Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1882-09-09
THE EZRA CREW RESCUED.
a Years Existence in the Arctic
While Living ON Bear and
Walrus Meat.

THE ElkA Uh6W hhS0UhU.
a Years Existence in the Arctic
while Living ON Bear and
Walrus Meat.
From the N. Y. World
London. August 2O.-The steamer
Hnpe, commanded by Sir Allen
Young. G. B. which left here in June
last in search of the crew of the
steamer Ezra. has arrived at Peter
head with the entire crew of the ves-
sci. The Hope picked them up in
Matotskin Straits, Nova Zembla, on
the 81 of August. They lost their
ship off Franz Josef Land aud jOurn-
eyed in boats TO the straits through
the ice. Mr.. Leigh Smith, commander
ofthe Ezra expedition, gives the fol-
lowing account of its experience:
"On July Is, 1881, we steamed
through pack-ice aud ten dave latcr
sighted Frsnz-Josef Land. We pro-
ceeded toward Cape Ludlow. which
was close to the pack, to the north
ward. On August 2. 1881, we went
up Nightingale Sound, and thence to
Ezra Harbor, and erected storehouse.
On the 10th we started east to look
for the Jeanette, but were unable to
pass Berent's Hook. On August II
! the Ezra got nipped between a land.
foe and packed-ice q mile east OF
Cape Flora and sank before we were
able to save many stores. The leak
gained so rapidly that, in two hours
after it had been discovered, it Was
necessary TO abandon the ship. Hard.
ly had the last man left the vessel
when the ice eased and the Ezra
rapidly sank. A tent was first erected
on the ice aud house was built Oh
Cape Flora of turf and stones and
covered with sails. We wintered
there. and during the whole time no
signs of scurvy appe ared. Twenty
nine walrus and thirty-six bears were
killed and eaten. We left Cape Flora
on June II, 1882, in four boats, sailed
eighty miles without seeing any ice
aud reached Nova Zsmbia on Au-
gust g."
Mr.. Leigh Smith is an old and ex-
perienced Arctic navigator. He built
the yacht Ezra at Peterhead, Eng-
land, during the winter of 1879.S0,
tor the purpose Of prosecuting. sum-
mer Voyages OF discovery in the Arc
tic. She was $50 tons burden, 135
feet long by % feet beam and OF SO
horsepower. In the summer of 1880
Mr.. Smith made a very successful
voyage in her, during which he coast
ed the southern shore of Franz Josef
Land. and made some very interest.
ing discoveries. After his return
from this voyage he sailed from
Peterhead in the Ezra on the 18th of
June, 1881, taking with him as master
Captain Lohey. Of Hull, DR.. Neale as
surgeon, q crew Of twenty-five men,
provisions OF all kinds for fourteen
months, about two years. supply Of
bread aud flour aud some additional
preserved meats. His intention is
believed to have been TO visit Franz-
Josef Land a second tipe with u visw
of making further discoveries Oh it's
western side, and he wished t" push
further north, near the meridian of
Wick's Land. However. he had no
intention of passing the winter in the
| ice, but resolved to return i'll the fall.
The Eira was last seen by the Nor
wcgIan schooner Proven, Captain
Isaksen, off the Maty-ua-hinshur, Oh
the west coast of Nova Zambla. July
8, 1881, going northwards. In No
VET. Der of last year Mr.. L. V. Smith,
on behalf of the relatives aud friends
If the absent explorer, applied to the
Admiralty aud the Royal Geographic
cal Society for aid IL organizing a re-
lief expedition. He said that Mr..
Leigh Smith deserved well at the
hands of the Geographical Society, as
he had spent $4,000 of his own
/ is,o oA Ut "a onin 0f
geography. The government gave
Ga 900 aud the Royal Geographical
Society 9l,O0O Mr.. I. V Smith then
guaranteed the cost of the expedition
himself, and as the government grant
was SO small a proportion of the
whole cost, the expedition became q
private one IN its plan and organiza-
tion. The steam whaling ship Hope
was chartered aud staff of five
officers aud thirty-two men were
engaged. The Hope sailed OH the
20!h of June last under the command
S.r Allen Young aud went directly
to Hammerfest, since which time she
has occasionally been heard from by
letter. She took three years. provis-
ions. The Hope was last heard of
before the present news arrived as
lying at Karmahuld, Nova Zembla,
July 10. Sir Henry Gore Booths
yacht Kara, which was then aud is
still searching for the Eira, was then
lying in the same harbor with the
Hope. The following is list of the
crew Of the Ezra; William l. 'fler, ice
master; John Crow ther, ,mate; George
r. Byers, second mate; Thomas
Fent0n. first harpooner; Charles Mar
shall, harpoouer; Andrew Valentine,
harpooner; John Harvey, bostswain I;
William Mason, cook; John John
stone, carpenter; William Robertson,
Grst engineer; George Pert, second
engineer; James Thompson; fireman
and blacksmlth; William Laing,
fireman.; Robert Crooks, boat.steerer;
John Gill, steward; James Mcmillan.
bont.steerer; A,am Gray. .boat-ste eerer;
George Alexander: liue mausger;
David Milne, line manager; John
Allan, able seaman; David Walker,
able seaman; Alexander Robertson,
able seaman, Thomas Clark, able
seaman. Most of these men were
engaged by Leigh Smith at Peter
head,