Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-05-22
THE SPIRIT WORLD.
How Mrs. Melville, Wife of the Engineer
First Heard of the LOSS of the jeanette,

Hnw Mrs. Melville, Wife of the Engineer,
First Heard of the Loss of the jeanette.
Philadelphia, Pa, May 1S.-The wife
of Engineer Melville, the gallant officer
of the luckless Arctic exploring steamer,
the Jeanette, who is now searching for
his lost comrades around the ice bound
coast of Siberia occupies picturesque
little cottage, embowered amid twinine
honeysuckles, and fragrant blooming Ii.
lacs, at Sharon Hill. "Although two
years since George left us all here" said
she to-day. land went out on that ILL.,
fated voyage and although oceans of
land have separated him from us, have
seen him twice within q year."
Startling as this statement was Mrs.
Melville was evidently in earnest. "On
the 10th Of Juno last, she continued, I
of anxious waiting for some News VI ~
Jeanette without bringing ray of hope
had almost caused me to dispair of ever
seeing my husband again. had fallen
into an uneasy slumber from which
one of the children aroused me. It was
perhaps more than an hour
after this, and while I was awake,
that I became conscious of strange
presence in tho room, and you may i'm
agine with what mingled feelings Of Joy
and fear 1 heard Georges voice, and
| looking up saw him standing by the bed
side. ! saw HIM as plainly us now see
you. He was saying, Count the bells,
count ths BELLS and us he spoke l dis
tinctly heard the bell Of ship stirling
two by two the strokes OF tie hour
and i,said, Yes, George 1 remember
| ,hnt ,y1,op tba caro,{b 1,ol1 cDuoIo1 T
thought that if it was the ships bell
there could be but one more, and as the
last sound died away my husband said
eight bells, the Jeanette is lost and
vanished from the room. At that mo.
ment tho sitting room clock struck the
hour OF four, and it was the morning OF
the llth of June. At that very hour, OF
that very morning, the Jeanette wen
down into the tathomless depths of tho
Arctic ocean, and the lection closed owe
her grave.
i am no spiritualist continued Mrs
Melville. nor dc I believe in spirits.
do not attempt to explain what / have
just told you, but it is every word OF i
true.
never expected after that to hear o
the safety of the crew of the Jeanette
. A few weeks after the occurrence hav
narrated. and ut the same hour in th
morning, l had risen for the day, and wa
in the hail you see there. Again sa'
my husband, nay, even felt his breath l
my face. was dreadfully startled, BIT
had sufficient courage to call on
George, is that you?" when the figut
: disappeared as ii swallowed up in the al,
did You ever speak of 1t before
asked the astonished reporter.
+ "Frequently," said Mrs. Melville. "Fr
quently to our little household, and ono
to Mrs. DeLong, the unfortunate wife
3 the poor commander of the Jeannett
Z Last summer, or in the early fall m,
her in Philadelphia. She was hopeful
even confident. OF the ultimate return {
her husband. l was cast down, AT
finally told her what | have Just relate
3 to you. She was disposed to laugh
e me, but I told her thatI believed th'
the Jeaunette had been lost on the Ill
Of juno. Alast! for poor Mrs. DeIlop
i my prophecy was too true.