New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-30
CAPTAIY DE LOy IS RECORD.
HIS REASONS FOR THE COURSE HE TOOK
WHY HE ENTERED THE ICE-HOw TIN RESULT
AFFECTED UIN-sCENFs AND INCIDENTS.


WASHINGTON. Dec. 29.-The Jeanette
Board Of Inquiry has been chiefly engaged during me
past three or four DAYS In the examination ana 'oh
sidcration OF the official record or report "tl'''n ~
Captain De Long at Intervals during the brst ana
years OF Jeauneie's imprisonment In the phcA' anu
ound beside his body in the Leua Delta 1t Is oo7''
written ooscap roll Of manuscript containing w Ps'
Or perhaps 10000 words il addressed 81 me Srcre''!
Of the Navy and covers the history Of the Jeannees
cruisc aud diff from the time OF her departure rom ~
Francisco in July 1879. to January l. ISL Inc p'po'
hears marks of exposure the weather, ana mas e''
IDENTIFY been soaked in water. but the INK mas no P
ceptbly faded tho writing If perIec'b leNl'o ~,
The report treats Of history which il already i'hH
to the public, it derives peculiar interest Hon 'He
TACT that II contains the first authoritative eAIr
which has been given Of the views ana plans % D 80
himself with regard 10 the conduct and HahaSe"'n.
the expedition He gives the following account -
eapnrtte experience and Of bis own motives anupa
during the four or five critical days in September WHICH
preceded the ships imprisonment; 1000
We were fairly at the beginning o. our treIneV
work and tde atcness or the season hHuo -. - az
nrsfic'obIe Wuet err or not had any chance VI &C
cOmpl sh ne anything before to wiz T-anni.co i'm
or 4, enT laden ship the delay ncden 10 the arrival
o( the chartered schooner al 81 MICHAEL anu ny
fer of and the subsequent various D.
e siberian coast i'm search Of reliable dings OF ffOIS
sor NOraenskiO,d had coD5nmeI so lnuch Time tn.t VIC
oIs rect1ons in quest Of most promising route As
the comma OF Polar expedition, my cmel oesiao
vas to ger north and had already cone so lar Ia the
wetward in carryfag OUT the Departments orders that
the sooner started in northert direction seenVg uo
better for the object Additional lLe "OuIu 20
lost were | to attempt TO get mulp
eastery position before heading to tne nor h%alq'
parrcilirlY as from the eXp"rlen o. America WI
cJs and ships az the English Franklin releI cNie
ton Hotmug TO indicate there oel'er cn"o
On te other hand we were within 22o miles OF Wran;
gel Land which. tuoukh seen had never been tn4eI
On ana when afIer The rigntng Of Ia even farther
norm by Captain k"ieIt IN Aer maj - SIP II M
lsi9 hat been assuin by some se "a p
60 tpert, OF asst extensive arcu pclaso' hnI 10y
others To second Greenland no. even 'ni CON ~
uation OF tie original across the Poe WIN iAni ~ r
us 0tf.r chance of exploration an winter .aioo i
from which nEner latitude nl-ht De at'' Yh,t
( boy sIedEes, ana PerAiH iIYsecIrJ7 - land.
was naturally TO be o'rec'eii when
water coal a1a 5-tDbs mi re- made by the ship herself
before an exploration sed-c journey might De unueI
IN corsdrIng fGt iand as kim sup or ine INST
winters campaign. and acc ruhs1 81 Pju 'o'-'
north by WcSJ .Iue, proceeding WITH an sPe'u $3.50
On ,tau De Long then describes the manner III Whlch
tn ship made her way Inward through loose streams
OF nolng ice until she nd reached pont about IoFV
miles ea,t.ou,hea.t OF Herald Island, Were she was
.fo,ped bv what seemed he mpe lt.r-De pack zee
That night a promising lead opened tn the westward
and CAPTAIN Dc Long decided 10 enter It. lie says;
y.D. t,J ID, bv ia d. water xtel NM diOns the east
eIn Goa OF " ftnse,. Ia '' ~ con-
cided to en- eri there sufficient dA light
the next morning.
