The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-23
THE SPIRIT WORLD.
How Mrs. M ellville, Wife of the Engine r
First Heard of the Loss of the
.Ioonnafto

Jeanette.
Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat.
Philadelphia, May IS.-The wife of Engi-
neer Melville, the gallant officer of the luck
less Arctic exploring steamer Jeanette, who
is now searching for his lost comrades around
the ice-bound coast of Northern Siberia, oc-
cupes picturesque little cottage, EMPOWERED
amid twining honeysucles and frgrant bloom
ing lilacs, at Sharon Hill. "Although two
years since George left us all here" said she
to-day, 'tand went out on that Inflated voyage,
and although oceans of cruel waters and
leagues of land have separated him from us,
have seen him twice within year."
Startling as this statement was Mrs. Nell
vile was evidently in earnest. "On the 10th
of June last" she continued, 81 retired to my
room late at night. Days of anxious waiting
for some news of the Jeanette without bring
ing ray of hope had almost caused me to
despair of ever seeing my husband. | had
fallen into an uneasy slumber, from which one
of the children aroused me. 1t was perhaps
more than an hour after this, and while
WAS WIDE AWAKE,
that became conscious of strange presence
in the room, and you may imagine with what
mingled feelings Of joy and fear | heard
Georges voice, and looking up saw him stand
ing by the bedside. | saw him as plainly as
now see you. He was saying, Count the bells,
count the BELLS and as he spoke distinctly
heard the bell of ship striking two by two
the strokes of the hour. Count them,' con-
tnued my husband, and said, yes George
remember that when the seventh bell sound
ed thought that if it was the ships bell there
could be but one more, and as the last sound
died away my husband said, "eight bells, the
Jeanette is lost" and banished from the room.
At that moment the sitting-room clock struck
the hour of q, and it was the morning Of the
18th of June. At that very hour, on that very
morning, the Jeanette went down into the
fathomless depths of the Arctic Ocean, and
the ice-hoe closed over her grave.
am no spiritualist, continued Mrs. Nell
vile, nor do believe in spirits. do not at
tempt to explain what l have just told you,
but it is
EVERY WORD OF IT TRUE.
! never expected, after that, to hear of the
safety of the crew of the Jeanette. A few
weeks after the occurrence which have mar
rated, and at the same hour in the morning,
had arisen for the day, and was in the hall
which you see there. Again 1 saw my hus-
band, nay, even felt his breath in my face. l
was dreadfully startled, but had sufficient
courage 10 Call out, 'HeOrSe, IS lnat you :!
when the figure disappeared as if swallowed
up in the air."
"Did you never speak of this before?" ask
ed the astonished reporter.
Frequently" said Mrs. Melville, "Fre-
quently to our little household, and once to
Mrs. belong, the unfortunate wife of the
poor commander of the Jeanette. Last sum-
mer, or in the early fall met her in Philadel-
phia. She was hopeful, even confident, of the
ultimate return of her husband. l was cast
down, and finally told her what have just re-
lated to you. She was disposed to laugh at
me, but I told her that believed that the
Jeanette had been lost on the nth of June.
Alas! for poor Mrs. belong, my prophecy
was too true.