Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-21
why the Jeanette Dogs Were
Killed.

why the Jeanette Dogs We're
Killed.
WASHINGTON, December lS.-A
reporter met Raymond Lee Newcomb.
the naturalist Of the Jeanette Expe-
dition this morning, and asked him
What be thought Of the publication Of
a Russian Captains opinion TO the
effect that the loss oil Captain De
Longs party can be accounted for,
because they killed their dogs and
neglected to carry fowliDg pieces.
lie replied: Il don't care to criti-
else at length the article, but in some
details it is incorrect. Mr.. Rudolph
Newman (not Captain Nerbaum)
was agent OF the Fur Company at st.
Michael's when the Jeanette party
was there. When the dogs were dis
posed of, it was a question of storage
room and provisions for either men or
dogs; naturally the men were first
considered. AS to the firearms, |
would say that besides Remington and
Winchester rifles, each officer except
myself had Remington breech. loading
shotguns, some of them fitted with
auxiliary rife blrrels. Besides these
Mr.. Chip had a Praker shotgun, Mr..
Melville a gun OF his own and | had
mine, with which | had more than
oDes-shot birds for the whole ships
company. The other items Of the
article referred to | have nothing
to say about Meeting Noros
aud Wilson, two more Of the
Jeanette survivors, the reporter put
some questions to them They had
just read the article and we're very in
%dignant. Talk about De Long being
Ignorant" exclaimed Noros. why,
he knew as much as anybody what he
was about, and took care of everything
under his charge The man who wrote
that article was the one who didn't
know what he was about. We were
very much attached to the dogs and
hated to lose them, but it was a simple
question whether we should attempt
10 save the dogs or men. There were
on board the ship forty-two dogs
Six or eight of them died on board
the ship
when Benefits Island had been
reached we took to the boats, and
there thequestion of carrying the dogs
arose. We couldn't do it; there was
no room for them all, so we selected
ten of the best and killed the others
The ten saved we're distributed in
three boats, but we couldn't keep
them there. Whenever a boat would
come near enough to a cake of ice, and
sometimes We we're in a narrow lead,
the boat touching the ice on both sides,
the dogs would see their chance and
would jump on the ice and drift off.
We hated 10 see them 90, and would
try. to coax them back, but it was no
use and we couldn't spare valuable
time torun after them continually"
You must remember" he contin
ued, that at Bennett Island we had
provision for forty days, and expected
TO get assistance as soon as we could
get to shore. All the dogs escaped
that way but two, which we're tied to
the Captains boat; one Of these was a
large Newfoundland or st. Bernard
dog. He was the largest dog of the
lot, and a splendid worker. He could
almost haul a load himself, and would
work just like a horse. He had to be
killed, though, because he took up too
much room-more than two men. The
remaining dog was kept tied to the
bow Of the Captains boat"
What surprised me- said Wilson,
was that they carried that dog as
long as they did"
We'll" answered Noros, she came
in mighty handy alter land was
reached"
Hos about the charge hal a mis-
take was made in not carrying more
fowling pieces2" asked the reporter.
1--WE had all the shot guns We
wanted" replied Noros. Professor
Newcomb carried his own shot gun.
and occasionally a few ducks we're shol
before land was reached. But what
good would a few ducks do among
fourteen men? By hunting for duck
pond we might have killed a hundred
or more ducks, but you know we had
no lime to spare for we wanted to get
to land where we we're sure of obtain.
ing assistance; We preferred to carry
rifles. for we wanted big game thai
would do some good-bears. It is
easy enough to criticise now, and De.
Long would probably have done differ,
emily, in some case If he could have
fo%reseen the difficulties"
What do you think Of it all2" said
the reporter turning to Noros' com.
p%anion.
II think just as Noros does" h
replied.
Melville read the publication cart
fully and said: Il don't care to talk
because you can't handle pitch with.
out solling your hands, hut that maj
is talking Of something he don't know
anything about. He is talking abouI
a country he was never IN, and abouI
which he knows nothing"