 the highest temperature at Lqdy Franklin Bay which they knew during their stay. It was 52 degrees above zero. The lowest was in February, 1883—66 below zero. In this February the mercury froze and remained solid for fifteen days. The mercury in the thermometer invariably rose during storms or high winds. The highest barometer was slightly above 21 inches, the lowest slightly below 29 inches. The greatest variations were in winter. The electrometer, an Instrument used to ascertain the presence of electricity, was set up, but not the slightest results were obtained. The displays of the aurora were very good, but not compared with those seen at Disco Island or Upernavik. As far as Greely could observe no crackling sounds accompanied the displays, and their shape was that of a ribbon. The southwesterly horizon was the quarter in which the brightest displays were seen. Nares reported in 1876 that no shadow was cast by the aurora, but Greely'says he distinctly saw his shadow cast by it. There were no electrical disturbances, save those manifested by rumbling distant thunder, heard twice, far away in the north. In the course of tidal observations made, the very interesting fact was discovered that the tides at Lady Franklin Bay came from the north, while those at Melville Bay and Cape Sabine came from the south. The temperature of this warm tide is two degrees warmer than that of the south tide of Cape Sabine. Why this was, Greely would not venture to say. He used in measuring the ebb and flow of the tide a fixed gauge, an iron planted in the mud. The average rise of spring tides at Lady Franklin Bay was found to be eight feet. At Cape Sabine the highest tides rise twelve feet. Surf was only observed twice during t two years. At Lady Franklin Bay the average temperature of the water was 29 degrees aEove zero. Wolves weighing ninety pounds were killed around Fort Conger. There are foxes and other animals there. Fish is a wonderful scarcity. Perhaps the greatest surprise of the expedition was taken from Lake Alexander, a fresh-water lake fifteen feet above the sea level, a four-pound samon. From the bay or the sea only two very small fish were taken during the entire two years, and few

are found north of Cape SabineHH] vegetation at Lady Franklin Bay is HBH the same as at Cape Sabine, and mosses, lichens, •wallows, and saxifraHHE The highest velocity of wind wasHggß tered during a terrific snowstorm, miles an hour. Lockwood.s trips north in 1882 and 1883 were most valuable results. Standing oHBH I'Jth in each year, where Dr. Hayes htHH] merly stood, at about the same time Loekwood. from an elevation of using his strongest glass on Hall's and Robeson’s Channels, could dHBH nothing but ice-packs. Here it Dr. Hayes claimed to have seen hisHl®! polar sea on the trip of 1852. LocflHE reached the highest latitude ever 83 deg. 25 min. north. This was abo-H||||| miles directly north of Lady but to get there he traveled over a iBBE sand miles of open water and HHE ken packs, frequently causing hiHHE retrace his steps fifty miles. wood sounded the sea both years beHHE Cape Bryant and Cape Britannia,HE® could not touch bottom with a hunHHE and-thirty-five-fathom line. MarkhiHH| few years before, about 100 miles wesH|||i bottom at seventy-two fathoms. LockH||||| found at his farthest north about theHss|l vegetation as at Lady Franklin Bay, bE|l| signs of a polar current or open pola:HH| In 1883 he was stopped near Cape 125 miles from Lady Fianklin Bay, open channel extending west to the EHE of Grinnell Land. The width of HEE channel varied from 200 yardHH| five miles, but on the north ESH ice-packs extended as far as be seen with a glass. With his supplMgH provisions, the failure of which had ctHE his return the year before, LockwoodHH confident he could have reached 85 HEE north if this open channel had not l.wHß|| his way. No fossil remains were diiHH||| ered on the trip, and the only ones fH| were the trunks of trees on the southHH| coast of Grinnell land. The only seaHEE male seen by Lockwood at 83 deg". 25 HU were walrus and seals, and, strange toHH| the walrus is not to be found at ]HBE Franklin Bay. At 83 deg. 25 min. thiHH flection of the magnetic needle wasMlßjj deg. west, more than one-fourth of a As far as Lockwood went the northvHH ern trend of the Greenland coast continHH The maps of the new regions he discovHH are in the possession of Lieut Greely, HH are very carefully made. All through years at Lady Franklin Bay the magiM® needle was never quiet, except duH||| storms. In February, 1883, preparatHH for the retreat were made by establish!