Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-27

D0ucnnOWet AntGfY1eWe0 N
IFkutsk-Eirst Year of the Drift-Fifty
MILES I'm Five CONTEMPLATING .
PerfIOuS Leak - Ice Freaks And
Weather Changes.
The story Of the long and weary journey by
Lieut. Danenhower and the survivors of the III
fated Jeanette from the mouth of the Lena to
the town of Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern
Siberia. which was terminated on the evening of
23d of February o. s., (March 18th new style is
told In dispatch to the New York Re7an from
Irkutsk. The survivors are Lieut.. Danenhower,
DR.. Raymond L. Newcomb, naturalist to the
expedition; John Coles, Herbert w. Leach.
Henry Wilson. Frank E. MOunsar. John Lauter-
back, the American Indian, Anequin; . China
man, and Louis p. Noros, the companion Of
Nnderman. and survivors Of Capt. De Longs
boat. These men at Irkutsk received letters
from home. with which they were naturally
delighted. Lieut. Danenhower's sight still con-
tinued February 25th) such that the letters
received were read to him. The men are gen.
orally in good health, and are staying at the
house Of the vice governors private secretary.
Three others of the party continue on the Lena
On the lookout for the yet missing men. The
Russian authorities and people treat the par
the seaman Jack Coles, who on his retreat from
the crushed Jeanette lost his reason.
Lieut.. Danenh0wer suffered eXcrucatingly
from an affection OF the left eye commencing
about year after the Jeanette left San Fran
CISCO 1t extended to the right eye and necessi-
tated thirteen operations, disabling him from
any active share IN the labors of the party. He
was, however, always made acquainted with
passing events. and his admirable memory ena-
bies him to recount them with accuracy. Though
ms command was conferred on Engineer Mel
vile he was temporarily permitted to command
the boat during the severe gale that separated
the three boats when near to the mouth of the
Lena. His services were invaluable and so es
teemed by the men with him. He is now (Feb.
25) in Irkutsk. awaiting the further privation Of
the removal OF his left eye that the right may be
saved to him.
LIEUT.. DANENHowER's RECITAL.
The Jeanette left San Francisco on the Sth
of July, 1879, with full outfit for three years,
with five commissioned officers of the navy. two
civil scientists and twenty-four of the ships
company. We arrived at Ounalaska on the Sd
of August, after g long passage. On the 25th of
August we crossed Behring sea in a very heavy
gale, and though the ship was loaded very
deeply she behaved admirably. Up the st.
Lawrence bay we found magnificent scenery.
We sent Off our last mail by the supply schOO-
ner, and on the 9th of August, p M, We
started north. Next day we passed through
Behring strait. We rounded East Cape about 3
OF the afternoon of the 18th.
INTERVIEWING THE NATIVES.
From observations made on the 9th it was
judged that the ship was near Cape Serdze Ka-
men. and she cruised thence to the westward.
Saw two parties of natives, but held no inter-
course with them, and on Sunday, the 31st, fell
in with drift ice and saw few huts on the
beach. The lieutenant with Lieutenant Chip
and Ice Pilot Dunbar went on shore to inter-
view the natives the sea between teeming with
seals In the huts of the natives saw a sailors
try-pOt and cask marked "Centennal brand of
whisky" This showed that the natives had
communicated with American traders After
tramp of several hours TO the westward were
shown bay with width Of fifteen miles be-
tween the headlands, and where they said the
Vega had wintered. In the tents at the spot
met with proofs in the shape of tin cans marked
Some of these were purchased. The natives in
dicated that the Vega had passed safely out to
the east. The coast here was fresh and pleas
ing, and sketch of large rock, as supposed
near to Cape SerdZe, was made by Mr. Collins.
Several sugarloaf mountains were in sight The
people We're Of the Chuckche tribe. stout and
good-lOoking. though extremely dirty. at this
spot most of the party bid adeu to a land foot
ing for more than two years.
FAST IN THE ICE.
About 4 pm August 81 we stood to the north
west. shaping our course to the southeast cape
of Wrangel Land, and then we felt that our
Arctic cruise had actually commenced We met
considerable drift ice, the weather was stormy
and misty. About sunrise Of the LIST OF Septem-
Der we discerned an island which was taken to
be kolintchn in Kolintchin bay. Next day we
met pack ice in foes of moderate size. turned to
the northward and northeastward and crused
along the Siberian pack, entering leads at times
to examine them. On September 4th we saw
an immense tree with its roots drifting by Ice
Pilot Dunbar seeing 1t said that in 1865. when
the Shenandoah destroyed the whalers he was
at st. Lawrence bay and when a few months
later he landed on Herald island he was greatly
surprised to see masts and portions of the de-
strOyed vessels drifting in that vicinity. This
made me look out for northwest drift. Then
Herald island doomed up in the clouds On the
9th OF September the captain judged that we
had reached the lead between the Siberian and
North American packs, and that this was good
place to enter. He took charge from the crows
nest and We entered the pack. We met with
the young ice and through this forced our way
by ramming. This shook the ship very badly,
but did not do her any damage; indeed, the
ship stood the conclusions handsomely. But at
pm. we could proceed no further. Webanked
fires, secured the vessel with ice anchors and
remained. That night was exceedingly cold.
The ship was frozen in. At this time the ice
was in pieces, ranging from ten square yards to
several acres in area, with small watercOurses
like veins running between them, but now quite
frozen over. 1t remained quiet for a number of
days, and we found ourselves in the middle of a
large accumulation of foes about four miles
across. We were then in about twenty fathoms
OF water and had Herald island in sight to the
southwark and westward twenty-one miles dis
tant by triangulation on a base line Of 100
yards
THE JEANETTE DRIFTED WITH THE ICE,
and began to heel to starboard inclining about
12 degrees, and affecting the polarity of the
compass. Proper efforts were made to right the
ship, and compass observations had to be taken
ashore. The vessel was in bad way mOmenta-
rily liable to be crushed-the general thickness
of the ice being from to feet, though some of
it was over 20 feet.
FREAKS OF THE ICE.
The month Of October was quiet. We had
had no equinoctial gales even in September
The cold was very bitter. Wrangell Land was
in plain sight to south and west many times,
and especially on the 2sth and Goth of October
when we could see mountains and q glacier
which we identified on many occasions Collins
took sketches of them. The ship was driftingto
and fro with the wind. Up to this time we saw
a considerable number Of seals and walrus and
got two bears. Two white whales were also
seen, which were the only ones noticed during
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