The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-11-04
A Terrible Accusation.
FRANKLINs COMPANIONS STARVED TO DEATH
BY UNWHOLE ONE FOOD.

FRANKLINs COMPANIONS STARVED TO DEATH
BY UNWHOLE ONE FOOD.
The researches of Lieut. Schwatka on the
track of Franklin's expedition, and the finding
by him of many relics of the officers and crew,
have revived the question of the cause of the
death of the whole of the members of that dis
astrous expedition. Commander Cheyne. of
the British navy, who served as a midshlpman
under Sn James Ross, in the search for Frank
lin in 1850, has written several letters to the
London papers and now writes one to the
New York Herald, declaring that "Franklin's
companions were starved to death by the con-
tractor who supplied preserved meats, or rath-
err preserved filth, to the Erubus and Terror"
He cites his own experience with Sir James
Ross, and the experience of Others in subse
quent Arctic exploring expeditions, in con-
firmation of his terrible charge He alleges
that the contractor who supplied Sir John
Franklin's expedition in 1916 also supplied
with preserved meats the first searching expe-
dition under Sir James Ross
what was our experienced" he says? "In
very many instances eight-pound tins labeled
roast beef and roast mutton were found to
contain nothing but bones. Meat tins contained
rotten vegetables, but never the reverse. The
public will hardly credit the statement when I
say that the whole of the animals were pre-
served in tins excepting the horns, hoofs and
hides the very entrals and contents were pre-
served for our subsistence during an Arctic
voyage, when no other provisions could be
procurable. Often were we, in the midship-
mems mess of her Majesty's ship Enterprise,
compelled to hold our noses while we ate our
dinners SO great was the STENCIL and often al
so, when the daily rations served out were ia
ken on the quarterback for survey and con-
demnation, Sir James Ross's answer would
be, IF l condemn those might condemn half
the provisions in the ship, and then we should
simply starve."
Another Arctic ship, the Plover, sent after
ward in search of Franklin, condemned and
threw overheard, in one day in the Arctic
Seas, 10570 pounds weight of preserved meats
in putrid state from the same contractor. At
Gibralter and Debtford survey of similar
meats from the same meats from the same
source led to their instant condemnation
Their condition, according to Commander
Cheyne, was "abominable." He adds "What
large quantities of his provisions were thrown
overheard from her Majesty's ship Herald in
Arctic regions doubtless Captain Bedford
Prim can and will disclose. Sufficient for me
to say that when serving in her Majesty's ship
Resolute, on Captain Austin's expedition, my
eyes lighted upon this contractors name on
the empty tins lying about the beach at Beechy |
Island, the first winter quarters of Franklin, |
knew at once that starvation must have done |
its work, and that Franklin party fell victims,
not to the severity of an Arctic climate, but to |
this mans cupidity."
The name of the contractor is not given, and |
as thirty-five years have elapsed since Frank |
lin set out on his Inflated expedition, it seems
probable that he is not now living But in |
view of the representations that must have
been made, both to the British admiralty and |
to the war office, in regard to the character OF
these meats, it can only be inferred that the |