The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1881-07-23
LOST IN THE ARCTIC.
Fate q the ant. WOllastou''
and ssviellant."

vessels belonged to The whaling fcet Of
1879 and the last authentic information ~
70 their whereabouts was received by the
bark Sea Breese. which arrived here on
the 9Th Of November, 1879 which reported
- having LEFT them on the whaling ground
on the 18th Of October, IN which date the
Sea Hfeeze sailed for home. Since that
date various have been the theories and
surmises - to the fate Of the vessels, the
popular theory being that they were shut
In by the Ice, and failing 70 get down, had
driftcd northward toward Wrangle Land,
where finding safe shelter, they had an.
chored, and 4 would be only matter Of I
short time until they would be succored by
other whalers Or by the Arctic search.ship
Jeanette. Last year the United States
Revenue Cutter Corwin was dispatched
north fitted out as relief ship to se,rch
for!tl,e Jeanette and the missing wha'ers,
and after cruise Of several months the
Corwin returned without having dis.
covered any trace Of them. Captain Kelly
says: .Tt,ers Il no doubt in the world that
the vigiiant and Mount Wollastan are Lost.
While we were At Cape North on the
Asiatic side come natives came abroad and
informed " that last November they had
discovesed . ship party under the ice and
tuSl VI WOlGSS oSNettSB AUOOS ~ SssS SJSGSCy VI
wind and wave.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
That on going aboard Of the vessel they
found her deck strewn with wl,alebone and
three dead bodies, while IN the cabin were
the remainss Of others who had persisted,
In addition to bomb.guns, lances, etc. A
bag Of American silver coin was also
found, which, with bomb. gun, q portion
Of box Of bomb lances and broken spy.
glass, the natives brought ashore with
them. They also spoke u the end Of the
flying jibboom being ornamented with
pair Of deer antlers, which proves con.
clusively the fate OF the Vigilart, as she
was the only vessel Of the whole fleet
which WIS ornamentfd with antlcrs, q
trophy which was won by her hardy crew
in some rowing match. The bodies found
on deck were very much swollen, and had
fallen out OF what the natives termed box.
e, but what we think must have been
bcrths built on deck. Heavy weather had
evidently been encountered as the mizzen.
mast had been cut away. TO the westward
OF the Vigilant about eighty miles dsiitcd
another water. logged vessel, which was be.
yond doubt the l.fated Mount Wollaston,
which accompanied the Vigilant. This
vessel the natives also visited, and the
same sad scene of death and DISSOLUTION
greeting them, they hurriedly departed for
land, intending to visit both ships again
the following day, but a wind sprung up
and drifted the vessel Tar oil shore and out
Of sight.
Captain Kelly thinks the, .Jeannette" is
still safa. and that the ship or crew at least
will turn up during the present open sea.
son.
The following private letter received BY
the Tho'pas Pope, confirms the intclli.
gsnce = 70 the lDss Of the whaless:
| u SsREvEN6e STEAMER sCoRwlN."
Ploser Bay Silfris), june IS, 1851. ]
The hnrk Toni Popd + here and sail"
| tor San Francisco tomorrow. She has
| .filled up" with wl,alebone and oil already,
ard is going home. We left Ouna:aska
Msy .sd, touched at the Seal islands the
| 23d, ard reached st. Lawrence island the
aSth. EutareA the Atctic May goth, and
on the I'd Of June host our rudder in the
ice, in latitude s. deg. 10 min. north
longitude l76 deg. IS min. swcst, and had
to steer for several days with jury rudder
We have since repaired the old one and j,
lis, now! nearly as nod - new. The same
dag that VIC lost oar ssu1dee We landed 3
party consisting OF First Lieutenant Her
ring, Third Lieutenant Reynolds, one sea
nan ami two natives, equipped with TWEEN
Y'hve dogs tour steos, two month''
'ations. arms, ammunition. plenty OF tu'
clothing, u mt and skin boat, with in
structions to explore the coast Of Asia a,
Tar north as Cape joachim tor tidings Of tn,
Jeanette, and also 70 investigate . renhg
that Is in circulation among the natives I
the effect that 4 party Of seal hunters ffok
the vicinity Of Cape North while huntin,
seals on the ice some time last November