P.W. Johnson Diary

[nipp] Ship listed considerable from the pressure of the Ice At 11.30 PM planted and at 11.45 PM exploded 5 Gunpowder Torpedos off St^d bow and 6 Gun Cotton Torpedos off St^d beam the result was as follows Gun Cotton circulare holes 4, feet in diameter with no shattering effect Gun Powder small holes and numerous small cracks While endeavoring to butt our way through the ice the Ship struck so heavy Knocking every man from under his feet and from Commander Schleys own words was sayed that he expected to see Crows nest and the mast to fall of the Ship Commander being in the crows nest at the time coming the Ship

June ^5th From 4 to 8 AM backed Engines several times but all to no purpose got out to 2 hawsers astern and made them fast to Ice floe gave 2 hawsers to the Bear and by her help and hauling on our Hawsers we backed out of the jamm and commensed running through ice making about 100 yards by 8 oklock during morning and butting and foreing away through heavy floe of ice heavier and harder than before heading through lead for Duck Island at 5.55. PM Anchored to floe followed by Bear and the Whalers anchored to same Ice floe No open water to be seen to the Nward

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June 6th Weather clear engaged in coaling bunkers from suply in main hold At 9.05 AM cast off lines and Started ahead but the Ice becomming heavy and solid had to come to again at 12 Oklock anchoring with Ice anchors to solid Ice floe This Wessel got under way butting through Ice followed by the Bear standing in for Duck Island about 1. mile distance

June 7th Clear and pleasant weather At 1.30 AM moved to Ice floe off West side of Duck Island in Company with the Bear and the Whalers during day shipping 30 tons of coal from hold to bunkers Duck Island was down on the Chart about 5-Miles to SouthWest. Mr Sebree Navigating Officer finding correct Position and marked it on the chart

June 8th At 10. AM Commanding Officer inspected the Ship and held divine Service Bright and Clear during morning Cloudy thick and foggy during afternoon Ice setting in around the Ship but leaving her a natural Harbor

June 9th Cloudy and thick snowing at times and drizzling during afternoon nothing notable occuring during day

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June 19^th Weather cloudy and cool At 10 AM [Eseercised] the Ships Company in abandoning Ship placing all Provisions in Boats and with a Crew of 7. Men found them to have about 14 inches of free board At 3,15 PM got under way stood into open water off shore and at 5.45 Pm Made fast to Ice again being unable to procede anny further From 8 to 12 PM the ship was [fast] in heavy Ice pack and slightly nipped

June 13^th

Weather cloudy and cold with occasional snow Storms At 4,30 AM hauled in lines and started ahead followed by Bear At 6,25 PM meeting impenetrable Ice stopped Engines and made fast to flow The Devils Thumb bearing South 56[degree symbol?] East. The [Scetch] [below] showing Devils Thumb in Port 7,4 09, Long 58,25 The light of the Thumb being from 600 to 700 feet

June 14^th

Weather cloudy with occasionaly snow squall, Ice opened a little from 6 to 7 AM, and in trying to force through succided only in gainring about 1 Ships length made fast to floe at 7, again got under way at 10,50 AM come to again at 11 35 AM having made about 2 miles to N^ward At 1.55 PM hauled in lines and started ahead forcing a lead through heavy pack Ice the Bear following our 420 pm we followed a NEsterly lead the Comding Officer directing the ships from Crows Nest

June 15^th

Clear and pleasant weather [hosking] way through lead to N.E. until 2. AM when meeting unpenetrable ice made fast to floe At 6.20 AM lead opened near the Arctic she and the wolf getting under way and passed through this ship got underway at 6.40 and stood up to the N.E. but only marking 1 ^1/2 mile when blocked by ice had to make fast again to ice floe At 7. AM the Aurora came up At 9 30 commanding Officer holding devine Service. after service fitteded out a Sledge for Service with Provisions and nessecery Equipment for 4, men 8 dogs for 10, days to proceede to Cape York for information in case Ship being prevented from further progress by Ice The 25000 dollers reward Offered by the United States Government for the apprehension of Greely and Party made the Whaling ships very vigourous in

Ships still forging ahead hoisted the jib and at 3.00 AM the Ship swung clear stood round at NE end of Island an made fast to small grounded ice berg keeping a sharp lookout for Greely party Comonander Schley and party went on shore visiting the cairn on South side of Littleton Island finding the canned Provvisions in Excelent condition bringing of to the ship a Tent with poles and pegs complete also 2 Kegs one containing New England Rum and ther other Alcohol each marked as follows Leut A W Greely Fort Conger Grinnel Land via St Johns Newfoundland the same being placed ther by the Proteus 2 years previous Leut Colwall found and brought of to the ship the Records of Commander Wilds Commanding the uss yankie And M Beete During afternoun got on deck 760 rations ready for landing as follows 1160 Pemmican 650 lbs Bread 22 lbs Tea 190 lbs Sugar everything was landed during night and pleaced on Littleton Island The Wind blowing a shift breeze and snowing hard The 760 Rations were eashed in the Beete on the N W side of Littleton Island

June 22^d During early morning sand records from the Beete cache ashore after taking copy of them also leaving record for the Bear and Alert it being Commander Schleys intention to cross Smith Sound over to Cape Sabine to see if anything

