New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-04
STORY OF THE JEANETTE.
ALEcrURE BY LIEUT.. DANENHowER.

START OF THE ExPEDrrIoN-THE LAST OF THE
JEANSETTE-coMMANDER DE LONGS FAREWELL
Lieutenant John w. Danenhower, of the jean
nette Arctic Exploring Expedition, spoke to large
audience in the Brooklyn Academy of Music last
night. 1t was nearly half-past o'clock when he
made his appearance on the stage, IN
full dress and still wearing goggles.
He was loudly applauded, and bowed modestly In
acknowledgment of the fact that the warmth OF his
reception was not that accorded to the professional
platform orator. He at once entered on his sub
ject and for an hour and three quarters he talked
with the utmost deliberatiOn and with great par
tcularity of detail, in a plain and mater-of-iact
way, of the discomforts and dangers through whlcn
he had so recently passed. Behind himw suspended
track chart of the expedition, to which ne ire
ouentlv referred the route of the Jeanette being
indicated by red lire so small as to be pereeptiDle
only TO those who were directly in front
R,Ainning with the inception and fitting out OF
the expedition. Lieutenant Danenhower gave his
tory of the Congressional action, the rechrstening
of Mr. Benefits Arctic yacht" as he called the
Jeanette, aud the detailing OF the officers
and men who were to go with her
" At the christening" he said, Mr.. Stanley and
number of prominent men were present MI Stan
lev said If You get showed in or frozen up we
will go up there and get you out of it, And as It
turned out, we waited long time Tor Mr.. Stanley
to come - .
party consisting of five officers of the Tegu-
lar Navy. two scientists and twenty-three
men, under command of Lieutenant DE Long:
At the first stopping place they found
the natives quiet and Inofensive, but fond
of spirits and fond of dancing" The next stopping
place ST. Michaels where they procured their
dogs ana sledges, and the two Indians who were
subsequently Of 50 great service. They were told
that Indians would be all right so long as there vas
smooth sailing, out that when danger came they
would desert with the dogs and sledges. The con-
duct of their two Indians, and their loyalty and
heroism to the death, proved how they had been
The ne wspapers had had good deal to say Of the
dnseawOrthy condition of the vessel IN the hrst
storm that they encountered. Ihelr statements,
the lecturer SAID incorrect for the Jeanette
had behaved admirably. he speaker related an
incident to show the generosity OF the natives 10
their wives. A prune PIE was gwen 10 an lndlah
winch he greedily devOuTed while his vile stood Dy
Alter he had cracked the stones aud eaten inc ker
neis. he kindly presented the shells 10 his "lie'
| which she gratefully received
| One of the first obiects, continued the lecturer
of the expedition having been accomplished IN OBJ
] tanng news of the explorer NordJenskOld, lIe
Jeanette bore away 10 the North through
Behring's Straits, the objective point being 10 eA-
plore Wrangel's Land, of which but little was
known On August 81. the winter quarters OF the
Vega reached. Ol september o. after slghi-
ing Herald Island large lead was inferred which
appeared to uivde the Siberian and North American
pack ice. An Intellectual attempt was made TO
ram the ice. The weather becoming extremely
cold it was the misfortune of the Jeanette to DC
caught III the mass or lce III when sne subsequent
" dutted many months
- The frequent mention of the Jeanette caught
in the cebcrgs' is entirely incOrrec.," said Lieu
tenant Danennower, " for there are no lcebergs IN
that par OF the Arctic. The lines From Green
lands icy mountains however, are no poetic
great height aud of unknown depth.
Bat there Is no such ice north of Siberia, where we
were. The Jeanette was never among the ice
bergs-but she was caught III more iOrinldaDle Ice
the winter formation, from which there Is no es-
cape, which moves To and fro IN currents what III
i'm the world could Withstand hundreds OF square
..ft. al CHI
vast mass in motion Y
In this position for weary months, during an
Arctic night of seventy-two days, the Jeannette,
Wedged III on either side, was drltted oy currents
and counter-cuTents between Herald Island and
Wrangell's Land. The party were prepared for
whatever might come, expecting at any time THAT
they might be left without ship, ready for II
moments jump" Alter a line they were set iree,
only To be almost Immediately frozen III again, TINS
time in the Jeannette's final resting place. 10
pass the time with any comfort was very
trying and the daily routine was necessary 10 Keep
ND the spirits and health of the men. Ihe allow
ance of coal not sufficient 10 keep the CABIN
comfortably warmed, but " economy was pTactIced
from the word CO." The daily routine included two
hours the Ice, the time devoted to the meals,
reading, music and games. There was also
"a great deal of hunting done, but very
little game Such game as there was included
seal. warus and bear. The Arctic night was not 30
bad many people supposed, but was gehefaLE
the darkest from 10 10 IN.
The aurora was not so brilliant as have
it in Chicago" said the speaker and elsewhere III
this country. hen 1t appeared 1t was IN arches
The first Christmas was passed very
pleasantly, but in January, the great
ice fracas began again. Sometimes the sound OF 1t
was like the explosion OF Il large hydraunc engine
1t was all over at once, only leaving the sulien
echo dying away in the distance"
The ship, on January 10, was iound to be badly
greatest difficulty. Ali winter the Jeannette drfted
back and tortn near the 1S0!h meridian.
meats and tue game shot. On Wednesday the men
were served WI pork and beans and" dutf" Ours
was q temperance expedition" added tine Lleuten-
ant, for 1t was only Oh holidays or special oeca-
sions that mad nttle wine or strong drink"
In January 1881, the Jeanette was between
Herald Island and the 1SOth meridian. going in a
nortnerly and westerly direction. lie second
Arctic night lasted eighty or ninety
days, but the second winter was
passed In comparative comfort" or as comfortable
as we could be under The circumstances" On June
II the ice began breaking up; at $3.50 the last sup
per was eaten on board at 6:l the snID ahan-
doned, AID at a. N. the following morning with
a great crash, the vessel sank IN thIrty-egbt
fathoms of waterand that was the last of the jean
nette."
the battle of Bunker Hill. he story that the leu
tenant told OF the journey OF 600 miles, from where
the ship went down 10 t1 fbo pCInd OF
with unfiagging interest to the end
1t was Monday, September II, IN heavy sea
and strong wind at o'clock, that the captain
stood up in his boat and waved his hand. We UNI
derstoOd that we 10 look out for ourselves and
not try TO keep together II either boat had gone
down, no help could have been rendered 1t was
growing dark. That was the last we saw OF the
captain" $500 . -,
The speaker said that he did not think 1t likely
that any traces of Mr.. Chip would ever be found,
bur he thought it a good thing on principle TO keep
up the search. Then suddenly looking at his
watch and discovering that il after 10 O'Clock,
he said: This is the first time was ever on
stage. haven't made any such talN as intended
to, and thank you Tor your very kind attention
Loud applause followed him as he DISAPPEARED. and
he returned for moment with a man dressed IN
Siberian iur costume
TILE FAILURES REPORTED THIS YEAR.