®® depot at Cape Baird, twelve miles to BEE south. Day after day anxious men IooHH off over Lady Franklin Bay, expecting HH ice to open so that they might their journey toward home. At last, jHH 19, 1883, the welcome news that the iceHH open was brought. All had been ready, and that very day the embarked in the little steam Behind them they left their as they could not be taken. barrels of pork and some seal oil were HE for the animals. Lady Franklin Bay HE crossed to Cape Baird, a distance of tIHE teen miles, and then the western coae®i. .i Grinnell Land was followed south as faHE Cape Hawkes. Large quantities of heHE ice were met, and there was extreme dHg ger every moment that the little lauHE would be crushed. Several times all EM boats were nearly lost. The sufferingHH the men was great. They were now witHE fifty miles of Cape Sabine. Striking frHE Cape Hawkes for Bates’s Island, the paflE was caught in an ice-pack and frozen ten miles south of Cape Hawkes. In thirtHE days they drifted south twenty-five mHE on floes, suffering horribly from cold. HE they drifted to within eleven miles of CeH] Sabine, and were obliged to abandon steam-launch on Sept. 10. SB The pack now remained motionless H] three days, and several times the party HE within two or three miles of Cape only to be drifted back by southwest g/iIHI Five seals were killed and eaten while tH| party were drifting about. Eventually|H heavy northwest gale drove then by CajH Sabine within a mile of Brevoort islaniH but they could not land. On Sept. 22 thdE| arose the most terrific gale they had seen on the Arctic ocean. Their ice-ffiH was driven hither and thither by the teiHH pest and the waves washed over them agajH and again, the spray freezing to them avH causing them intense suffering. The nigiH came on. one of inky blackness; the wijH threw heavy floes together, and crash aftlH brash of the ice breaking from their ow® floe warned the men that death was near |H them. No one knew at what moment tIHJ floe might break up and the water them. The first faint light of dawn show®! that very little remained of the floe cH which they were; the. sea washed anothH close to them. Close it came, and at lasH at the word, the men succeeded in gettirH upon it. 38 The storm slowly subsided, and th«H gained land at Esquimauxpoint, near BairdH inlet, Sept. 29. Here winter quarters weH built, and scouts were sent to Cape Isabella and Cape Sabine. In a few days they reH turned, and their reports sent a thrill <H horror to every heart. At Cape Isabella an® Cape Sabine were found only 1,800 ration® and from Garlington’s records they learneH the fate of the Forteus. Every one kne® death must come to nearly all of the par® long before the ship of rescue could forcH its way into Melville Bay. Efforts werH made to sustain the spirits of the men bH lectures and light reading. Oct. 15 thS party removed to Cape Sabine. Jan. 1H Cress died of scurvy. In April the rationE issued daily had dwindled to four ounces ol meat and six ounces of bread. Man afteE man died, and all hope had fled on the daw that the blast of the whistle raised the surS vivors from the lethargy of approaching death. 1 Lieut. Greely, when asked as to his ideaiE upon the probable results of arctic exploE rations, said: “I do not think the NortlE Pole can be reached unless every circum-fl stance hitherto found to be unfavorable shouldo prove favorable to the party atS tempting to reach the pole. If it is to be done at all, it will be done by way of Fran? 8 Josef Land. It could never be reached bjß the Jeannette route. That there is an open! polar sea lam well nigh certain. This ie proved by the ice drifting out of Mussel Bay and Spitzbergen in midwinter, and by] the northern drift of the polar pack ex-I Serienced, by Pavy and Lockwood in 82| eg. 8 min. Men can stand two winters! very well at Lady Franklin Bay, but their] physical strength rapidly deteriorates. If] we had had every supply and the necessary] amount of food, we could, perhaps, have lived eight or ten years at Lady Franklin Bay.”