The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-06
Death of a Noble Woman

| Lady Jane Griffin Franklin, the ven
erable widow of Sir John Franklin,
whose death was announced by cable a
| few days ago, deserves to rank in his
tory as one of the most remarkable
women of this or any other age She
was born in 1902, and was 26 years of
| age when she become the second wife of
| Sir John Franklin, the DISTINGUISHED
English navigator and Artic explorer.
| When Sir John was appointed governor
] OF Van Dleman's Land, in 1886, Lady
| Franklin accompanied him, where she
remained until lS42. She took an ac-
tive interest in all her husbands enter
prises, and assisted him greatly in his
preparations for the fatal voyage of dis
| covery to the north pole. This expe-
d1tion started in May, 1916, on the
Terror and Erebus, but never returned.
For several years no intelligence of the
expedition reached England, and a
majority of the people came to the con-
clusiOn that it had been lost and all on
board had perished. But Lady Frank.
lin was not of the number. She clung
to the hope that her husband still lived,
and that, although perhaps wrecked in
the Arctic seas, he had found home
among the Esquimaux, and would
eventually be rescued. She besought
the government to send out an expe-
dition in search of the explorers. Sew
eral expeditions went out, both from
England and America, and in 1850 Lady
Franklin herself fitted up an expedition
to join in the search. It was not until
1854, however, that any tidings came
back from the frozen zone. In that
year DIR. Rea found some relics of the
lost navigators, but they were only suf-
fcient to demonstrate that the vessels
had been crushed in the ice, and to dis
pei all hopes for the safety to the crew.
But Lady Franklin refused to believe
the inevitable, and again in 1857 fitted
up the steamer Fox, and placed it under
command of Capt. McClintock. In the
summer of 1859, Capt. McClintock dis
covere on the shore of King Williams
Land record deposited in cavern by
the survivors, of Franblin's company.
The document, dated April 25, 1S48,
stated that Sir John Franklin had died
on the 11th of June, 1847 that the Ere
bus and Terror had been abandoned on
April %, 1S48, when the survivors, los
in number, started for the great fish
river. Other relics were discovered
that tended to confirm this statement,
when the Fox returned to England.
Lady Franklin was now compelled to
abandon all hope of again seeing her
husband alive. But she still hoped
that some of the crew would be found
who could give an account of his last
moments, and perhaps give to the world
the result of the expedition. Up to the
day of her death she never wearied of
patrOnizing expeditions to the north
pole, and took an active interest in all
such explorations. When the expedi-
tiOn from Portsmouth started for the
Arctic region few weeks ago, Lady
Franklin, although feeble III health,
was present to see the ships off, and
cent words of kindly encouragement
to the crew. One of her sons accom-
panied the expedition.
In her search for some relics of her |
lost husband, Lady Franklin expended |
her entire fortune, and died Compare
lively poor. She was esteemed by all |
who knew her for her many charities |
and great personal worth. The world |
has lost a brave, good woman, whose |
devotion to her husband is almost with
out parallel i'll history, but vino, in the
midst of her own great grief, did not |
forget the woes of others. Not only |
England, but the whole world will |
noarn her death and speak words of
praise in her memory.