Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-08-02
THE JEANNETTE.

No weird legend of the Norseland.
no tale of Indian lore and adventure, no
spectral poesy of Longfellow, or ex-
aggerated lmaginlngs OF Verne will
ever have greater charm and facination
for the general reader than the simple
stories OF searches for polar sea.
So large and generous have been his
views and his liberality in fitting out
the Jeanette that there has been none
of the incredulity and jeers from the
press which assailed Mr. James Gordon
Benefits African expedition under
Stanley. If his object in expending
so much money is to advertise his Her
aid. then his advertisement Is OF such
princely nature that it stiles criticism.
AS for US, we are disposed to look upon
Bennett as big hearted. brave. enter
prising, generous American gentleman.
His magnificent newspaper ls the admi-
ration and wonder of the world. His
sports are regal ones. His African ex-
pedition was great success despite
reams of adverse criticism. In his diff
ticulty with May, the quiet resting under
uumerited censure and bitter slander
from the jackals OF the press. marked
him as too proud to explain. and too
generous to revenge himself, which he
could so easily have done. Rather than
seek for mean motives why not look for
noble ones. Because man is engaged
in printing newspaper is no reason
why he should not have purely generous
impulses. 1t is true that membership
in the art preservative is not of itself
deservedly passport into decent socie-
ty or the company of gentlemen. 1t is
true that the vicious and the disreputa-
BILE largely recruit its ranks, and pollute
with falsehood and carelessness and
ignorance profession which deserves
the best aspirations of the best men;
but it Is also true. that among its num-
bers it has counted in America its Ray
monds. Jennings. Marbles. Greeleys.
Bryants. Pollards. Forsythes. Prentices,
Curtises. Halsteads. Wattersons. and
last, but not least. Its Bennetts-men
who have LETT their imprint upon the
pages of time in messages OF good to
their fellow men. Peace to their names
when they shall all have passed away,
and honor to their work, and to none
more honorable distinction than to
"Jim" Bennett.
But we digress from Benefits ship
to Bennett. We announced two weeks
ago that the Jeanette had sailed, July
9Th, for the Arctic regions, by way OF
Behring strait, and we wish to lay before
our readers. a description OF the ship.
her crew and her destination.
The Jeanette is bark rugged. screw
propeller, of 42O tons, and 200 horse
power. She has been thoroughly re-
fitted while lying at San Francisco. Hel
boilers and most of her machinery are
new and Of the best material. Her
spread OF canvas is very large. Hel
bows are filled with solid timber, and
stanchlons. Knees and Flanking are
added wherever strain can come in
her struggles with the ice. Iron plates,
extra boilers, duplicate machinery. ICE
saws; coverings and Innings Of severa
thicknesses OF felt and canvas a warm
! and solid portable deck house. ane
every convenience that observation anC
experience can suggest have been add
ed to her equipment. Her rudder ant
can be unshipped IN moment to avoit
l the pressure of the tremendous ice foes
+ that she will have to encounter. A snug
warm crows nest is provided for th'
r lookout; sleds, boats, boat-sleds, tents
camp equipage, scientific instruments
and books, prepared food, especially
canned fresh meats, vegetables ant
, fruits, are in abundance. A forge,
large pair of bellows, anvils, iron. steel
nails. spikes, and timbers enough almos
to rebuild the ship are also on board
Y A long plank is conveniently swung OF
r the deck, where six months ratlons ar
s constantly kept. that if a sudden crus
= of ice we're to squeeze the ship together
r these might be slid out upon the ice o.
n the plank. The medical stores ar
j, abundant. and include supply of beer
j. ale, brandy and wine. Little or no sal
meats are found in the stores. Thre
barrels of lime juice are among tn
l. anti-scorbutics, and the greatest pre-
!. cautions have been taken that the grea
). curse of former expeditions, scurvy
Al shall be rendered impossible of occur
renee. The doctors cabin is so we
furnished that it has the appearance {
well supplied drug store. Three hur
II dred gallons OF alcohol are among th
at stores, to be used as fuel on sledge joul
!. neys. Steel bear traps, harpoon gunt
at full whaling gear. small arms and on
r brass gun form the armament of the We!
y sell. The small arms consist of Win
Is chester, Remington and Snider rifel
/ double -barreled shot guns and revolver
- =, of the latest patterns.
ir The crew was recruited with th
> greatest care, candidates for position 1
it being subjected to the most rigorou
d examination. In New York three hur
u dred men applied to Lieut.. DeLong, an
- out of this number only ten passed tn
to required examination. and at San Frar
ut cisco the fourteen selected were froI
: among two hundred and fifty applicant!
a. very nearly all of whom. no doub
thought themselves physically fit tor an
voyage. Three Cinnamon are OF th
ss company as servants. The crew wa
he not selected from the navy, but wa
= chosen for physical perfection and fret
dom from taint OF disease, and with a
se eye to their ability to withstand colo
~ ~ AS far as possible they were taken frol
,r northern nativity; special stress bein
Is laid upon the respiratory initiation {
. : each. Not more than five of them al
., native Americans. the majority beiD