The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-03-31

DE LONGS PROBABLE PATE.
The Philadelphia Tssss Of recent date con-
taips the following interesting Information -
to the experiences Of the Jeanette explorers
and the probable fate of Do Long and nis
missing comrades:
"A letter was received to-day BY Mn- Mel
vile, residing At Sharonsville, . short distance
outside of PhiladelI hia, from her husband,
Lieutenant George w. Melville, Of the United
States Navy, Who went ont as chief engineer
Of the exploring party, and was in command
Of the boat containing the survivors which
landed on the northern coast Of Siberia Sep
tember % In this brief letter the hero OF the
latest, and, as all the accounts have shown,
the most perilous attempt to explore the I'M
known Polar seas, speaks OF De Long and the
others with him as having persisted, and indt-
Gates that when Chief Engineer Melville set
cut upon the search in which he is now en-
gagged in the regions Of eternal ice and snow
It was without hope of finding his comrades
alive, but simply to perform the melancholy
duty of discovering, If possible, their dead
bodies and whatever traces of their hard
ships and adventures they had left behind
them. In all the accounts that have been re-
ceived from Lieutenant John Danenhauer,
who was one of those saved with Melville,
there has been hopeful tone concerning the
possibility Of De Longs safety; but in such
kilograms as contained facts alone there was
not much room for encouragement. In tho
last and most important communication from
Danenhauer, received at Paris February 2,
from Irkutsk, he gives entire the latest record
Of De Long found by Melville, at one of those
polar milestones, such as all Arctic explorers
have erected along their way. On this De
Long wrote: Fourteen of the officers and
men of the Jeanette reached this hut on
Wednesday, September %, and, having been
forced to wait for the river to freeze over, are
proceeding to cross to the west side this
morning, on their journey to reach some
settlement on the Lena River. have two
days provisions, but, having been fortunate
enough thus far to get game In our pressing
needs, We had no fear for the future. Our
party are all well except Hans Eriksen, whose
toes have been amputated in consequence
Of frost-bite. Other records will be found
I'm several huts on the east side of the river
along which we have come from the mouth"
After quoting this, Danenhauer says: Three
other records we're found" but he gives moth
ing of their contents further than to say:
"Eriksen died October T." The party was in
great distress for want Of food. Noros and
Windeman, two of De Longs companions,
were sent ahead for relief on. October 9.
They marched south for fifteen days, and were
found in starving condition on October "a,
by three natives, who took them to settle
ment.
Evidently there was some reason for not
giving the other records entire. Nine days
after, the party Of fourteen had lost two days
provisions, and after Eriksen's toes had been
amputatel, they were in great distress for
want of food, and then Eriksen and two men,
probably the only two who were able to walk,
went ahead and reached a settlement in q
starving condition. Exactly five months have
passed since De Long and twelve men (the
thirteenth having just died) were in great
distress for want OF food, and no tidings of
them to give a ray Of hope have been received
In that time. In that condition, they were
about five thousand miles from st. Peters
burg, in q region where there is scarcely any
game, just at the beginning Of . most rigor-
GUS winter, when everyone, even the hardest
natives, flee hundreds of miles inland, and do
not return until March or April. Under such
MelviIle's letter to his wife 10
with all the known facts. Since he
was chosen by the authorities at Washington,
out Of all the competent men in the navy, to
the Jeanette expedition just fou,
years ago, and set sail from San Francisco in
July, 1873, few months after receiving his
order, Melville has had no opportunity to
with his family. The anxious
mother and the three little girls have been
waiting ga letter from papa" In their Sc
Guided little cottage at Sharon Hill, in Della
ware County, the fond mother and childish
trio have looked out daily from the window
with an anchor as an emblem Of hope
IF the fathers safe return, and wondered
lgain and again, with the smoke and whistle Of
every mail train, if their long-looked-for mes
sage was coming. Atlast, when three years had
passed, little Meta-whe was babe just born
when he went away on dark, stormy night,
md, having kissed it and the lips that were
,bove it, said: "Wife, it is possible I win
never know these JOYS again''-was able to
ak, and she expressed the thoughts of all four
When one day she said: mamma, think
papa must be dead;" but they never took
Town from the nail the hat which he hung ND
Ehen he changed it for his naval cap, and his
avorite cup and saucer were never stirred
rom their place in the cupboard. There was
oy in the household when some friend sent
he newspaper containing the telegram signed
nth her husbands name, giving the
lrst news of the safe arrival of himself
md crew, and the Joy was not lessened
y reading after the name ''in command"
every telegram since signed MEL
lille" has been meat and drink to the news
little household, and although the
mother kept telling the children continually
that it was duty, and duty to God and coun-
ry must always go ahead Of duty to family"
he little folks could not understand why
'apa did not send some messages home"
Maud, beautiful child about |
fifteen years Of age, went, as she has thou
ands Of times In over three years, to the post
flee, to know If there was . letter. Mrs.
delv.lle was seated at home sewing listless-
?, and the other two little girls were |
laying with their dolls. Suddenly one of the |
title onessaid: Why, ma, something's the |
natter with Maud. / actually believe there is .