Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-07

close attention to this whole subject believing 1t
to be OF vital Importance to the interests OF our
| military establishment"
The report observes that the general character
OF the recruits to-day is better than it was twenty
years ago. IL remarks also with satisfaction the
| Improvement in rife firing.
1t recommends the adoption of some just rule for
| less favored parts of the country. and recountS
| the grievances Of officers and soldiers who are
kept continuously on the plains.
Hemmed I'm by Ice.
ENGINEER MELvILLE's ACCOUNT OF HOW THE JEAN
NETTE CREW PASSED THEIR TINE.
The examination Of Chief Engineer Melville was
resumed this morning before the Jeanette board
| of inquiry. Witness continued: The winter of
1879 and 1880 passed quietly, with the usual rot-
tine OF occupations and amusements. The officers
employed nearly all their time in reading when OF
duty, usually after dinner and supper. There was
a general conversation among the officers upon
religion, politics and other subjects. The gene
raj tone OF the messeS was very pleasant, and
there was less OF disagreement among the officers
In the Jeanette mess than in most OF those have
been in during my 81 years service in the navy.
on sundays we had better dinner than usual 1t
(who messed with us) to bring on a general con-
versation, and We would discuss almost anything
That happened to be uppermOst in our thoughts.
In the first part of the cruise the captain the doc
tor. Mr. Collins and Mr. Dunbar and occasionally
Mr.. Chipp would play cards for amusement
never played Cards, never. knew how and don't
know now. During the day time any person, OH
Ger or seaman, might take his gun and hunt over
TO be on board ship by shutdown or at the dropping
OF the ball at the masthead.
ARCTIC HUNTING.
During the winter time the hunters shot num-
Der OF bears. believe Mr.. Dunbar was accredited
with the greatest number, Fireman Bartlett and
Seaman Ninderman being the most persistent
hunters. believe they were accredited with the
greatest number OF seals and walrus. The most
of the seal and walrus, however, were obtained In
the spring and fall About the middle Of March
was removed from the ships sides and a trench
dug all the way around the ship to ease her
she should attempt to rise, as she would naturally
Visions which had been used during the winter
we found as spring approached and the ship
loosened in her bed, she Invariably arose in the
water. About March 10, $780, we had shifted so
far to the southwark and eastward as to bring the
mountain peaks OF Wrangel Land in sight
ADRIFT WITH THE ICE.
mention this fact to show that the drift was
not continuously 60 the northward, but that the
whole foe was found to be drifting at various
times to all points OF the compass apparently
governed by the winds and currents. During the
month OF March the weather was dsagreeable
spring and summer routnes were enforced Such
as changing the meal hours, and the exercise on
the Ice was discontinued The weather being fine
1t was natural to suppose that the people would
take SUFFICIENT exercise at all times to maintain
good bodily health. In the spring the store rooms
were broken out. the bilge pump was removed
from the engine room and placed in the freman's
hatch aft The ship being set by the storm, the
water that had accumulated there was pumped
out / would here state that had orders from the
commanding officer to attend to the heating OF
the quarters OF the officers and men, and those
orders were during the winter time to maintain q
temperature OF 60 Fahrenheit as steadily as pos
sble.
SAVING COAL.
Towards the latter part of May the fires in the
stoves In the cabin and fOrecastle were dscontin-
ued between am. and pm. To avoid the ex-
nrQO NJ IN no fhn foav
heated on the cabin and forecastle stoves. About
the LIST OF June the deck was cleared up, the ship
was painted the running gear was attended to,
and the ship got ready for sea; About July
1St long leads OF water commenced to make in all
directions, but none making directly in toward
the ship. 1t was impossible to travel more than
or. as the hunters managed 1t, by padding across
the leads of water on piece OF Ice. About this
time NJ Chipp and the Captain discussed the
and the nearest lead to which the ship Ould be
worked, and The conclusion they came to was that
there was not powder enough in the ship to effect
MAKING ToRPEDoEs.
Mr.. Chip was directed to make torpedoes He
devised fuses and insulated wire for torpedo pur-
poses, to be used with what powder he had pro-
vided, the leads made closer to the ship. Later in
the season the Ice thawed aStern of u.s. making a
short lead nearly at right angles to the fne OF the
ship, but not leading into any Of the main leads.
The ships fOre-fOot was resting on large Sunken
foe piece, which was supposed at the time might
strain the ship and open the old wound in her
fOre-fCot An effort was made to heave the ship
astern into the open water. An immense mass OF
Ice was removed from under her counters, the peo-
pie working up to their waists in water Finally
the ship was hove astern short distance, the
large foe piece rising under her bows. The ship
settled down en- nearly an even keel, and the leak
in the bow was closely watched. 1t was found to
have increased much. AS there was still piece
OF Ice under her fOrefOOt, 1t was thought best to
let the ship lay as she was. Witness thought from
what he had read of other Arctic ships that the
Jeanette might be considered dry ship. Toward
the latter part Of August the propeller was put
place, and the ship and engines were gotten ready
in case the foe should break up.
SIGNAL CORPS CHANGEs-The following changes
in the stations and duties Of enlisted men of the
signal corps Of the United States army are ordered:
First-clasS Private Clarence Weaver, on duty at
Cairo, Ill, will proceed and report for duty to Ser
geant William Line lin charge of station at Mil
Waukee. WIS.,. Sergeant Joseph 4. Mueller on duty
at Milwaukee, Wis, will relieve Sergeant William
A. Reid, in charge of station at Grand Haven,
Mich; Serge ant Reid will relieve FirstClaSS Pri-
vate William DAILY, In charge OF station at Pitts
burg. Pa: Private Daily will relieve First-class
Private Frank P; Chaffee, In charge Of station at
Fort Macon n. c.. Private Chaffee will report for
duty to Sergeant George w. Felger, in charge OF
station at Baltimore, Nd; Sergeant julius G.
Linsey, on duty at Mount Washington, n. H.,
will relieve Sergeant Samuel W. Beall, in charge
or station at OswegO, ~ Y; Sergeant Beal Will
assume charge OF the Mount Washington station.
PATENTS were issued to-day as follows: Daniel
Ammen. Beltsv1lle, Md, sea-going vessel Henry
Bell, Baltimore, altering funnel; Walter NJ. Ger
mond, Baltimore, lubricator; Vim. H. Hopes, Balti-
more manufacture OF tOmbStOneS, &C., from plastic
material; Eugene w. Humphreys Salisbury, Md,
fruit basket; Hiram o. Kerns, Sutherlin, Va, de-
vice for attaching pillow beams to handles; VIM.
L. Langley, Baltimore, punch for and method OF
cancelng tickets; Lawrence Lottler, Richmond,
Va, plug tobacco; Edward j. Moore, Baltimore,
steam boiler; Timothy w. Murphy, Washington,
horseshoe; Morton Toulmin, Washington, paper
fastening machine.
Pilfering Employees.
AN HOTEL PROPRIETOR AND HIS GUESTS vIcTIMIZED
BY SERVANTS.
During the past four or five years the proprietor
OF the American House has been missing articles