The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1882-05-13
ALL DEaD

Melville, dated Irkutsk, May 9Th:
Lena Delta, March "A, 1ss2.-Found
belong and party, dead. Found all
papers and books. viii continue
search for Chip. MELVILLE.
These few words tell the terrible
fate OF Lieut.. belong and his party.
No n will ever know what they suf-
fered from cold and starvation on the
bleak and desolate shore of Siberia;
but the simple reading of the brief
dispatch sends a thrill of horror to
every heart at their sad fate. Fol-
lowing is a correct list Of belongs
party, according to the records found
in the hut by Melville, namely:
Lieutenant belong, Surgeon Am
bier, J. j. Collins, A. Gartz, All Sam,
A. Lazy, II. II. Koch. j. w. Boyd,
W. Lee, y. Juerson and A. Dressler.
There were originally IA men in the
belong party. OF these Noras and
Einderman are safe, and Erickson
died and was buried in the Lena.
The following pathetic account of
the landing and subsequent parting is
given by Noras and Ninderman, the
two scouts who were sent ahead, and
arrived safe at a native hut. Noras
says:
The captain ordered those OF the
men who could walk to get out AMI
drag the boat nearer in shore. The
Captain, the Doctor, Erickson and
Boyd, being disabled, staid i'll the
boat, which the others were then able
to drag a mile further toward the land.
when they. too, wadsd to the shore.
Collins had left the boat with the first
lot and had made a fire on the shire.
This was OH or about the 10Th OF Sep
tember, and the landing of the arti-
Giles was completed OH the 18th.
There the party staid two days 10 re-
cuperate, all the me being sadly
FROST bitten, including the Captain,
the Doctor alone being in comparative
Nv good condition. Noras and Ninder-
man were the best conditioned among
the men. The journey south was
then commenced, the burdens being
distributed. The Captain bore his
blanket and some records. The
burdens borne by some Of the others
were heavy; some complained OF
taking them further, but the Captain
insisted. The party then travelled
south four days. On the way two
deer were shot by the Indian Alexie.
The party sat down and had a good
feed, Belongs motto being, Noras
says, to feed well while they had it.
Noras thinks they made 20 miles in
the first 10 days, and that they
reached a point near the n marked
on the maps az Tcholbogoje, but
which was only a simple hut. The
four next days brought them to the
extremity OF the peninsula, and after
some delay, waiting for the river to
freeze, they crossed the river to the
west bank on or about Oct LIST. The
width of the river there WAS about five
hundred yards. Before crossing they
got another deer. The Captains in
tention was 10 make for a place called
Sagasla on the map. Erickson died.
His toes had been amputated by the
doctor. During the retreat, after
crossing the river, he one night pulled
off his mittens, and one of his hands
became frost-bitten, and the circula-
ton could not be restored in it. He
died, and was buried in the river.
Then IL was that the Captain decided
to send Noras and Ninderman ahead.
The food had been quite exhausted,
the party existing only on brandy.
Noras thinks it was Sunday when
they left. The Captain had held di-
vine service. The men were seated
on the bank OF the river. After SER
vice he called the two men and told
them he wanted them to push on
ahead, and that he would follow with
his party. "If you find game" were
his last words, ''then return to us; if
you do not, then go 10 HUMAN
Surka." Noras thus describes the
parting. The Captain read divine
service before we left, all the men
shook hands with us, and most OF
them had tears in their eyes. Collins
was the last, and simply said: "Noras,
when you get TO New York, remem
Der me-" They seemed to have lost
all hope, but as we left they gave US
three cheers. We told them we would
10 all that we could, and that was the