Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-05-20
What the Crew of the Jeanette
Had 10 Endure.
7. Herald.

Another portion Of the narrative of
Lieutenant Danenhower IS printed IN
the Herald to-day. 1t tells the story
of the adventures of the J~eanuette's
company from the first emcampment
on the ice, Immediately after the ship
went down, to the arrival OF the three
boats into the open water near the
Lena Delta and their separation there,
and the story Of the crew of the whale
boat till the arrival at a lucky haven
in the Lena river. 1t covers a period
of three months. Perhaps no thirty
three men that have lived since the
world began ever struggled with liner
resolution or a more tenacious spirit
against difficulties so apparently IN
surmountable or hardships and perils
so unremitting.
Life itself would hardly be worth
such labors, but victory IS, and these
heroes struggled that they might notb be
altogether v~anquished by the inexora-
BILE forces. In such circumstances men
of the races of tenderer fiber blow out
their brains or cut their threats, and
in the great oblivion get away from
the hard lot that is before them, con-
sidering more their personal sensations
than the thought of the grander COM
radeships Of life that every man Is
necessary to every other. In all this
story we hear not a word that is con-
trary to discipline and absolute good
will.
1t was in fact an appalling future
that was before the little company
that gathered together on the loose
ice Of the Arctic drift on June ID,
1881. They we're beside the grave Of
their ship, they we're many hundred
miles from the nearest shore where
they could hope for safety. and people
living on the sides Of a volcano 10 con-
slant eruption are in a condition
which is one of absolute stability and
rest By comparison with that Of the
navigators on the movable masses Of
ice then in an active process OF rup-
ture and disintegration. Around
them we're the supplies necessary to
sustain life through q period of their
possible struggle, and with these the
boats that must be taken along as a
necessary provision against the mo
ment they might come TO open water.
To drag three boats was an addition
to their other burdens that made the
prospects Of progress almost hopeless
yet to 20 on without the boats would
involve calamity so evidently and
necessarily that they might as well
stay and die where they we're Boats,
provisions and all together were slowed
on eight sleds, and the aggre.
gate weight of the sleds and loads was
1900 pounds. Only twenty-five men
we're fit for duty when the retreat
began, and these had to drag all, fol-
the few dogs left at this time were
only equal to pulling light sledi
with stores for immediate use. 1t wa:
necessary that all hands should take
one sled at a time the distance of the
daily march, then return for another.
and so on, thus going over the dis
lance fifteen times at least for the
first march. They made a mile a day
Let no one imagine that this dral
was over snow or smooth ice; for the
ice was as the face Of q rocky country
might be when recently tossed int
new ruggedness by an earthquake
and between tipped up foes the space
we're lied With snow. into which met
went as into traps Often these seen
TO have concealed open assures inth,
ce, and the men had to be helped gu
tfthe sea beneath. Over open space
Of water the burdens had to be ferrieC
on foes Of ice, and this seems to haYI
been the easiest mode Of progression
Seven days they had gone southwar,
in this laborious and soul KesrinI
way, making about a mile or a mil
and a half in each twenty four hours
Then an observation was taken, an
it was found that they were twenty
seven miles northwest Of the poin
from which they had started. By tn
drift Of the whole mass Of the ice the
had not only lost their labor. but
would take them thirty days 70 get
the point at which that labor shoul
have placed them. Yet they did =
last reach the Lena Delta. In vie
Of such difficulties, it is more tina
ever a subject of wonder that 50 mar
ofthose who are missing were lost q
dry land, if lost they are.
Mrs. Ewing, a Chicago lecturer (
cookery. saws that a chicken ranuir