The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-22
TIE RODGERS.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 21.-A Port Town
send dispatch says the steamer Idaho has
arrived from Sitka, and brings full ac-
| counts of the burning of the United States
exploring steamer Rodgers in st. Lawrence
bay and the rescue of her crew. The
steamer Thomas Corwin arrived at Sitka
June srd with officers and crew of the
vessel was half way between st. Lawrence
bay and the Lena river, and lying about a
mile and half from the shore. The fire
was reported at e;45 a. n,, and everything
done to save the ship. The fire was in
| the lower hold forward, and it is probable
that the cause was spontaneous combus-
ton. The fire gained so rapidly that it
became evident to her commander that all
attempts to save the ship would prove
useless, so the ship was headed for the shore
in hope that by scutting her sufficient pro-
visions might be saved to subsist the party
until rescued. Although six to eight feet
OF water rushed into the fire-T room, owing
to coal and timber being ehoked the water
did not flow forward to the seat Of the
fire. The ship at this time lay about $50
feet from the shore, surrounded by soft
slush 20 inches thick too soft to land up
on and yet too thick to force boat through
under ordinary circumstances. Fortunate
ly the ship was provided " it'll Bidarki, by
carry line ashore.
At 10 p. m, the flames had proceeded
so far aft that it was determined to aban
don the ship. Up to this moment the
whole company was engaged in fighting
the flames, making jettys out of combusti-
bic cargo and saving provisions. But lit
tie success however was had in securing
food. The condition of the ice was such
that it took till a. m. the follow
ing day to land that which
could be saved. The boats were hauled on
shore and the whole party encamped on
the beach for two days before any attempt
was made to communicate with the natives
who came down with a few dredges to
assist the party to their village, about
seven miles away.
The trip from the beach to the village
was very laborious in the exhausted con-
dition of the ships crew, it being over
hIlls and with snow four feet deep. The
village consists of eleven huts and the
tribe are Tehankitehis which inhabit all
that portion of northeastern Siberia
The officers and crew were distributed
among the different habitation where they
settled dswn for long winters siege.
Adapting themselves, as they did, to the
customs of the savage life, it soon became
evident the supply of walrus meat in the
possession of the natives was insufficient
for such large party and redistribution
of the men became necessary among
the different villages along the coast which
were within range of thirty five miles.
On the 4th of February Master Putnam,
commander of the supply depot of Cape
Seerge Karmen, arrived at the village with
four sleds loaded with pemimican and other
provisions for the shipwrecked party, he
having heard of the loss of the ship
through the natives. He started on his re-
turn trip to the depot in bad weather and
was overaaken by gale of wind with
drifting snow when two days out and was
obliged to turn back. In his endeavor TO
reach village on the southern coast of
the st. Lawrence about 275 miles north,
he became separated from his natives, and
not being able to see ten feet ahead of him
he was carried out to sea on the ice
Later. in the day he was seen about seven
miles from the shore abreast of the vii
lage. A vigorous attempt was made to
rescue him by four of the Rodgers crew
and two natives in canoe, but owing to
intervening ice they were unable to reach
him. and were compelled to put back after
getting three miles from shore. This was
the last seen of Putnam. When at Plover
and Merces bay, Waring left with the ma
tives letters TO be delivered to whaling
vessels, which might visit these places. in
forming them of the condition of the crew.