EXECUTIVE MANSION, _January 17, 1884_.
_To the Senate and House of Representatives:_
I transmit, for the consideration of Congress, a communication from the
Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, on the subject of an
expedition for the relief of Lieutenant A.W. Greely and his party,
composing what is known as the "Lady Franklin Bay Expedition," which was
sent to the arctic regions in 1881 under the provisions of the acts of
Congress approved May 1, 1880, and March 3, 1881.
In the plans for the relief of this party, as arranged with Lieutenant
Greely, it was contemplated that an effort would be made to communicate
with him and furnish him any needed assistance in 1882 and again in
1883.
Subsequently legislation was enacted which required the expedition of
1883 to bring the party home. It was a part of the arrangement that
if communication should not be made with him on or before the 1st of
September, 1883, he should, with his party, abandon his station at
Lady Franklin Bay not later than the above-mentioned date and proceed
south-ward, and would find a well-supplied relief station at the
entrance to Smiths Sound, a point where it would not be difficult
to reach him during a part of each year. The expeditions of 1882 and
1883 were sent, but neither one of them was able to communicate with
Lieutenant Greely; and the last one failed to accomplish any part of
its object beyond leaving a very small quantity of stores in the
neighborhood of the entrance to Smiths Sound.
The situation of Lieutenant Greely and his party under these
circumstances is one of great peril, and in presenting the preliminary
views of the board appointed by me to take into consideration an
expedition for their relief I urgently recommend prompt action by
Congress to enable the recommendations of the Secretary of War and the
Secretary of the Navy to be carried out without delay.