Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-04
COLLINS-DE LONG.
Letter that Shows Something of Life
on the Jeanette.

A Letter that shows Something of Life
on the Jeanette.
MINNEAPoLIs, Dec. "A special from
Washington says:
''The following is a letter written by
Jerome j. Collins to Capt. De Long, and
which is among the effects of Collins. now
in possession of the Navy Department.
DIR. Collins, Of your city, tried to have it
used as testimony in the pending inyesti-
CATION, but it was ruled out:
Il return herewith the slip on which
you require the number of thermometers
duly marked. x x Permit me to
express some surprise that the occu-
pant Of the position of meteOrOlogist on
this expedition does not come under the
operation Of your strict rule of official
courtesy, respect for which in all trans
actions you requested with so much en-
phasis little while ago. The contemptu-
GUS disregard for my personal feelings as
a member of the expedition exhibited in
several ways, and from time to time by
yourself and your fellow officers, | can well
afford to pass as unworthy of notice.
But in my capacity as an employe of Mr..
Bennett and recognized entirely in the
official personnel of the expedition by the
Honorable Secretary of the Navy, regard
every act of discOurtesv, official and per-
expressed or implied by the fact of my APP
pointment. As new year of work is
about to begin il is of vital importance
to me in many ways that | should under
stand the position l am to occupy in rela-
ton to that work, to you and to the other
gentlemen associated with YOU. | have
been aware from the commencement that
the standing you were willing to accord
any civilian appointed to take part in
GpIpnfItIH n a
sorry, to use an expression you employed
to a reporter of the Washington Post in
April. 1879 This was the way in which
you endeay0red to give force to your
statement that all the scientific work re-
quired would be done by the officers of the
navy.
Mr.. Bennett, when asked about this,
said you must have been misrepOrted.
Mr.. COnnery declared that you never
used such language. On these assurances
| decided to come on the expedition, fully
expecting to feel at home with number
of men who were said to be incapable of
seltishness and injustice. When at San
Francisco it was easy for you to tell me
that you intended to do thus, and so re-
garding the particular work which
l was sent to do, and
which came under the general head of
physics, competent man was employed
to take charge of the collections, etc, in
natural history and chronological speci-
mems. At the Academy of Science |
made some rambling remarks which
l based on the suppOstiOn that |
was something more than a mere ac-
cessory. Nothing in your conversation
gave me any grounds for belief other
wise, although you had ample opportunity
to enlighten me, until during general
conversation held in your rooms at the
Palace Hotel, in the course of which in
teryiewing by reporters came up, and you
indorsed a lady's statement that the
Washington Post interview was accu-
rately reported. In a moment | saw that
l was in trat-not trap set by you, for
you did not want anybody but navy peo-
pie with you, as your manner of acting
plainly showed.
Il hoped for honor in coming to the
Arctic, and also for profitable information.
volunteered to come, leaving behind me
happy home-Volunteered on what was
believed to be an enterprise full of danger,
and herein lies the big tooth of the trap.
l could not under any circumstances,
for any cause almost, retreat from my
post, without mourning the slur of cow
ardlce, which you know would be only
too readily cast on any one who
backed out at the last moment. Had YOU
told me the day before we sailed that /
was to live in the fOrecastle and have the
being treated as a member of the cabin
mess, l doubt if l could have gone back.
You have it in your power to heap or per-
NIT to be heaped any amount of disrespect
on me, socially or officially, and I am a
man with his hands tied. | cannot retail
ate. l can only resent by silence.
''Three several times you have threat
ened me with the eXactiOn Of obedience if
it took every man on the ship, When /
laid before you the facts of one or two
cases in which felt aggrieVed by others,
you became at once the apoogist of the
one party, and did not wish to hear any,
thing about the other. Latterly things
have been going on miserably.
In my official capacity | am
to infer by the withdrawal
of several instruments from time to time
that ] have either neglected or do not
possess the ability TO use them~-first, the
magnetic instruments, one by one, then
the Photographic apparatus specially given
in my charge and to which all had free
access by the exercise of your important
official courtesy. l was directed to
give DR.. Amber Daniels hygrOmeter.
which did, / don't believe he nas used
it since, No explanation, such as kindly
courtesy would suggest, has been given to
me, no more than if l was lamp trimmer
in the tire-rOom. Yet, if wanted cd :. little
water TO make tea for nv luxurious
breakfast during the inidwatch, official
courtesy demands that | must 90 to Mr..
Melville about it. Don't YOU suppose |
am as sensitive as Melville or Yourself.
or anybody else, when | am treated with
official discourtesy? You think you can
do with me as you please now and laugh
at the future. You are makinga mistake
common TO men of your disposition and
habits Of Self-cOmplacencY"