The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-15
ARCTIC EXPLORATION.
A Description of the Now Famous
Jeanette and sser crew.

THE CONDITION or THE MISSING VESSELS
THE ARGUMENTS FOR An OPEN POLAR SEA
ANOTHER RELIEF EXPEDITION SUGGESTED.
Especial Correspondence of The Chicago lr'oune'l
o,y FRANCISCO. CAL. Decenb ~ &c. The
recent meeting OF several dist'ngul'neo
whaling clpiainS with the members of the
| Academy OF Science In this city, and the
nuucrou. specuaii0as then proDOscd rs To
the whereabouts Of the Jeannette, and of
fhc missing whalcrS Vigilant and Mount
WollA>tpn. haye generated new inter
est in Arctic eXplorI'inns, and scraps OF
news about the missing vessels are
| everywhere bang a"Xiou>tv looked Tor
and read. S,n Franci.co pns>e,-eS Pc
culiar advantages for the obtaining
OF information from the flr Norm. sHu-
| atcd upon the Pacific. with numerous YES
| Sols arriving Cy"ry season from Ala>ka ana
! the region, OF the arc ic. her scientific men
have unusual oup1riuni'ir> Tor Tue exam.
naunn of log boots; and. NV the study oi
winds. currents, apd other pbyS'cll c'nd-
lions. are enauirJ ~ discuss more intell-
| oen'iv the VarioVs theories of Polar lnNF~-
Igation which on every SIDE are proposed
| In the his ory II Arctic eXpl0rlilnns proOa-
| bly never was 4 vessel more comne'tN
equipped for the purpose intended 'han
was 10, Jelnnrtc. Originally the Hrlll'n
ship Pandora, >he went through ihP hand>
OF wO or tBrce owners 1tiofe oeln%
uurrh1.ed by Hr. Bennett for the en-
lierpri>c in which she r. nov engaged;
LAND previous ~ her depnr iIrc from san
Francisco WIS thOrongniy oyerhauled ut the
lnayy.yard at Mare l.lind. Lying at the
whrf. ihe vessel was rak>h ~ KING crit
M 700 tons hurdpu, beng li3 feet Tong,
WIN - feet neam. aud drawing l6 feet OF
wafer Nn,u fuiiV loaded. In rl@ she was
called u balkrnilnc. hrVing three m1.t> aud
rolling ton>a l.: and du ing the run oi 100
d,Ns from London 10 this port was easily
managed ~ the mldSi OF heavy galeS. As
the Arcilc >rs~On l. brief, she WAS provided
also WITT boierS and ser ~: aud nus 1t was
intended tnrt Stcam-noNcr So0uid te utll"
iZcd ~ henevrr the eXigencIes OF The occl-
sion would demrDd.
THE CREw or THE JEANETTE.
The crew numbered twenty bve men f"f-
ward and ri.bi ablft, and. in the selection
of me sImr great care w1s exercised. Lieu
tenant De Long, himself about thirty eight
years OF age, n'arls SIX feet bigh ana vet
propoItioneG. npd with nearly twenty yelr>'
experience ~ the navy, was peculiar'y TT ed
for the duiv above mpniiOued; an0 the
choice of his men was net the least Gifhcult
task which the daring commander was
IcaIIed up n TO D rfnrm. Every man was
la volunteer. Tbele were enough aD'
plIcaots te man an entire hrct or
TO coloniza Ahsk,. scores ot j l'y lars.
