New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-07
THE FATE OF THE JEANETTE.

no TRACE FOUND OF TIL NJ SsING VEssEL-THE
PRELIMINARY REPORT OF 1IlE CAPTAIN OF THE
cCRwIN RECEIVED At THE TREASURY DE-
PARTMFNT.
WAsHINGTON Nov G.-The preliminary report of
The recent cruise OF the steamer COrwin, in
Alaskan waters, was received at the Treasury De-
partment yesterday, having been dated at San
Francisco OctOber22. The report, after stating III
detail the attempts to land upon Her
aid Island and Wrangcl Land and after
naIrating the incidents of the landings
finally made, including the raising of the American
flag on Wrangell Land, takes up directly the subject
of the Jeanette, and says:
As the first object of Captain Longs voyage seems
70 been 70 land and explore WraDgcl Land IL TO
be presumed that had he succeeded Ia reaching al ALL
he would have left exploring party In view OF these
facts believed that the Jeanette did not reach the
reached any part of IT, did remain long enough
make any extended explorations Il seems equally clear
Thai accident befe the vessel while ih the vicinity OF
Terad Island Wrange Land both from the absence of
any record at those places and from The fact
thit we reasonably certain from our own Observa-
tOus and tho reports OF the natives with whom we com
av SSrt Of The coast OF Siberia between Cape Jakan
AID East Cape or between Cape Prince OF Wales
aid the Mackenzie River the American
side nor have they passed along either coast in the yes
sell We have been unable TO discover the slightest trace
OF her people although during our two seasons IN
TIE Arctic we have cruised distance Of about 10000
miles and examined every accessible part OF the sea
sble 70 penetrSe~ over 1000 miles Of coast ne.
addition to this the has been traYescd each year
from June 10 September by a hcet Of twenty whaling
vessels each Of which has constantly Kept lookout
nom the masthead, scanning tie in all directions
rith the glass, and with the same results.
appears, from letters written by Captain Dc Long
,fteY sailing from San Francisco and published In the
naucrs that in the event OF ndng himself carried the
resward against his efforts to get north hO would try
coast OF Greenland II far enough north II SOUTH by
cav OF Lancaster Sound and Melville Bay. Taxing into
ronsideration the position Of the Jeanette when last
seen the almost absolute certainly tnat she dd not
maze an extended stay at WraDgeH Land or Herald
IsIsnd N sue reached those places at ALL and the
reasonable supposton that she met wlth no accident
rurug the first winter ut least, that necessated the
dcserton of the vessel t strongly probable tat
s1e entered the pack northeast OF Herald Island ana
Eas carried by northeasterlY direction lbIs De
Ing the case IN OF fact that not one OF all the
whale ships that have from time 10 tlne IN
the history ocean, been carried nortn III the
pack has drifted TO the southward again. ana Know
Ing as we do from tho testimony Of every Arctic nay-
gator how futile would be any attempt To resist inc
Of the pack when fairly Ia mOtOn, we may
think, conclude that Jelnnette VIII not return ny
way Of Behring Strait out will continue 10 move
toward the north and east, and, although captain
De Long will undoubtedly advantage OF every ead
In the endeavor 10 carry out his original plan OF making
the coast OF Greenland or Melville Sound his move
ments will he controlled almost entirely by the drIt OF
the ice Should he therefore, maze the land 20 Ihc east
by certain that IL would be at either OF INC
places named.
la the event OF the ships becomin hopeessy embaycd
after drifting to the northeast during the winter and 10
became necessary abandon they would doubtless
make for land which might be the continent
between Cape Bathurst and Point Barrow, at Banks
Land. Melville Island Prince Pstrick's Land. III on
tae continent they could communicate with the Signal
service party at Point Barrow. under the comman Of