Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-10-30
Life of Sir John Franklin.

The following particulars If the biography OF
the distinguished navigator, the discovery of
whose unhappy fate has engaged the attention
so much of late, find in the New York Post /:
Sir John Franklin, who at a very early age
manifested the adventurous spirit that character
lied his later career. born in Spilsby, in Lin
colnshire, in l7S6. The evident bent of the
boys mind for a sailors life,nof meeting with the
fathers views, he was sent on voyage To Lisbon
In n merchant vessel, in hopes the reality would
operate rs a cure The attempt failed. aud at the
age of II he entered the British navy amdship-
man, on board the Polypbemus, in which capacity
he served at the battle Of Copenhagen. In 1903
he accompanied his relative, Captain Flinders,
on a voyage of discovery to the South sea-. and
was shipwrecked on the coast of New Holland.
He afterward singnal officer on the Bellero-
phon (the ship on board which Napoleon took
refuge in 1850 at the battle OF Trafalgar. and
in 1914 served rs lieutenant upon the Bedford
which carried the allied soverelgns 10 England.
In 1918 he wus Mt the attack upon New Orleans,
which ended so tisastrously for the British, and
won considerable reputation by the capture OF hin
Amercon guu-boat In Isis he WAS appointed
tn the command of the brig Trent, which formed
part of the Polar Expedition under Captain Blu
chan. lie afterwards held command in the ex-
petition of Ross and Parry, at which time he ex-
amned the coast as far north as Cape Turnagain.
Is degrees 30 minutes north latitude and re-
turned to England in 1s22, after having suffered
great hardships and privations, and was only
saved from death by the kindness OF the Esqu-
maux.
Promoted to the rank Of post captain in 1925,
in company with the same parties he undertook
a second voyage to the Polar seas. aud examined
the coast between the Mackensie and Copper
mine rivers lie returned in 1927, having reach
ed 20 deg. 30 min. north latitude and $50 deg.
west long, and knighted by George ". in
Gcknow Judgement of his services. In 1880 he
was in command of shp-of-the line i'll the NJ ed
iteranean, and was afterwards sent as Governor
to Van Dieman's Land. from which post he
recalled in 1913. Early in IS45 he returned TO
England, and was at once appointed to the com
mand of the expedition to the Polar seas, from
which he never returned and which was expec-
ted to add largely to the stock of geographical
knowledge aud that of the laws which govern the
magnet The Erebus and Terror, the two ships
with which the younger Ross, i'll 1889, had made
his celebrated voyage to the Sonth Polar seas,
were rapidly fitted up with everything necessary
for the service. aud with the distinguished Off
GERS Capts. Croker and FitzjaNes, who were
lected by Sir John himself, the expedition left
England on the 10Th of May of that year. 1t
spoken by several whale ships on the 18th of July,
and ON the 26th of the same month WAS seen for
the last time in Mevie's Bay. lat. II north,
long. Sc 10 west from Greenwich.
Fears respecting the missing navigators be-
came general III England IN 1917, and since that
period several expeditions have been fitted out
there, as well as one from this country, for tho
purpose of either rescuing ascertaihing the
fate or Sir John and his companions. They have
Nil returned without success. The only traces
hitherto discovered have been the graves of three
of the party, and some empty cans used for con
tanning preserved meats, such as furnished
the expedition. The searches instituted at the
request of the English by the Russian govern
fh.A
has met with no result. But the veil seems a
bout to he lifted, and should the report of DIR.
Rea, which has reached us from Canada prove
correct, we shall soon probably know all that
can ever be known of Sir John Franklin and
those under his command.