The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-24
THE FATE OF THE JEANETTE.

The thrilling intelligence was flashed ovei
the wires on Tuesday from away off in North
Eastern Siberia, that the greater part of the
crew of the long lost and diligently sought foI
Arctic exploring steamer jeanette had turned
up at the mouth of the Lena river on the
north east Siberian coast after the ill.fated veg
sci had been crushed III the ice, and the crew
escaping in sledges and boats, had made a
Journey of over three hundred miles, dragging
their boats over the ice great part OF the way
arriving finally in a deplorablc condition at
The mouth of the river indicated. The crew
left the wrecked Jeanette in lat II degrees Is
seconds, longitude l57 east. The catastrophe
occurred on June 18th, 1881, upon which the
crew left in boats and seds, in three parties,
and made good their retreat in company to
within 80 miles of the mouth of the Lena,
where they were separated in gale. The
whale boat, in charge of Chief Engineer Mel
Vile, with II men, reached the mouth of the
river September nth, but was stopped from
ascending it by ice. A village OF natives,
however, was found there, who rendered as.
slstance. Another OF the boats, the first cutter,
in charge of 1t. Commander De Long, with
ID men, arrived about the same time at an.
other point on the mouth of the Lena, In a de
plorable condition, short of provisions and
some of the men badly lrostbitten. Engineer
Melville at once sent word to the Russian com.
mander at Baloemga, who sent instant relief
To the Melville party and promised, Oct. Goth,
to send relief to DE Long and his party in the
first cutter, meantime sending scouts to find
them. The second cutter, In charge of Capt
Dunbar, with men, had not been heard from
when the intelligence was sent. This had
been conveyed by natives up the river through
frost and snow to lrkutsk the residence If the
Governor of Eastern Siberia, and thence trans.
United by telegraph, Dec. 2lst by way of st.
Petersburg to London, New York, &c.
OF course the deepest interest ID awakened
by the whole civilized world in the fate of the
unfortunate explorers, The Emperor of Rus
STA, on being advised Of the situation, at once
telegraphed to the Governor Of Eastern 81
IBERIA to draw for whatever amount was neces.
sary to afford prompt and effective relief. Sec.
rotary Frelinghuysen, from Washington, also
photographed to Hoffman, tho American char ge
at st. Petersburg, to make immediate provis.
ion for the relief and return of the officers and
men of the Jeanette and to draw by telegraph
for whatever amount he might need No
doubt is felt but that, when the next dispatch.
es from the mouth of the Lena get through, in.
|tcllgenCe will arrive of the safety of the other
boat and its men.
All safely gathered at the mouth of the Lena
river, however, 1t will be long and perilous
journey to make in winter even as far south
ms lrkutsk, to say nothing of getting back to
ST. Petersburg or Moscow, and thus within
reach of railroads and safe winter travel I'm
der the most favorable auspices, 1t can hardly
be expected that the survivors of the crew of
the Jeanette, whoever they may be, will get
back to their homes in America before next
July or August. 1t is great satisfaction,
however, to know that they are comparatively
afe.-at least have escaped the fate of the I'm.
happy Franklin expedition, and it is fur.
ther satisfaction to know that the great Arctic
problem of the fate of the jeanette is solved,
and that the world need give itself no further
worriment over new search expeditions on
that account.