The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-21
THE JEANNETTE.
Dsnenhower's Narrative OF Her Aband-
Onment.

mower resumed his narrative before the jean
nette BOARD this morning. He stated that
ABOUT o p. "a June 18th very heavy ice pres
| sure was felt. He saw Mr.. Dunbar come on
| deck from the ward room with his knapsack
| ana felt that the crisis had came He went be-
low and caught up his knapsack and that mo-
ment ne met Dr. Amber who said loudly
'Ihe order is to abandon the ship" The wit
| ness then threw his knapsack over the star
board rail on the ice and returned to get other
tnings, but found the water half way up to the
| Washroom door. He then went to Chipp, who
| was SICK In bed a. the time, and succeeded in
| getting him out His (Mr. Chipp's) room was
| on the plrt side II the poop cabin, the forward
| room.
| At this time all hands were employed under
the direction Of the captain, who stood on the
prloge, getting out the pemmican, camp gear,
ammunition and other stores, which were prin-
| cipaily in the deckhouse forward. Another
| party OF men were also working in the after
hold until the water rose too high for them to
remain there. There was also detail of men
on the ice Dlacing the stores in safe situation
as they came from the ship. A few minutes
previous the ensign bad been hoisted to the
| mizzentop
| just before supper the witness reported to
| the surgeon that he was ready for work and
requested to be recommen led to the captain
for lignr uusy,T% The surgeon promised to do so
and in the meantime reIGi.t the witness to
assist him in breaking out medical storess and
liquors, which the witness did, slowing them
in one OF the boats.
At about 5 p. M the order was given by the
captain for everybody to leave the ship The
water was then level with the spar deck, the
ship heeling 20 degrees to the starboard Dur
ing the pressure and before she was crushed
the ship had turned and seemed to lift little,
sometimes at the bow aud sometimes at the
stern, when she was finally hove over to the
starboard The ice coming above her doubling
seemed to hold her down and pressures were
felt in her timber heads DIR. Amber at the
time told 1he witness that he entered the ward
room to get some stores and on lifting latch
cover found water coming into the ship, and
upon his (Ambler's) reporting this to the cap
tain the order before mentioned was given.
Every one left the ship and the order was
given to camp and prepare coffee. This was
after the boats provisions and stores had been
shifted to large fiat piece about $50 yards off
the starboard bow. This was done at the sug-
tstion of Mr.. Dunbar, the ice pilot, as the ice
in the near vicinity was too much broken up
TO afford good and safe place for camping.
The sun had been above the horizon at mid
night since May and the light was very good
except in cloudy weather The snow at this
time was % feet deep and thermometer Is to
20 degrees Farenheit above zero. When
the order was given to camp. Dr.
Amber relieved the witness from the care of
the medicines and liquors, and he (witness)
the boats outfit for the journey,
as each party's gear had been previously
marked and slowed in a state of readiness on
the spar deck. While waiting for coffee Hit-
ness returned to the ship in order to take
last look of her.
John Cole, boats vain, Alfred Sweetman,
carpenter, and myself stood for five or ten
minutes examining and discussing the situa-
ton. We found place on the ships side be-
low the after end OF the fore chains on the
port side which appeared to be bulged in near
the water line as if a tongue, of ice had inn
pinged on that part. The fracture covered
about three feet square. The steam launch at
the time was lying about so feet from the ship
on the ice, abreast of the port chains. The
captain Was standing near the poRt quarter OF
the ship and the second whale boat was hang
ing at the davits near him. Mr.. Sweetman
suggested going abb ard to lower the whale
boat and asked witness to speak to the captain
about it, Witness declined but said, "There
are enough of us here to lower her if necessa-
ry." Sweetman then spoke to the captain,
who quickly and pleasantly remarked, "We
have sufficient number of boats already on
the ice.'
The three then returned to the camp togeth-
er, leaving the captain near the port quarter
and the only person in the vicinity of the ship.
After coffee had been served the party turned
in; this was about III p. m. A few minutes
later loud cracking of ice was heard and the
order, Turn out everybody" was given. The
ice was cracked near the captains tent and it
became necessary to shift everything to an
adjoining and safer foe piece.
All hands turned in again about l a. m. on
the 18th, a watch having been set. About a.
m. witness was awakened by a seaman who
was callingshis relief and saying, "Hurry up
for the ship is going down." Witness heard q
crash and The remarks of the two men as they
watched her go down. That atmerning after all
hands were called, the spota where the ship
sank was visited by the party. A cabin chair,
signal chest ard few pieces of wood were
found. Witness was asked what was the
condition of the ice on the 18th of June" and
he replied II was very much broken and
thrown upin ridges. The large foe in which
we had been drifting for ten months seemed
to be broken up by hinging on Henrietta
Island and swinging around to the northwest.
The average thickness of the ice was about ten
feet, which is an average winter growth in
that region, but was hove up in very confus-
ed way and the greatest draft of water of any
piece saw measured was % feet. The broken
pieces were generally of small area. There
were no lengthy or connected leads, and only
small ponds of water here and there. The ice
was in constant motion, the general movement
being dependent upon the wind which was
usually from the southeast, but the local mo-
ton, owing 10 hummocks was irregular and
dependent upon the amount of surface expos
ed tosthe wind. In some cases the foe would
have turning notion
In answer to question as to the conditions
of the Jeanette before the heavy pressure Of
the 18th, witness said: "She was very strong
ship, and In the same condition as when she
left San Francisco, with the exception that her
forefoot was twisted. On that day, June 18th,
seaman Ninderman pointed out to the fore
foot under water, which seemed to be twisted
to port; this was done the 18th of January,
1880, but was not in sight until June 12th ow-
ing to the ship being embedded in ice. The
ship had leaked some since Jan. 18th, 1880"
Question-Do you attribute the loss OF the
ship to frequent pressures and heavy strains,
or to the actual crushing to which she was SUBJ
iect on ,June 12th. 1881?
Answer--sfTo the pressure to which she was
subjected June 18th, 1881, and on that day she
stood the pressure for three hours before COM
mencing to leak y
the surrounding ice on the 18th, without hay-
ing been subjected to the pressure, would she
have been a seaworthy ship and suitable for
further Arctic exporations?"
A.-She would have been a seaworthy ship
but it would have depended upon actual ex-
periences she would havo encountered as to
her capablity for Arctic work.
Q.-Knowing her condition at that time
would you in command of the expedition have
deemed it expedient to continue the Arctic
exporation2
A.-No, for she had been fitted out original
ly for thres years, and the supply of clothing
provisions, &C., would not warrant another
year in the ice. The supply of coal also would
have been insufficient for the coming winter
and the crew had lately been exposed for two
more it is the custom when ship is fitted out
for three years of Arctic work to return at the
end of the second summer.
In reply to further questions witness said,
"Had it been any other vessel, however per-
feet she might have been, my judgment would
have been the same" The entry in the ships
log for the last day previous to the abandon
ment was identified by witness as in the hand
writing of De Long. it was made a part OF
the record and the court adjourned to to-mor-
row.