Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-05-05
P0L0R PERILS.
How the Jeannette Crew Lived

Inc new 1ork Herald gives page
to an interview with Lieut.. Danenhow-
er, from which the following extracts
are taken: Speaking of the terrible
lce-pressure to which the Jeanette
was subjected, he says: s'She would
groan from stem to stern, the cabin
doors were often jammed so that we
could not get out III case of emergency,
ana the heavy truss was Embedded
three-quarters OF an inch into the cell
ing. The salty of the ship at that time
was due entirely TO the truss which had
been put IN at San Francisco. The
deck planking would start from the
beams. showing the implanted wood
for more than half an inch. This. to-
gether with the sharp cracking of the
ships fastenlngs. like the report of
discharge of rifles, would wake us at
night. Each man kept his knapsack by
hlm, ready for an instant move, and
preparations were made for leaving
the ship with sleds and boats, if neces-
sary. The daily routine during the
first winter was as follows: At Z, call
all hands and start fires in the galleys;
at y, breakfast; from II TO l, guns gwen
to all hands TO hunt and for exercise
on the ice; att P. NJ, dinner; then gal
ley fires put out to save coal; between
and tea, made from the Baxter boil
er, which was used constantly to con-
dense water: we having found that the
tloe ice was too salt for use. and the
doctor insisted on using condensed wa
ter. Twenty-Five pounds of ceal per day
was allowed for heating the cabin, TWEEN
ty-five pounds for the forecastle, and
ninety pounds for ships galleys for
cooking purposes. We lived on canned
goods, with bear and seal twice week,
pork and beans and salt beef once a
week, no rum or spirits except on fes-
tive occasions, two CIR three times a
year. The discipline of the ship was
excellent, and during the whole twenty
one months in the pack there was but
one punishment given, and that was for
profanity. The crew were all quarter
ed in berths and were comparatively
happy; had navigation classes and the
atricals. The health of all was excel
lent and there was special medical
examination the first of every month
During the first year we got sufficient
game for table use, and sealskins for
clothing for the men; but this necessi-
tated great deal of hunting, and there
was great scarcity of game. The seal
most frequently obtained was the spe-
cies called the tloe rat and averag-
es about sixty pounds in weight, and
from thirty to forty pounds when it is
dressed. The men generally made the
skins into boots and trousers, The
meat was not pleasant to the taste, and
it required the strongest philosophy to
enable one to eat it at all. Walrus was
scarce, the depth of water being too
great for them. We got six, how
ever, which furnished excellent food
for the dogs. Bear chases were fire.
quent and exciting, and about fifteen
animals were obtained the first year.
During the first winter tremendous
bear approached the ship about mid
night, drove the dogs in, and attempt
ed to board us. The alarm was given.
Dunbar was on deck instantly, with
rifle in hand, and shot tie bear through
the heart at ten PAGES. 1t was the big
gest and most ferC cious bear secured
on the cruise, and lie had been attract
ed by the quarters II his comrade that
were triced up i'll the fore rigging. A
few foxes were seen, and their tracks
were quite frequently observed.
CATER this one year OF experience in
the ice we concluded that the general
motion of the ice was due principally
to the wind, and that the resultant of
the winds was from the southeast.
We felt assured that if the snip could
remain intact long enough she would
eventually drift out between Spitzoer-
gen and Rear island to Atlantic waters.
A very high latitude would doubtless
be attained, and would depend in Il
great measure on the influence of
Franz Josefs land upon the motion of
the pack. 1t is my opinion had we
entered the pack two hundred miles to
the eastward of where We did, we could
have worked up near Prince Patrick
land. Our smallest depth the first
years drift was seventeen fathoms, and
the greatest depth not over sixty, the
average being generally thirty and the
ocean bottom nearly uniform"