New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-21
DE LONGS FATE.

had been dispatched for succ0r on that Sunday
morning when the Captain read prayers on the
bank of the river and the eleven halt and starry
inc men shook hands with the two and gave
three feeble cheers. The two sailors trudGed
five miles to the west before they could cross
the arm of the river which blocked their course,
and resuming their march southwark passed
the night at a hut marked by two crosses. AS
the bodies of the ten men have been found
near this spot, it is evident that after crossing
the shoal and making the first day journey OF
the two sailors, the remainder of the party
found themselves unable to go on. They could
not save themselves. Their last despairing
hope was that Noras and Ninderman would
return with supplies from the settlements
When nine days had passed. there were only
six survivors. The end must have been close
at hand. De Long and the surgeon probably
died soon after covering Colinss face with
cluth-the last attention they could pay to their
once light hearted companion. Finally there
were only four forms huddled about the camp
fire. These must have persisted together.
Could these men have been rescued by their
companions, who had landed near the east mouth
of the Lena3 Melville's party made land on
September 16, found three natives, and reached
Bukoff settlement ten days afterward. On the
next day they tried to ascend the river, but
after grounding several times on shoals were
forced to return, owing to the exhaustion CT
the men and the unwilingness OF the native
pilots to proceed. They were told that they
must wait fifteen days until the river could
freeze over. On October s (the day before
Noras and Ninderman left De Longs party)
Melville's men met Koosmah, a Russian exile.
and for the first time were able to make them
selves understood. He volunteered to go to
Bulun and carry the news to the Russian COM
mandant His preparations for the journey
were DELAYED SO that he did not set out until
October ID. He expected to return in five
days, but was not seen until October %, when
he brought tidings that i'll two days the COM
mandant would be at the settlement with
sledges and supplies, and that two men from
De Longs party had arrived at kumouk Surka.
Melville set ont at once for Buun III dog
sledge and found the two men on November 2.
Two days later he was on his way north to
search for tho Captains party, although he was
convinced that they had already perished. He
reached Bulcour OH the 9th, and on the 9th the
hut with the two crosses and the shoal where
NOras and Ninderman had crossed the west
ern arm of the Lena. This was twenty-five
DAYS after De Longs last record was writ
ten. He was on the trail of his doomed
companions, and he knew it, but was forced
to 90 to the coast for supplies. When he re-
turned the next week to renew the search on
the ground where the bodies were ultimately
found, he was compelled by the outcres of
q, nd tho tnrrihlp tvaafbpr tn huu
don his efforts and to go back to Bulun. He
had been exposed to a binding storm for
ten days. had passed thirty-six hours in
hole in a snow bank and was frost bitten and
exhausted. AS De Longs last memorandum
was written eleven days before Melville re-
ceived intelligence of his terrible position,
and seventeen days before he could organize
a relief expedition, it is evident that rescue
could not have been effected
Melville has been criticised for not accom-
panying the Russian exile In his journey to
Bulun. 1t has been urged that if he had done
this, or had allowed DanenhOwer to 90 in his
place, the seamen NQras and Ninderman could
have been met several days earlier and DE
Long and his men might have been saved.
If Melville had gone on with the messenger he
would have been ut Bulun when the. two men,
who had been rescued by the natives, rea ched
that place on October %. That would have
been ten days after De Longs last record was
pencilled, and it would have been six or seven
days more before a .relief party could have
found the hut with the two crosses few days
would have been saved, but it would have been
of no avail In like manner the objection that
Melville tarried TOO long at Buk0ff may be
summarily dismissed. 1t has been charged that
he knew what De Longs intentions were, that
before the gale the Captain had planned a
march from Barkin westward to the north
mouth and a direct advance southwark from
that point, and that Melville could have sent
sledges down the river before Noras and Mn
dcruan arrived if lie had only been more en-
ergetic in conducting his party to Bulun
What Melville did WAS to obey orders. De Long
had given him written instructions To push
ahead for "A settlement as soon as he landed
and not to look for the other boats if they should
be separated. lie would have disobeyed or
ders if he had attempted a premature search
IL the delta. He sent his men nOrthward as
soon as he could put them on the road and
when he heard of his companions fate he made
"A heroic effort TO rescue them. All that
he could do for them he has done. He has
found resting-place on hill, where the bones
will be secure from the swash and roar of tn @
spring floods, and, with an engineers ready wit,
has reared above them pyramid and n huge
cross of drift-wood 1t is IL emorial that will
rival in the history of Arctic adventure the