Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-17
LIEUTENANT MELVILLE HEARD
FROM.

from anu rescued, is at laSJ UaSneO
to the ground. They have undoubt
edly shared the tragic fate Of the
many others who have persisted in
their attempts to solve the mysteries
of the Polar Sea. A letter was received
last Monday by Mrs. Melville, from
her husband, Lieutenant George w.
Melville, who accompanied the jean
nette as chief engineer of the explor-
ing party, in which he speaks of De-
Long and his party as having per
ished at the mouth of the Lena Riv-
Ell, but he was daring the seventies
of that terrible climate, with hope
that he might yet be able to simply
recover the dead bodies of his lost
comrades.
Mrs Melville resides in Philadel-
phia. For four years she has anx>
iously awaited letter from
her husband. The Phila.
delphia Times, of Tuesday,
morning March 14th) touchingly
describes the hope deferred, the
anxiety at hearing nothing and the
overpowering joy which thrilled the
household when at last letter
came:
In their secluded little cottage at
Sharon Hill, in Delaware County, the
fond mother and childish trio have
looked out daily from the window
adorned with an anchor, as an en-
blem of hope of the fathers safe
return, and wondered again and
again, with the smoke and whistle of
ever mail train, if their long-looked-
for message was coming at last.
When three years had passed, little
Meta-who was babe just born
when he went away one dark, stormy
night and having kissed her aud the
mothers lips said: Wife, it S posi-
bic l will never know these joys
again was able to talk, and ex-
pressed the thoughts of all four
when one day she said; Mamma, /
think papa must be dead" But they
never took down from the nail the
hat which he hung up when he
changed it for his naval cap and his
favorite cup and saucer were never
stirred from their places in the cup
board.
There was Joy in the household
when some friend sent the news
paper containing the telegram
signed with her husbands name,
giving The first news of the safe ar
rival of himself and crew, and the
Joy was not lessened by reading
after the name Sin command. Every
telegram since signed Melville
has been meat and drink to the
news-famished little household, and
although the mother kept telling the
children continually that it was his
duty to God and country must
always go ahead of duty to family
the little folks could not understand
why papa did not send some
message home"
Yesterday morning, Maud, a beau
tiful child, about fifteen years OF
age, went, as she has thousands OF
times in over three years, to the
post-office to know if there was let
ter. Mrs. Melville was seated al
home, sewing istlessly, and the
other two little girls were playing
with their dolls. Suddenly one Of
the little ones said: why, mamma
something's the matter with Maud;
actually believe there's letter from
papa Maud's feet did not appear
to touch the ground. She broke
through the gate like one pursued
With tears of Joy streaming down
her face and choking with sobs, she
threw herself at her mothers feet,
dropping the letter and crying out
''Oh, mamma, at last at last 1t il
from papa; oh, it is from papa." The
mother tore it open, read it at 6
glance and then re-read it severa
times over. All the afternoon anG
up to going to bed last night, the
children were doing nothing else but
reading over papa's letter.
With the intelligence that it con-
tanned of the fate of others and the
knowledge that just now he himself
with the search party, is facing SINH,
lar dangers, there was little in The
letter to give hope of the return O
the husband and father. Writer
on single sheet of tough, heavy
note paper, the letter read as fol
lows:
! IRKUTsK, Russian Siberia,
January /, 1882.
DEAR HETTIE: After many trial.
and many tribulations, I arrived
here yesterday. We can muster blu
thirteen people all told out of ou
original thirty-three persons. I an
pretty well and will be home thi
summer or next winter, according Al
7 may be instructed by the Navy De
partment. I have telegraphed ask
ing to remain and search for d,
Long and the others who persisted a
the mouth of the Lena River. Low,