Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-19
He VESSEL BURNED AND sUNK-HKR oFTICBRs ANT
CREW IN THE wrIDs OF SIBERIA

Loss OF the Search Steamer ROdrer..
THE VESSEL BURNED AND sUNK-HER oFHlcERs AND
CREW IN THE wrLDs OF SIBERIA
The n Y. Herald correspondent at Irkutsk,
siberia, telegraphed from that place yesterday
nat ne had just received q dispatch by courier
rom Mr.. Jackson, the special commissioner who
vas sent In search OF the Jeannette's survivors,
which dispatch is as follows: "Fron the Aldan
river, April g. 1882 have just met courier bear
Ing dispatches from w. Il. Glider, the Herald cor
had I1f from wnom nm h the courier
liver to Verkhoyansk, 400 miles north OF Yakutsk.
tha Gdder G mad made journey Of 1900 versts among
news that the Rodgers had been burned and sunk:
that Gen. Berry with the Officers and crew. s6 in
ble.n - f'~
SECRETARY CHANDLER ORGANIZING A RELIEF rxrs-
DrTI0N.
The Navy department this morning had received
no Information OF the loss OF the Rodgers, other
than the above cable, which was referred to the
secretary OF the Navy by MI Bennett, at New
York, through Mr.. NordhofY. Secretary Chandler
TINS morning telegraphed to the Mare Island, Cal,
lroquois can be started for the relief OF the ocers
ana crew OF the Rodgers The IroQuois had Just
oeea nS1ed rSr sea- ana was to join the Pacific
Ole vessel for this purpose.
STORY OF THE RODGERS EXPEDITION
In the spring OF 1881. $l75,OO0 was appropriated
oy congress for the purpose OF chartering or pur-
Chasing and equiping, vessel to 60 In search OF
the missing Jeanette. A course through Beh-
rings strait was manifestly the proper direction
for the expedition, and as there was no time left
10 charter or purchase q vessel on the Atlantic
coast and send her around to the Pacific steps
were taken to obtain a suitable vessel already on
the Pacific coast The Mary and Helen, which
the arctic regions was offered to the government
eNUOU The vessel was thoroughly inspected
chase her. A board Of naval ofiicers Of which
Rear Admiral John Rodgers was president, was
appointed at the Navy department In March, 1881,
search, the means best adapted for II and all the
details The name OF the Mary and Helen was
gers The vessel was at once strengthened s at the
proyisioned, not only with supplies for the oficers
ana crew OF the Rodgers. but also with ample pro-
vision for the relief OF any OF the people OF the
Jeannette or the missing whaling vessels that
might be fallen iE with.
THE CRUISE OF THE RoDGKRs
The command OF the Rodgers was given to Lieut..
Robert NJ Berry, in whom the department had
great confidence and who volunteered for this ser
vice. The other officers were also volunteers
The Rodgers sailed from San Francisco June 10th,
and reached the ST. Lawrence bay, which is on
the extreme eastern coast OF Siberia, near the
a behring's strait on the 18th Of August On the
company with the Russian corvette Streiock. The
Rodgers explored Wrangel land and Herald
Jeannetse At TiapEas near Cape serdse @ e wheh % &
on the extreme northeast coast OF Siberia. very
aed pany Of strait ss a0uss s was Ou INT
winter under command Of Master c. F.
Putnam. They were bountifully supplied with
sledges, etc, for searching the coast The Rod.
gers t returned to St lawrence bay on the 18th OF
IN Say Sns ns Ing
vessel was lost The Officers and crew of course
went across the country to Cape Serdze to the
but short distance. There they could find shell
ter and provisions The charts OF the polar regions
ity. there was no other way Of oommSncatlne M sdi
with civilization than by getting word across the
country by Russia. They couldn't cross Behring's
when the Rodgers was lost. but it was probably
early In the season. The Herald correspondent,
his companions at their camp near Cape Serdze.
and started across the country. The journey
was nearly fifteen hundred miles, through the
country Inhabited by the native Chuckches, from
Cape serdze to verchojausk, on the Yena river,
which lies east OF the Lena river. Owing to the
Yakutsk, on the Lena about 400 miles The first
large stream that Glider reached after leaving his
companions %aIpan. was was the Kalyma river, and from
courier to Vercho1ausk. The courier must have as
cended the Yena river to its head and then crossed
correspondent, jackson. The Aldan is large
river, which falls into the Lena river, but q short
0lStance ABOVE fakutSk, fr0m which point, It Will
be remembered. the expeditions started under En-
g1neer Melville to reach the Lena Delta. The
journey accomplished by Glider was a most won
derful one, and must have been full OF dangers and
privattOnS.
THE LIST OF OFFICERS
OF the Rodgers is as follows: Lieut. Robt. N. Ber-
~, commanding; Master Howard s. Waring, exec
utive 0ficer; Master Chas- F. Putnam and Ensgns
Henry j. Hunt {son OF Gen. H. j. Hunt, USA),
and Geo. n StOney, watch on1cers; Passed Assist
ant Surgeon Meredith D. Jones and Assistant Sur
geOn Joaquin ID. Castillo, and Passed Assistant En-