News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-26
THE LAND OF ICEBERGS.
RECORD OF A FATAL POLAR
VOYAGE.
Lieut.. Danenhower's Story of the
Jeannette Exploring Expedition.

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VOYAGE.
Lieut.. Danenhower's Story of the
Ieannette Exploring Expedition.
Lieut.. Danenhower, in his lecture on
the Polar regions, begins by describing
the christening of the Jeanette and
the Governments connection with the
expedition. The first people that the
crew saw in the land of snow and ice
were OF the Indian type, and, singularly
enough, fond of spirits and dancing. It
was at st. Michael's that the dogs and
sledges were procured. They paid high
tribute to the two dog-drivers. The
crew was told that the drivers would do
well until they encountered danger,
when they would desert the explorers,
but they proved brave and true men.
In the storm on Behring's Sea the jean
nette proved good sea craft. This ex-
PLANTATION was made in view of the dis
cussions on her behavior in the storm.
When Wrangel Land was sighted on
Sept. 6, 1879, the dangers commenced.
There was ice on all sides. The great
| fields of ice were driven to and fro by
the wind, and Lieut.. Danenhower asked
what In the world could Withstand the
power of hundreds of square miles of ice
when IN motion. When the ship was
tipped up at an angle of fifteen degrees,
the fate of the craft seemed sealed to
every one. The sun was lost on Sept.
., and there was beautiful moon all
day during October. Wrangel Land
was IN sight when it was clear, and when
misty it could be seen in the clouds.
After the craft broke away and drifted
into new ice, only to be frozen in again,
the long winter nights began. Incon-
gruous though it might seem, strict
discipline was necessary to keep up the
spirits of the men. They busted them
selves making skin clothing, and became
very handy in this work. The arctic
nights, the speaker said, were very dark
IN the morning from eight to ten O clock,
but at other times were clear, except in
storm. The auroras were not so bright
as the Lieutenant had seen them in Chi
cago and elsewhere. Among the dis
plays were auroral curtains and arches.
When the ship was found to be leak
ing, Jan. 10, 1880, the men worked knee
deep in the ice water. The Jeanette
drifted during the winter, and hunting
was the principal diversion. A singular
thing about seals was observed. They
were very inquis1tive. They would
come up to see the hunter and then go
down. Invariably they would rise the
second time to crafty their curiosity,
and then was found the time to shoot
them. Walrus was shot to secure meat
for the dogs. Bear hunting was more
exciting. The animals would venture
near the ship out of pure curiosity. At
first the dogs were afraid to give chase
to them, but they soon recovered from
their fear when they learned that a cap
GIIIo ALAvulIt LIt5stt fo,E them. Ono piucky
dog seized bear by the tail as it was
retreating. The bear plunged into the
water and the dog was towed across the |
open space. He held on until the hunt |
ers came up, and the bear was killed.
The meat of the bears and seal was |
coarse, and the men hailed with Joy the
coming of Wednesday, when pork and
beans were served. The succeeding
summer proved really less comfortable
than the winter. It was foggy and cold,
and as rigid enconomy in fuel was prec-
ticed the ship was damp and comfort
less.
The manner in which the Jeanette
went down and how the ice cracked
with the Captains tent while waiting
for her to go to her fate were wildly
described. Tin poisoning lent new ter
rors to life on the ice. The lecturer had
been confined in dark room on account
of his eyes, and every one thought that
he would die. The mid night sun shone
in all its solar glory, and it was resolved
to push on night and day. The retreat
was commenced on the anniversary of |
the battle of Bunker Hill, June II. At
ter Bennett Island was sighted the party |
were fifteen days going the twenty-five |
miles to reach it. When the island was
reached men were sent up the cliff and
knocked down birds by the hundred. |
The last seen of the second CATER was
when Capt. De Long waved his hand in
the increasing darkness of September
II, and the motion was taken as the sig
nal to separate. The chart said that
there were nine arms to the Lena Delta,
when there are actually 100. The first
natives seen on the Lena were tempted
to come forward by holding out pemmi-
can, which is prepared beef. With the
deer-sleds the party travelled fifteen
miles day. At Verchoinska, the most
northern post of Siberia, Lieut.. Danen-
hover saw many political exiles, whom
he thought might have put their time
to better use than making cigarettes,
smoking and cursing their fate. They
were, however, intelligent.