The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-30
DeLOns,s RepOr..

Washington, 29-DeLong's report,
found beside his dead body, has been
made public. 1t makes 10000 words:
details the incidents Of the cruise from
the departure from San Francisco ia
1879 to January 81. It's principal feature
Is an elaborate account Of DeLonRs's
views in regard to the expedition. He
considered it good judgment to head sor
WraDgell Land. His idea was TO sdont
that land as 8 support for the first win.
ter's campaign. Ha EN- bodies tie story
Of how the lind was sighted, and how
he expected TO reach it; graphically de-
scribes how on the next day the Jean.
nette became beset in ice, never again TO
be relieved, and says the party were
compelled TO make virtue Of necessity
and stay where We vera sometimes ali
night and sometimes day and night, from
January 18th to February 4th. Sweet
man and Nindermaa sto d down in the
forepeak, icy water flowing around them
nearly to their knees, working faithfully
until their work was accomplished aud
the good results of that Wock were evil
dent In the gradually reduced amount of
water comiag into the ship ana our abil-
lty to control the leak without such
ruinous exp enditure OF fuel az hsd bsen
necessary Heretofore for these reasons I
have had the honor 10 Recommend thegs
two men 70 you for medals OF honor, as
a recognition Of heroic conduct under
ths most trying circumstances.
captain Belongs record OF the re-
mslnder Of the winter ard summer Of
1880 is for the most part amonotonous
record OF eIorms, ice movements and con-
slant anxiety and almost unbroken dis
appointment. As the short Arctic sum-
mer drew to close without setting the
Je0aaette free and another dresry win
ter approached, Captain belong evi.
IDENTIFY began TO revolve 10 his mind the
question wbether it would not be
better to abandon The ship and make for
the northern coast % Siberia over the ,ce
than run the risk Of q second winter. II
the pack under date Of September BON,
1880, he says: l dislike, naturally, TO
dwell on the idea Of the abandonment, OF
the ship. We have come through, SO
mueh, it gives rRa hopss OF surviving
more as long as enough of the ship re-
mains 70 shelter u, sticking by that frsR-
ment is preferable to camping on ice and
can conceive Of no greater forlorn
bepe than the at.empt TO reach Siberia,
say 240miles distant, over ice that sur
rounds Us, and with the winters cold
sappiug one'a life at every step. OF
course, il We vera to lose our ship, We
would make an effort to get there, but
eur chances OF sueerss will be extremely
pfoblemaiical. The last entry in the
record is dSie4 December 3ltt, 1880, ss
follows; "Minstrels are ringing IN the
New Tesr N latitude 70 degrees IS min
utes north. longttud4 III degrees 50 min.
ntes east. During the past sixteen
| munths We driftA1 1890 miles,
far enough it It hSd been
ia straight line TO carry
as TO Aad beyond the polo. but We sre
only go miles northwest where va first
| beset. We have suffered, injury. and
danger has eftsn conffohled IT, We
have been squeezed and jsmme3, tossed
and tumbleo. We pumped the leaking
ship for year, but am not yes danAted,
and are So ready to dare anything rs
ever, and we face New Year firmly hop
ing to do Eomathing worthy OF ourselves,
Of Benefits enterprise aud Of the flag
above u.s." Ia less than ten months
after these words were written the jean
nette MAS st the b tom o. The Arctic
Ocean, and DsL5ng lay dead in Lana.