The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-10-07
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Eating Decnyed Food and Puirid Meat
the Cause OF the Death of FrankIin's
Expedition Party.


the Cause OF the Death of Franklin's
Expedition Party.
special cablegram to the Cincinnati Com
naercial from London contains the following:
1.-THE Schwatka discoveries, the Jeanette
expedition, and polar matters generally contin-
ne the leading topics of discussion in the Eng
ish Journals. Among the latest contributions
to the literature of this subject is a letter from
Commander .Cheyne, in reply to the article in
the Standard few days ago, In which that
journal questions the taste of bringing home the
remains of Lieut. Irving Of the Franklin expe-
dition. He Commander Cheyne) expressed
his satisfaction that the bones of that officer
have been brought back by Lieut. Schwatka,
and thinks that when they arrive in England it
will be necessary to hold an inquest in order to
ascertain the callse of his DEATH In the event
Of such an inquiry being held, he declares that
ne VIII reiterate his charge against the con-
tractor who furnished the supplies, and whom
he accuses Of the murder of the Franklin
party.
Commander Cheyne has been making these
charges in lectures and addresses since the re-
turn Of the Mares expedition, but the papers
have usually left ont the name of the contract
or, fearing an action for libel. called upon
Commander Cheyne to-day. His charges
against the contractor are of the most startling
character. 1T was not the Arctic regions
says commander Cheyne, that sent Franllins
men to the next world. They were murdered
by the contractor who supplied the expedition
with preserved meats. The same contractor
supplied Sir James Ross expedition, to which
belonged and the tins labeled 'sBeef'' and ssMut-
ton" contained nothing but offal Some Of the
tins when opened contained nothing but bio
knuckles of bone. Everything belonging to
the animals was put into the tins except the
horns, hoofs and hides. The very eftrails
were there, and when they ate them, having
nothing else, they had to hold their noses, SO
offensive was the stencil. If Sir James Ross
and his party had been out another winter they
would have starved. have repeatedly in NV
lectures throughout England denounced this
contractor as murderer, and dared him to
bring an action for libel should be glad to
have him do so, for could establish the truth
Of what say -
I'm support of his statement, Commander
Cheyne quotes from Franklin and the Arctic
Regions by Simmons, the following passage
in regard to the depot ship Ployer Of Captain
More's search expedition in 184s: - V
a" After q minute examination about one
thousand pounds of preserved meats on board
the vessel were found in pulpy, decayed and
putrid state, totally unfit for mems food, and
1O,b7O pounds were thrown overheard into the
sea, as q nuisance, in July last. -oa.ss.llls
Commander Cheyne has been on three Arc.
tic expeditions. He was with Sir James Ross
when he found the relics of the Franklin ex-
pedition. At Beechy Island and elsewhere they
found tins bearing the contractors name, and
Commander Cheyne knowing the kind of pro-
visions he had previously supplied, made note
In his journal to the effect that he could fully
understand how Sir John Franklin's men had
come to their death. The same contractor had
subsequently supplied the Mediterranean fleet.
and Sir VIM. Parker, the commander con,
demned 1t at Malta" : - -F