In pursuance OF this res button he entered the lead
the following day and steamed through u FIVE hours, at
the expiration OF wu.ch tim, tie sh.2 was stopped by
heavy ice ten fifteen feet in thickness
Wralgcl Land was in sight to the westward and Cap
tain De Long says;
Attnatt.m, hoped we were destined to reach this
van OF c the -Irftc. Of The ho. was up acre and
tn-r, by polls aul sin al LAKES when any movement oI
tDp lee "a. unite d. a LAM OF uayI5abie WAFER.
Instead OF opening, however the ice cO,ti anu Oh
the following day thu Jeanette was oeset, never again
10 be released. Wuiug aierward this misfortune,
Captain De Long says:
Unless somethin. ike gale of wind occurred 70
up tue mass OF lee AMI ~ making Walerspares
aO1 proceed fuct-er our advance was no longer
10 be guided or confronted o. any Po"eI ron mn
snip We had gOl" lar To he norn"ard a. th' htaFy
pack Ice had permit ed, a.d We Ati 'oAoWcu up IA
ouy rane prcsen It,ef, and hal come ~ the
end OF mat NJ choice oil 81! Was i'm 60 10y the eur
di,a grcelOe teen II c-ance existed OF d ne
-ol ano nodlng our present I f,l1, 100
W. knew 7 land wa..r .; he iettland va.
no a. thc Ian WINTER "i "rcen ani 80
t.r 4. auv power OF co id be elective; me
ocean We had Left behind "a mdch on OF out reach
ssif continent nal interviewed, ana there seemed
not ing lett bat 90 make virtue of necessity al stay
where VT were
The Jeauuet e having been thus securely imprisoned,
her officers began to make preparations for tie
winter. Foreseen- that he snip mi-It al any moment
DE crushed by the constantly moving lee Captain DE
Long mad everything readiness for abandoning her
rye part # Captain De Longs record-perhaps two
thirds of its devoted 10 descriptions Of the pAen,meua
winch were most intimately connected with the daily
sion upon their minds The movements OF the ice
ON tails subject Captain De Long Gays:
The lth of November day OF much anxiety and
Al the trcm3lius aud creak OF tAr snip
march Going what little was 10 Of our level
c- uou gsdr were confronted 10y fearful spectacle
feeble iu comparison Win WLat Wa now go.ng on.
Large blocks seventy feet in -n-in seven freJ 10
Thickness ana eadJl from two hInlrcd feet,
M .., 1' NJ I,in or tpotny over and nrcasn.
FllIfg fff.f tf md al fIITa
WI.1 tie mos. horrible nos Such as can LGidy be d.
scIiued TIE rumDlng OF railroad tain ia rnnel'
tie sAIsks o. "a tual1tuA steam whistles and tue crash
o. falling hous. all combined. would make the
apprllcl To Inc uyse which deafened us Tor four and
malt AOlra.
About The middle Of January the Jeanneres forefoot
was severely wrenched aud twisted and leak thus
caused. By exerti0ls however Of the carpenter,
~weetmau ,aterWard lost with Lieutenant ChppJ, ana
tue sailor NinderIn ann bIikn-ad built which par
tily confined the water ana probably saved tue snip
Captain De Long recommends these Two 10 the De
par,nent for medals Of honor gniOn Of heroic
conduct under the most trying circumstances.
Az the short Arctic drew a close and
another dre4ry winter approached Captain DC Long
evidently began 10 consider the question whether II
Noull not be better abandon the ship and make FOR
tine northern coast Of siberia oyel the ice than TO run
the risk Of second the pack Under date Of
september 20, 1850 he says:
Idisike naturally dwell the idea Of the abandon
IL gives me hopes OF A. long - enough
VI The ship 60 shelter sticking b. rag
mepf - r-fer.DIe o camping ON .ce and cal conceive
o grcFtcr "iOrOrn nope" than attempt
reach Sioera ,sdy ZiJ mules Distant, tne Ice
that surrounds aud with the winters cold sap
ping mes le at every step. OF course II 10
lose ship would Ike TIE eiOr. 20 get there but
Chances Of success would Oe extremely profile
NAUTICAL.
The last day the record Is dated December 81 1850,
and Is m part as follows;
Rqrns , the past sixteen months we have
IL Lad been in straight line TO cary 70 and
beyond the pole hut are only go miles northwest
OF where hrst beset We lave suffered injury.
and danger often confronted Ne have been