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

A TRAGIC STORY OF SUFFERING AND
DEATH.

| The tragedy OF the Jeannette Is now
fully detailed. Engineer Melville's
copies from the note books of the dead
lieutenant, found by his side, have
reached the secretary of the navy's
office and been furnished to the press.
Engineer Melville upon his return ar
rived at Bulun on the delta of the
Lena, the only point which can be
called Il point in the geographical sense,
on the 18th of February. Moving
about from point to point in that in
hOspitable region, often detained for
days by storms so terrible that neither
dogs nor men could live in them, and
| living at such times in huts without
windows or chimneys and on the
cOarsest food. At length, after finding
De Longs trail and following it, he
struck upon the 24th of March point
which Nindermann recognized as hav-
ing once passed over, and where a
large fire had been built. Melville
continues the narrative
| turned the point to go north, and
about 1000 yards from the point | no
ticed the points of four poles lashed
together and projecting two feet out Of
the snow drift, under the bank. |
dropped from the sled, and going up to
poles saw the muzzle of Remington
rifle standing eight inches ont of the
snow, and the gun-strap hitched over
the poles. set the natives digging
out the bank, and Nindermann and
myself commenced to search the bank
and high ground. | walked south, Mn
dermann walking north. | had gone
about 800 yards when ! saw the camp
kettle standing out of the snow, and
close by three bodies partially buried
| in snow. | examined them and found
them to be Lieut.. De Long, DR.. Amber
and All Sam, the cook. | found De
| Longs notebook alongside of him, Il
copy of which please find enclosed,
dating from October |, when at lister
dor, until the end. Under the poles
were found the books, records, etc,
and two men. The rest of the people
lie between the place where De Long
was found and the wreck of tlat-bOat,
distance of 800 yards.
De Longs last entry was on the Both
of October, and he did not live many
hours after probably. Nindermann
and Nor0s. who had started for Bulun
or Bolonenga on the 18th, did not
reach there till the Goth, and it was
clearly impossible for them to have
got back with succor. But, if we re-
member Alright, Melville and Danen-
hover reached the same point on the
18th, II days before Lieut.. De Long
died. As they did not know where to
look for De Long until the arrival of
Nindermann and NOrOs and the coun-
try was almost impossible from the
depth of the snow and the tierceness
of the climate, there will be little dis
position to criticise harshly the brave
men who found themselves in desperate
straits for not moving more promptly
in the search for their comrades.
From De Longs note book, it is easy
to sketch the history of the party from
September 2S, 1881, when it consisted
of II officers and men, lying in "A hut
on the Lena with two days provisions
having come along the river from its
mouth, where they landed about the
Goth. All were well except Erickson
whose toes had been amputated from
frost. On the 1st of October De Long
makes entry of what he calls the al It'll
day." that is from the day the Jean
nette was crushed i'll the ice, June l
1881, from which time they had beer
crawling over ice and boating toward
land. Temperature at 40 a. III. was
lS0. He says =
The doctor resumed the cutting
away of poor Ericksen's toes this morn
ing. No doubt it will have to continue
until his feet are gone, unless deatl
ensues or we get to some settlement
Only one toe left now.
They crossed the river that day on ice
dragging the sick man on sled. Mea
and tea were all they had. The mex
morning we read how they spent the
night =
Sunday October 81 think we nj
! slept fairly well until midnight, bu
, from that time forward it was so cole
, and uncomfortable that sleep was ou
i of the question. At 4.30 we were al
t ont and in front of the fire, dayligh
T. lust appearing. Erickson kept talkin,
h in his sleep all night and etfectuall,
. kept those awake who were not al
;, ready awakened by the cold. Break
fast at half-pOund of meat and tea
( Bright, cloudless morning, light north
T crn airs barometer 3O.3O at 5.:2 TEN
$ perature at 6.350. At I went ahead
!. following the frozen water wheneve
8 we could find it, and at 9.20 | felt quit
sure we had gone some distance on tn
e main river. | think our gait was a
least two miles an hour and our tim
under way two hours 40 minutes.
calculate our forenoon work at leas
, six miles. Two miles an hour distanc
make good 10 to ~ miles, and wheI
- are we ? | think it the beginning
the Lena river at last. My chart
simply useless. | must go on ploddin
to the southwark, trusting in God I
guide me to some settlement, for
n have long since realized that we al
in powerless to help ourselves. A brigh
" calm, beautiful day brought sunshir
at to cheer us up. An icy road and ol
oy ,S days rations yet. Boats frozen,
H. course, and hauled up. No hut
sight, and we halt on bluff to sper
'uI a cold and cOmfOrtless night. Supp
ad -half-pound meat and tea. Built
rousing fire. Built log bed Set
st watch, two hours each, to keep fire g
an ing and get supper. Then we sto,
OF by for a second cold and wretch,
night.
for The next day they ate their last fO
We ounces of pemmican and had lOl
Ds mu chase for hut which AleXia was We
in positive he saw. De Long and othe
IL got into the river, and on coming o
were soon covered with a sheet of iC
. There proved to be no hut, but a me
mound of earth. A hole was dug in
a fire built and the dog was killed, b
De Long and DIR. Amber could not e
r, of it.
To us two it was a nauseating me.
and-but why go on with such a dis
90 90 greeable subject. | had the renal
der weighed, and | am quite sure
had % pounds. The animal was f;
opd % ba bad haan fad on nan,,,ico