St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-07

utteranceS made but little OF the ser
vice audible. Then, setting Il watch,
we all, except Alexia, lay down to
sleep. At 10 a. IN. AleXia went off to
hunt, but returned at noon wet, having
broken through the ice and fallen in
the river At 6 p. m. we reused up,
and considered it necessary to think
of some some food for my party. Halt
a pound of dog meat was fried for each
person and cup of tea given, and
that constituted our days food, but we
were so grateful that we were not eX-
posed to the merciless southwest gale
that tore around us that we did not
mind short ratiOns.
The next day they lived on dog meat
and drink made from the old tea
grounds. On the 9th Erickson died,
and the lieutenant writes: "Shall start
Nindermann and NoTOs ut noon to
make the forced march to Ku Mark
Sinka.' What il Gods name is going
to become of us ?n They have IA
pounds of dog meat and think it is %
miles to settlement. Erickson was
buried inthe river, it being impossible
to dig ii grave. The service was read
and board put up. The next day
they ate their last dog meat, dropped
the Winchester rifle which was out of
order, and began to serve the alcohol,
of which they had only two quarts.
The same day AleXia, who carried Il
Remington, shot Il ptarmigan, of which
they made Il soup.
The chronicle now grows brief. On
Sunday the 9th, ''Read divine service.
Nindermann and NOros, who, it seems,
did not go forward on the 9th, now
went on. "They started ut Z, cheered
them" says the diary, jotted down
with stiff and feeble fingers, IL faint
ing men in an unknown and arctic will
derness cheering their forlorn hope,
two comrades setting off for succOr,-
what picture of human endeavOr,
holding up under desperate straits
''Lee begging to be left" says the
next days chronicle, it was so terrible
to get warm fire started and then
leave it, although they had nothing to
eat. Eat deer skin scraps" says the
lieutenant. AT night, "nothing fol
supper but a spoonful of glycerine. All
hands weak but cheerful God help
usr On the 18th, "Sent back for Lee
He had laid down and was waiting to
die. All united in saying the Lords
prayer and creed. After supper strong
gale of wind. Horrible night" Next
day they had ptarmigan which AleXia
had shot the 18th, "willOw tea and
two old boots for breakfast. The 10th
was Sunday and the chronicle is short
"AleXia broken down. Divine ser
vice" Alexia, the Russian, had beer
useful man. On the 18th the recOrC
reads =
AleXia dying. Doctor baptized him
Read prayers for sick. Mr.. COllins's
birthday, 40 years old. About sunse
AIexia died. Exhaustion from starva
ton. Covered him with ensign anC
laid him in the crib.
On the 2lst Knack was found deaC
in the morning and Lee died abou
noon. "Read prayers for sick whel
we found he was going" They could
not do anything with the dead bu
Garry them around the corner out o
sight. Then my eye closed up" The
next day, being Sunday, "read part o
divine service,"1sO feeble he could no
read the whole. After that the entries
are simply of the days and deaths
Ivorson died the ODD, Dressler til,
29th, Boyd and Gortz the Both. "Mr
Collins dying" is the last word of Lieut.
De Long, who was himself dying, a
he wrote the words. The only one,
left alive at that moment were ID,
Long, DIR. Amber and All Sam, th'
Chinese cook, and the remains of thes,
three were found together by Melville
AS the diary on the 18th mentions al
''empty grain raft" this is probabl,
the fiat boat near which Melville foun,
the remains, showing that the part,
had made no advance for fifteen days.
This terrible and pathetic chronicl,
finishes the story of the Jeannette-On
of the most tragic in all arctic history
She sailed from San Francisco July {
1879, and few weeks after was seel
for the last time in Behring's straits
In less than year she was caught il
the ice and held a prisoner for |
months. On the IIth of June, 1881
the ice crushed her and then parte
and she sunk, her crew taking to tn
boats. They reached the mouth of tin
Lena toward the last of September an
the Siberian story tells the rest. w
have not seen a single valuable resul
claimed for science as the fruit of TIN
sacrifice, whose story is not even no.
fully known, nearly three years aftC
the sailing of the Jeanette.