The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-01
Is the Jeanette Safe.

Mr.. Benefits exploring vessel, the jean
nette. 1t would not be reasonable, after
considering all the facts relating to hes
to suppose that she is in the slightest
peril In the first place, in spite of all
reports to the contrary, she is strong and
well fitted for the undertaking. She
was purchased by Mr.. Bennett OF Allen
Young, who was with McClin:ock, the
Artic explorer, and is himself one of the
most experienced Artic navigators.
When her owner parted with her, it was
with so much confidence that he offered
to take her back at the selling price at
the end of the three years of expected alb
sence. Lieutenant belong had her put
at once into dry dock, and became salts
fed by boring that she was perfectly
sound. Aft the mlzzenmast she is
almost entirely Of mahogany. Her hull
is sheathed with Australian ironwocd
four inches in thickness. She is so
modelled as to rise easily from the water
when nipped by the ice, wherein lies the
chief danger to all vessels traversing Ar
tic regions Her form is therefore as
great an element of safety as her supe-
rior strength. Previous voyages have
tested her capacity thoroughly. Three
times she was nipped in Melville Bay
with such force as 10 be raised several
feet above the surface of the water, but
she escaped without suffering the slight
est damage She was further strength
ened against ice pressure by having ten
feet of her bow filed in with solid dead
wood, heavily bo.ted, just before leaving
San Francisco. These are some of the
qualities which the Jeanette possesses,
and which will stand her in good stead
in oil the trouble she is likely to have in
the region of perpetual snow and
ice. 1t is probable that no ship ever
left on similar mission better fitted to
encounter the incidental hardships and
with powers of strength and endurance
better able to survive item.
The intentions of the commander of
the Jeanette seem to have been misap-
pretended. His design was to move
slowly and discreetly. He only meant
to make Wransel Land before the close
OF the last season, and establish himself
at some convenient point thereon for the
Winter. This Summer he was to ex-
plore and take his vessel up along the
shore of Wrangel Land, never leaving it
nor allowing himself 20 be drawn away
from it into into dangerous ocean cur
rents. His supreme effort to reach the
Pole was to be made at the earliest pos
sible moment in the Spring or Summer
of 1881. Even then he had 10 thought
of taking his vessel away from the sohd
land, on which he placed his
chief reliance. His northward trip was
to be made with sledges only, striking
boldly out from the northernmost point
of Wrangel Land, should he happen to
find that unknown region to be an
island of limited area, over the vast sur
face of the frozen ocean extending to-
ward the Pole. That there is danger i'll
carrying out such plans is obvious, but
it is rather to the hardy adventures
than to their vessel. 1t is further evil
dent that whatever peril there may be,
it has not yet been encountered. 1t Is
as yet remote and intangible.
The needless alarm secris to have
risen from the report OF the returned
whaleis, who saw the smoke Of the Jean
nette, and thought they perceived The
course she was pursuing. There were
two weeks of fine weather after his,
during which time she might have ma
terially changed her position, and had
abundant opportunity to get into safe
Winter quarters. The deserted whalers
are supposed to be somewhere near the
point where she was last seen, which
may be hundred miles from where she
now is. AS one mile in the frozen zone
is as ten in temperate ATTITUDES, the ex-
plorers may know nothing of the neigh
borhood of their imperiled countrymen.
Should they be nearer than this est
mated distance, and should they all come
together, q serious inroad would be
made on the stores of the Jeanette,
which would render her premature re-
turn to lower lAtitudes necessary. Such
q contingency, however, seems impossi-
BILE.
But who, it may be asked, is response.
BILE for sending men into these cold
northern waters in pursuit Of the retreat
ing whales in ships that may be merci-
4 L.