Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-10-31
From the Philadelphia Ledger of Oct. %.
THE FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANK.
LIN,

LII N.
The reported discovery of tho remains
of FrankIin's unfortunate Arctic expedi.
ton, seems to be confirmed by the dis.
patches Of Mr.. Rae 10 Sir George Simp.
SON of the Hudson Bay Company. Mr..
Rae went out 10 June, 1863, on land
expedition, to find some evidencca Of the
fate of Franklin. He returned in Aug.
ust last to York factory, bringing certain
information that the expedition lost their
ships BY being crushed in the ice, while
making their way to Fish River, one OF
the tributaries OF Back iivcr,n near the out.
let of which the parties appear 10 have
perishcd. The place designated is abou.
latitude Gs, and longitude 05 west from
Greenwich. II. is nearly seven degrees of
latitude south OF Wellington Channel, e,
where the last traces Of franklin were
fonnd, four years. ago, in the graves Of
several Of his men. buried in 1S45 '4G.
II was through this channel that Sir John
is supposed to have forced his way north
into the Polar sea. Nearly all the cx.
pedi,ions fitted out, have, under this DC.
lief, explored regions too far north, The
land expedition which went out in 1S4s,
was too far west, having followed thc
Mackenzie river from the same lake
which the Back river starts from running
east.
Capt. Austin, who investigated the re.
gion Of Lancaster Sound in 1850, con-
cluied that the missing expedition had
not been TO the southwark and westward
of Wellington Channel. Yet at this ve'
ry time Franklin's party were suffering
the pangs Of starvation some seven de
crees south Of Lancaster Sound, having
probably been carried down Prince Re
gents Inlet past Lancaster Sound by lh'
/ ice. The evidences Of the destruction ol
/ Sir John and his party are said to be Ger
tain, the natives had in their possession
various articles belonging 10 the cxpedi
,ion, Including several spoons aud fork S
with the commanders initial upon them
Death by starvation is the fate that ha
been generally predicted Of the party
though it was not generally believed tha
they had pershej so early.
The expedition lef, Shcerness, Eng
land, on the 26th of May, ls45, with
fall comPl ement ofl3s men. The frs
. expelition which went in search of ii wa
in lS4s. Il was in three divisions on
westward BY Behring'S Straits, unde
Capt. kvllet;, and Lieut.. Moore, whie
sutyeye.! fem Poin, Barrow to the Mac
kenzie river. Another, the eastern dlvi
sion under Sir John Ross, reached Leo
poli harbor, mouth Of Prince Regent
Inlet, where it wnterei, The succeed
: ins spring i, was driited out by ic
,h.ou h Lancaster Sound into Balin'
, Bay. The third expedition was boa
, expedition, under Lieutenant John Rich
arIson, which followed the course ol til
rivers and lakes through the Hudson
4. Bav territories, and penetrated 10 til
r mouth of the Mackenzie river. Mr.. Johl
Rae, who has made the recent discovery
) Of the remains Of the expedition, was en-
} gagged for three successive years in eXPIo
} ling the lands and islands north OF Cop
!, perminc river, farther west.
Captains Collins anil Nc Ciure wer
dispatched in 1850 to Behring's Strait:
Mcclure was frozen in near Behring'
Island, and compelled TO abandon hi
u ship. Kclett, who had become attache
1 TO another expedition, reached Melvill
u Island, having penetrated by Davis
Straits. There "a travelling party lror
) Kellet,'s discovered Mcclure ust as h
. was about to abandon his vessel. 1t wa
5 this expedition which demonstrated thT
the long sought for northwest passag
IS was no delusion.
In the same year, 1850, an expeh
ton sailed Of four vessels, two steamer
- and two sailing vessels, under Caplai
Austin, who investigated the region roun
and beyond Lancaster Sound. Tw
other vessels left at the same time, vi
der Captain Penny, on the same exped
r. ton. simultaneously with these, thft
If other expeditions, fitted out by priva
is enterprise, entered Lancaster Sound
is One was the American expedition SCI
ne out by Mr., GrinneIl the second We
ly sci sent out by Sir John Ross the 8
ly one equipped by Lady franklin, unde
cd Capt. Forsyth.
la The next expedition (ls52) was
eu five vessels, fitted out under the impre
sion that franklin had passed throut
H. Wellington Channel. The Prince A
III bert was also sent to explore Prince r
40 gents Inlet, as half way down that inl
n large denot of provis,ons hal ho,