llawycT>. pbvSlcrars. je1cDers. and men OF
Iothcr grades. we've willing to Offer their ser
vices, pr"yIhed they would be financially
,pcompen>ed: whuc Others were wiling 10
endure tue hardSGip- nt northern trlp fnr
. ibe Glory Of II alone. Some OF these men
had never been to sea: some had hoPn
around the world; some had Spen, the best
mart ni their live> nn tue bTiny deep. some
had suggestions - 10 the duties OF the com
mandef: some h d peculiar theories whiCh
Ithey wished to have tested: some wished
TO associate their names with M PX'
pediiion when w likey 10 he successful
To choose ore and refuse another required
anick perception and natural insight into
the character Of mankind; anh that the Sc
lections were wi,el, made time alone cln
determine. Pby>Ictl strength and the ca
pacity to enCure cold ana confinement were
| Ipromineni elemeat> IN the consideration al
every application; aud men who were ma
b:tuafed 10 the use OF s;Imulanis could not
under any circumstances be taken. OtbrI
ltnmgs binE equal. educated men aud
ttbo>e who c0uld sing, dance. and spiu
4 -.
were preferred: and II was the Intention ol
I,euienant ID, Long To h'vp 'he crew
largely upOn common level, 20 far ~ mli
tuai resrect and the intePe.Js Of discinline
wntild allow. Tur,ve<Srl 'hOugb furnish" d
lhy individuai cnierpi Ise. having hecom" u
| = fine "A Dart nf the | nj ed states navy, u
was intended tbat the n wal prccept "f ahs0
| lufp obedience to Suue iOr authority should
be rigdly enforce I, INT no order should Oc
o;v,n whicn the sunerio' would hesitate, II
necessary, to execute bim~ef.
THE LAsS NEWS OF THE VESSEL.
The Jrannette was itled ou' for three
wears cruise. 'ocrJN Il the creates mount
Of >uDDieS into the least possible space We
the i'm oriaut cOn> Idtiatiuu. All Surrlu'
burqape was gIdlS excluded. 't'ii'
hplno taken which could be conveniently
left behind Tue articles OF outfit and
Itraycl-sucb - tents. hedges. ice-anchHrS,
and the tke-wefe brought direclV from
London; ihr faod, fuel, and mechanical
cOntr,yances we're taken from this cI,
while il was istendtd 10 procure dogs,
dried G>h, fur clothing. and other
, necessary supplies at 81. MlchaePs, a
trad ng-post in Alekl. Dog drivers ana
EsQuimauX rnlernreters were 10 be
picked up on the coat Of siberia. 1t
* now nearly eighteen months since the
Jeanne'tp left the san Francisco wharf, aud
was accom- pauisd nuis de Of Tue Head. bv a
fleet manned bv the frirpd> and well wish
ers ,G The eXprdition. rhe progress north
ward was continued without any unusuil
delay until the neolHnin9 Of SentPmber,
ilS7p. when the IaS trace Of the vessel was
seen. Sh~ was then ah0u' tfiy miles south
of Herald Island. Cptaln Bafnes, of the
Sea Breeze. atiemD "a 10 commune ito
| with ber, but, ONing 10 the heavy fOo
and ice. such communication was rem
dered Imois,ible, aad ibe courses OF
both ge.s,.ls were reluctantly resumed.
On the following das, CaptaiD kel-
ly. OF The whale bark Helen Mar, saw
smoke S>uiug from steamers smoke
stick ia range Of Hrraid Island; bat the
vessel bping at >urn di>idncs from the
wbaier, and continuing ~ith ber huh down.
| if was coneIuned that her course was north
ward. Had ihe cour-e been >oulh~ ara 'be
| null would @oon have appeared above the
! horizon. Ii Wa Leu ensnt DE LOng's last
4 farewell TO a,clv ! Zed w"rld; region 81
yasf ImeXlaOreJ gIdndeur .as before hin
( and what " nd,gs he pas since revealed or
Sybat RESULT b. has since accomplished.
more but Il pfopae or the future can 'eii.
Perhaps tue JeaOuette may hafe colnIas'
| in her eXil fiom civiliz itiO0. The la@f
seea OF the ~bdsRg bifks Vigilant and
Naunt WnlltSt0a was about maDtu
after ibe dISippeaaDce or Toe Je'n-
uette They we're hen southeast 81 Herald
Island. There hem no 'ce 10 the nor u ~
west. but solid body t. tue east. tbe vessels