The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-30
THE Fate OF DE LONG.

| than small cur after all.
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THE FATE OF DE LONG.
The navy department is in receipt of ad
vices from Engineer George w. Melville
dated Lena Delta, March 20. 1882, in
which he gives full particulars of the find
| ing of the remains of De Long and his
comrades. He also forwards copy of the
log of Lieutenant De Long En-
/ gineer Melville says that after several I'M
successful attempts to follow De Longs
track from the northward, he tried retrac-
| ing Ninderman's track fromthe southwark.
On a point of land at the junction of the
Lena branches he found where a large fire
had been made and Ninderman recognized
| it as the river down which he came. About
| 100 yards north from the point four poles
dashed together were seen projecting two
feet out of the snow drift under the bank.
A closer examination showed the muZzle
of a Remington rifle standing eight inches
out of the snow and the gun straps hitched
over the poles.
About 500 yards south Melville found a
camp kettle. and close by three bodies par
italy buried in the snow. They proved
to be those of Lieutenant De Long Oh.
Amber and All Sam (cook). De Longs
notebook was found beside him. Under
the poles were found the books. records.
&c, and two bodies The others of the
crew lay between the place where De Long
was found and the wreck of Hat boat
about five hundred yards distant. The
snow bank, which had a base OF thirty feet
and heigth of twenty feet with natural
slope had to be dug out There was evil
dence of the land where the bodies were
found having been flooded during some
part of the wear, and Melville reported his
intention of 5urying the remains in a more
secure place and of prosecuting the search
for Chipp's party as soon as the weather
would permit.
THE ENTRIES IN THE NOTE BOOK.
The notes made by belong in the note
book found beside him were begun ON
Saturday. October /, 1891, and the first
entry reads: zone hundred and eleventh
day and a new month. Called all hands
as soon as the cook announced boiling
water, and at 6;45 had our breakfast half
pound of deer meat and tea. The doctor
resumed the cutting away of poor Erick
sons toes this morning. No doubt it will
have to continue till half his feet are gone
or death ensues, or we get to a settlement.
Only one toe left now" The note book
also gives an account of each days ex
perience from that date onward, but to-
wards the last his notes become very
short.
Under date of Monday, October g. De
Long writes that his party thought they
saw n hut, but upon reaching the spot
found only a mound 4 camp was made
in q hole in the bluff, and roaring fire
was soon drying (and burning1 their
clothes, while the cold winds ate into their
backs. Nothing was left to eat but their
dog, which was killed and dressed and
stew made of such parts as could not be
cured. All partook of the stew except De
Long and the doctor. Alexy was sent off
to examine what they thought was hut,
and came back at night with a favorable
1t was decided to wait till morn
ing before leaving. 1t was then below
zero A atch was set to keep the fire
going, and all huddled around it. Thus
the third night without sleep was passed.
If Alexy had not wrapped his seal skin
around De Long and kept him warm by
the heat of his body, he (DeLOng) thinks
he would have persisted As it was, he
steamed and shivered and shook. In the
morning Erickson was unconscious and
had to be dashed to the sled. At s a. m
the party reached hut large enough to
hold them, and for the first time since
they managed to get warm.
Erickson was very low, and prayers were
read for him before the others sought rest. |
At 10 a. m. all except Aiexy lay down to
rest. He went off to hunt. and at noon re- |
turned wet having fallen into the river.
At p. m they reused up and had
a pound of dog-meat for each person and |
q cup of tea, the day allowance, but they
were so grateful that they were not ex-
posed to the terrible gale which was rag
ing at the time they did not mind short |
rations.
THE DEATH OF ERICKSON.
On Wednesday tea and dog-meat for
breakfast.
Alexy again went off hunting, but came.
back without anything. On Thursday had |
a cup of third-hand tea with half an ounce |
of alcohol in it. Alexy was again sent out |
to hunt and Erickson died while he was
gone Alexy returned empty handed The |
notes at this point say: What in Gods |
name is going to become of us? Fourteen |
pounds of dog meat left and twenty five |
miles to a possible settlement" They |
could not dig grave for Erickson, as the |
ground was frozen too hard, and they had |
nothing to dig with, SO they sewed his |
body up in the flaps of the tent, covered |
him with their flag, and cast him into the |
river. Three volleys from their rifles were
fired over him.
Under date of October the notes say: |
''One hundred and seventeenth day, |
breakfast consisted of the last half-pound |
Of dog-m and tea The last grain of |
tea was put in the kettle and we arc now
about to Ia e journey of twenty five |
miles with some old tea-leaves aud two
quarts of alcohol. However, / trust in |
God and believe that he who has fed us |
thus far will not suffer us 10 die or want
now |
The party left record in the hut which |
was found by Melville rs already reported. |
They got under way at 6:30a M and pro- |
ceeded until II 90 BY which time they had |
made about three miles and were all pretty |
well done up. They had half an ounce of |
alcohol in a pot of tea for dinner; went
ahead and struck what appeared to be the |
main river again. Here four of the party
broke through the ice i'm trying TO cross.
and fearing frost bite fire was built |
Alexy was sent off to look for food. being |
directed not to go far nor stay long. Hell