Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-28
The Lost Rodgers.

The Rodgers was originally a whaling
vessel-the Mary and Helen-and was
purchased early last year by the govern
ment for an expedition to the Arctic re-
gjOns in search of the Jeanette The
vessel was named the Rodgers in honor
of Rear Admiral John Rodgers. Presi
dent of the Jeannett Relief Board. who
had in 1866 made a surveying expedition
to the North Pacific After some delay,
occasiOned by the discovery that some of
her provisions were in damaged cOndi-
ton, the Rodgers sailed from San Fran
cisco early last summer, under the COM
mand of Lieutenant r. NJ. Berry. By
September she had gone to the north
ward of Wrangel Land.
Under date of November 16, 1881. two
reports were received at the Navy De-
partment about the cruise of the steamer
Rodgers. They were signed by Lieut.
r NJ. Berry, the commander. The first
report was dated "Off Herald Island.
September IA. 1881" 1t stated that the
steamer sailed from Lawrence Bay
August 10, and the next morning enter
ed the Arctic Ocean in company with
the Russian corvette Strelock, but was
separated from it by westerly wind.
On August q the steamer touched at
| SerdZs Kamarr. 1t was there learned
that the United States revenue cutter
COrwin had visited that point. Wrangel
Island and Herald Island were sighted
August "a. A boat was sent on shore
to search for tidings of the Jeanette and
missing whalers. The island was
thoroughly explored, and the vessel then
started for Cape Hawaii, which was
sighted the next day.
Three search parties were organized
to explore the island. Master H. S. War
ing. with a whaleboat and crew, was or
| dered to explore the coast, passing to the
northward of the island, and was &C
cOmpanied by Assistant Surgeon J. d.
Costello He found cairn left there by
Capt. G. L. Hooper, of the United States
Revenue Marine. On August 30 the
boat was fastened in the ice, and was
then abandoned. Ensign a. L. Hunt
was ordered to explore the coast passing
southwark of the island in a whalebOat,
and was accompanied by Passed Assist
ant Engineer A. V. Zant. The third
party was commanded by Lieutenant
Berry, who was accompanied by Sur
geon NJ. d. Jones and four men. The
party went twenty miles in a northwest
direction and Lieutenant Berry assembled
mountain $500 feet high. 'The whole
coast line, " Lieutenant Berry said in his
report, with the exception of few
miles of outlying sand splits. has been
examined, and l believe it impossible
that any of the missing parties ever
landed here. We sailed from Rodgers
Harbor. Wrangel Island, yesterday morn
ing / shall finish the examination of
Herald Island and then proceed to the
nOrthward as far as possible in search of
some other land where the Jeanette or
missing whalers may have touched"
The second report was dated Septem-
Der Gath, 1881: II sent boat" wrote
the commander, ''tO examine the re-
mainder of Herald Island, The weather
was very severe and the ship was headed
to the west After working from day.
light to dark we had only penetrated
fifteen miles. Having reached latitude
70 deg. A min. north, longitude III deg.
48 min. west. without discovering any
traces of land, thought it best to return
to the northeast point of Wrangel Island.
Since the island has proved to be of so
small extent | deem it useless to winter
there as recommended by the Jeanette
Relief Board, under the false supposition
that it extended far to the northwest"
The articles found in the cairn, left
there by Captain Hooper, were two half
sheets Of paper, on which was written
the fact that the United States steamer
Corwin was at Wrangel Island, August
10, 1881. The paper was signed by j.
G. Rose,