Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-25
SEARCH FOR DE LONG.
Me1vilio'S InstruefiOns to the Parties Seek
Ing for the Dead Of the Jeanette
How Their Books and Records


ing for the Dead Of the Jssnuetre-
How Their Books and Records
Can Be Discovered.
Secretary Hunt has received from Passed
Assistant Engineer George w. Melville,
under date of Yakutsk, Eastern Siberia,
January 3, q copy of letter of instruc-
tions sent by him to the Ispravnik Qocal
governor) Of Verkhoyansk, as follows:
cit is my desire and the wish of the
government of the United States of Amer
lea and of the protector of the American
expedition that diligent and constant
search be made for my missing comrades
of both boats. Lieutenant DeLong and
his party, consisting of twelve persons,
will be found near the west bank of the
Lena river. They are south of the small
hunting station which is west of the house
known among the Yakouts as Gu Vina.
They could not possibly have marched as
far south as Bulcour. Therefore, be
they dead or alive, they are between
Gu Vina and Bulcour. have already
travelled over the ground, but followed
the river bank. Therefore, it Is necessary
that more careful search be made on the
ground back from the river for short
distance, as we'll as along the river bank.
Iexamined many huts and small houses,
but could not possibly examine all of
them. Therefore, it is necessary that all,
every house, large or small, be examined
for books and papers, or the persons Of
the party. Men without food and with
shelter in huts along the line of march,
and, if exhausted, might die in one of the
huts. They would leave their books and
:,, hat ko fhor,o
farther.
Tho Dead Mems Records.
eff they carried their books and papers
south of that section of tho country be
tween Mot Val and Bulcour they will be
found piled up in heap and some prom
inent object erected near them to attract
the attention of searching parties. A mast
of wood or pile Of wood would be erect
ed near them, if not on top Of them. In
case books and papers are found they are
to be sent to the American minister resi-
dent at st. Petersburg. If they are found
in time and can be forwarded to me before
I leave Russia, forward them to me. The
persons of the dead wish to have carried
to a: central position most convenient of
access to Belun, and placed inside of a
small house, arranged side by side for fu-
ture recognition, the hut then securely
closed and banked up with snow OF earth,
and to remain SO until proper person ar
rives from America to make full DISPOSE
tion of tho bodies. In banking up the hut
have it done in such a manner that ami.
mails cannot get in and destroy the bodies.
The Search for Chipp's Men.
"Search for the small boat, consisting
of eight persons, should be made from the
west mouth of the Lena to and beyond the
east mouth of the Yana river. After the
separation of the three boats no informa-
tion has been received concerning the
small boat, but as all three boats were des-
tined to Barkin and then to go to the
mouth Of tho Lena river, it is natural to
suppose that Lieutenant Chipp directed
his boat to Barkin if he managed to
weather tho gale, but if he could not from
any cause find a Lena mouth he would
continue along the coast from Barkin west
for a north mouth of tho Lena, or south
for on eastern entrance or mouth of the
Lena river. fstill unsuccessful in getting
into the Lena river he might, from stress
of weather or other cause, be forced along
the coast toward the Yana river.
"Diligent and constant search is to com
mence at once and to continue till the peO-
pie, books and papers are found, care Be-
ing taken that vigilant and careful ex-
animation Of that section of the country
where Lieutenant DeLong and his party
are known to be is made in early spring
time, when the snow begins to leave the
ground, and before the spring floods com.
mence to overflow the river banks. One
or moro American officers will, in all
probability, be in Belun in time to assist
in the search. but the search mentioned in
these instructions is to be carried on in
dependent of any other party, and to be
entirely under the control of the compe-
tent authority of Russia.
"GEoRGE w. MELVILLE