June 25th

At 9.AM got under way working our way through Ice pack North of Haklight Inland towards Cape Parry At 7. PM stood down through a led standing across mouth of Whale sound from Northumbererland Island to Cape Perry and morale fast at 1020 send party asshore to reastablish cairnrn and new recoreds

June 26th

Partly coming from shore At 12 got underway A 12,15 AM sighted 5 Steam Whalers John Mayen Esqumous Norwahl Cornwallis and Nova zembla bringing as a letter from Enign Chamber on board the Loch Gerry from upernewich and in return we took the Mail from them the Whalers crusing around we stood on down the West end of Wostenholm Inland through loose pack Ice The Whaler [Triune] and Aurora lying to the Ice under Saunders Island we where Steaming past them between Dalrympel Rock and Wostenholm Island for the Ice floe across the sound and made fast at 9.25 PM. Severall sledges with Natives from North Star Settlement came on board At 7.15 PM got underway Standing down the coast past Cape Atholl towards Conical Rock but at 11.45 PM we where Compelled to make fast again to large Ice Berg and by so doing carrying away our Jib boom and Dolphin Striker

June 27th

At 1.05 AM our lines got adrift from Ice berg we where steaming back and forth for a time trying to resecure her and by so doing 3 men were left on the berg but eventually we got them on board again not being able to get a solid hold in the Ice berg we steamed into a soft floe of Ice and made fast At 4.30 AM gott under way Steaming through floe of soft Ice past the Petorvich Glacier torwards Conical Rock reaching ther at 7. AM. At 8.45 cast lines off and started ahead Standing down to Cape York forcing our way through lead and heavy pack Ice but had to follow the land Ice from Cape York towards [Bushenaun ]Island and from thence to S^ward and W^ward across Melville Bay but had to come to again off 9.05 PM when we meet unpentrable Ice making fast to floe Cold and snowing all day

June 28th At 9.15 AM got underway and stood twards Southeast through open lead with unpenetrable Ice on our port beam passing many large Ice bergs and at 1 PM we had to come to again on account of Ice being to thick to butt again lying there all night At 2 PM Dr Green was called onboard the Bear in behalf off Ellison his condition bekomming critical Snowing(?) hardd nearly all day

June 29^th

At 6,55 AM got under way, and stood for[ hollilses ] SSW ramming Ice to get through a narrow strip into lead beyond getting eventually throguh standing across Melville Bay through leads in a generall Course of SSE having to force our way through strong Ice peck untill 4,40 PM wen we run into often water running to the S.E., At 11.35 - PM made fast with bow and Stern lines in a lead broadside to the floe Weather being clear and pleacant all day

June 30_th

At 9, AM standing across Melvil Bay backing in forcing a lead we splitt our Rudder very badly and at 1,50 PM came to again in order to repair our Rudder put 2 lashings on and wedged by wedges after everything being secured started ahead again at 2,55 pm steaming through loose pack Ice At 4 pm 2. Steamers being sighted from the crows nest suposing to be the Alert and Loch Garry as soon as we made them out [destingetly] we hoisted the senior Officers Pennant A 5:30 pm PM we made out the following International Signal G.L.B.T. on one of the two Vessels and hoisted in return Answers GNFW at the same time standing towards Loch Garry an Alert both of them being stuck in the Ice not being able to force away through The Thetis and the Bear by constant backing and raming eventually came

Pilote on board and stood in for the Harbor and came to ancher at 9.37 am the Commanding Officer giving strickt orders to ships Company not to have any conversation with anybody from shore about the Expedition until he arrived on board again Commander Schley going on Shore with Officiall despatshes and at 11.30 he send word off to the ship that we where at liberty to say anything we mind for Liberty was granted to the Starboard Watsh and got ship ready to recive Coal.

July 18^th Weather overcast and foggy and rain towards midnight At 8.45 AM call all hands to muster and at congratulating telegram to Commonider Schley and Officers and Crew was read The Ice Pilot Norman got 5 days leave to go to his home crew coaling Ship At 7.30 P.M. the USS alert came in and anchered astern of this Ship Commanding Officer Cummings on board

July 19^th Cloudy and thick weather engaged in coaling Ship

July 20^th Pleacent weather at 10 am the appended general order was read aloud to Officers and men at generall muster USS Thetis St Johns Newfoundland July 19^th 1884 General Order The object for witch this Expedition was fitted out having been successfully

acomplished and approved by the Honerable Secretary of the Navy the Commanding Officer avails himself of the opportunity to gain his thanks congratulation and obligations to [those] of his superiors

Greely relief was mad possible first by the promptest activity and unveried energy of the Honerable Secretary of the Navy and Honorable Secretary of War secondly by the unceasing vigilance and readines of Officers and men their activity in responding to orders their cheerfullnes at all time day or night in the performance of the duties wich demanded promptues endurance and courage. My confidence grew daily in wishing that the spirit in thos who fitted this expedition had been caught up by the Officer and men who were to use it to acomplish its important duty Signed WSS Schley Command Comds

July 21^st Weather over cast fogg and rainy during day At 1230 Loch Garry signalled permision to get under way Ansuerd Yes at 12.50 she got under way and stood out of Harbor of St Johns At 11 PM wind increasing to moderate gale from S.E. and we had to drop our port Ancher