The Worthington advance., 1882-03-30
ANNALS FROM ICE FIELDS
Engineer Melville of the Jeanette Ex-
plOring Party Makes His Report to
the Secretary Of the Navy.
A Thrilling Recital of the Incidents At.
tending tho Long and Patient
Search for Capt. belong.


Lient Melville to the secretary OF tho navy is
at hand, dated At Yakntsk. Siberia January T.
1-ient Melville says
We made land at the month OF the Lena river
September l6. four days after the dispersion
OF the Jeannette's three boats, aud reached a
settlement called Bnkotf September 2O The
Ice was making in the river on the next tls7
made an effort to get mp the river with three
native pilots, but after grounding very often
'he pilots insisted on returning, and our condi-
ton did not warrant me in advancing, for mos:
OF 1ls were very much exhausted-sufferinS
from frozen feet and legs and lack of food,
! and majority being unable to walk. The
haiivea gave ns quarters. and in time Qnits.
quantity OF fish and dried grease On
October lO'a Russian exile named Koos-
nah Guymayeff discovered, us accidentally.
He gave ns salt and all the food his scanty s,,p~
ply allowed and agreed to go to Belnn to in
form the comnandant at that place of our
presence, and ask for food and transportation.
He started October - anil was to have re-
turned in five days, but did not return unit!
October 20, when be brought small supply OF
tooG and reported that the comlnan'lant would
be at Bukon November Ii, with deer and sled.
to carry the whole party to lelun On his way
back. October c6, kOOsmah met two of the
first cutters crew at kninouk Snaka, and they
gave him brief noie. Immediately started
with dog sIe;ls for Helnn, hoping to intercept
the commandment on the way but he had rein
deer and travelled by different route Mr.
John W. Danenhower. having recovered TO
nse OF his eyes, was placed III charge Of My
party, with orders 20 follow ME to I'elun as
soon as transportation cond he obtained
ARRIVED AT BELuT
November =, aud found the two Nlen iii Il very
exhausted condition. From them learned
The following particulars OF What traHspirel
subsequent to October ! the date Of Lieut. Dc
Longs recorda: The party crossed the Iona
to the west bank October J. At q summer
limiting lodge calle;l U=tcrda, the toes Of the
seaman, Erickson, having been amputated, he
~as placed upon al inrrovised sled. which
was hauled Ly his comrades several of whom
were hardly able to stand, owing 10 frozen feet
and legs They proceeded south slowly for
two days and crossed a small branch of tie
Lena, which they had to wade. On October
they stopped at small hut. where Erickson
died the next day and was buried il the Lena.
By tins time they were IN = deplorabe condi-
ton, having eaten their las. dog meat and he
ing on an allowance Of three ounces OF alcohol
per man per day They then proceeded sonth
until October $, when ]'e Long decided 10 sen!
II u IL
dern,an and Noros were letter than those Of
the others, and they We're supplied with throe
blankets and Remington rifles, with forty
rounds of ammunition and sixty-six ounces Of
alcohol, which was per capita division OF tho
whole stock Of the latter. They were ordered
TO proceed south on the west bank Of the Lena
and to
SEND RELIEF IF FOUND
! being told the others would follow their foot
steps. When the mcp started tho party wae at
q halt on the north bank OF large western
branch Of the Lena. The two mon asceHded
that branch about five miles to make q cross
ing, and then travelled southeast to hut known
as Two Crosses and arrived on the Lena bank.
After fourteen days of intense suffering aud
| slow progress they reach Dnlour and were
found by three natives. who supplied them
| with food and transported them to Rc!un with
deer sleda. Arriving st that place September
27 the commandant OF Eelun took good caro-
Of them but was unable to understand thera
He gave them the material and they wrote a
long disptch addressed to the American minis
ter at st. Petersburg. which the commandant
took with him to Bakotf. Danenhower ,mme-
diately sent it to me by special courier TO-
gethcr with orders from the commandant 10 a
subordinate at Helun to furnish me with an
! outfit, appointing Eansnlk as a rendezvous. At
| which place met him and tho remainder Of
the party November E. Had a consultation
with the commandant and ordered Danenhower
to proceed south with oil the party except J. Fl.
| Bartlett, frst-class fireman, who was to remain
at Beun to communicate with NO. and started
north on that evening to she relief OF De Long,
having with NE two natives and two dog trains,
| with provisions for ten days. November q We
| reached Bulcares and found Two deserted
houses and traces of the two men, Nuderman
and Noros. Examined a small hut
WHERE THE TWO MEN HAD SLEPT
and where q number of eleds we're slowed
Slept III q snow bank that night Visited the
! huts at Two Crosses shoal, at Astoleria, reach
ing Alotera after midnight The next morning
I found in hut a waist belt that had been
made on board the Jeannette, and there were
good indications that one or two of De Longs
party had slept in the hut On November 10,
the provisions running short, l decided to 20
to Upper Delun in order to renew them
| Reached Upper Belnn III lth. having stopped
| at the deserted hunting station Of Cathconta,
and having also visited eight huts on the
| route. Considerable stale fish and deer meat
were found at the Cathconta hut. but there
! were no signs of the hut's having been visited
| by De Longs party. On my arrival at Upper
Belun the natives brought me De Longs record,
| dated October l, and learned that others had
been found. lsent to neighboring village
| Tor them next morning. The records were
dated September 22 and 26, and Winchester
| rife was brought to me- The only provisions
| were deer meat and fish, there being ! scarcity
| of the latter, tho natives having to send 80
| versts for their own supplies. November 13
obtained q four days eupply of fish. and
with fresh dog teams and natives started FOR
the Balloka hut, in which record No. 2 and the
Winchester rifle had been found. l left there
| that night Found both huts filled with enow.
On November IA followed the east bank OF
the Lena to the coast, and followed the coast
that had been made by De Long September 10.
! MADE THOROUGH SEARCH
and gathered everything: The sleds being too
heavily laden to carry it. ! searched for the
boat both east and west OF Me cache for 6 DIS
| tance OF five miles each way and distance Of
one. and-a-bslf Of shore, and saw no sign. Of
1t. The ice WAS very much broken anc was
| showed up III masses TO within twenty Eve feet
OF the cache ] returned about midnight to
Upper Belun. Next day, November s. there
Was driving storm. and was obliged to wait
there two days to rest and feed the dogs.
During this time overhauled everything OBJ
tanned in the cache. found box containing
refuse medical stores, one box of email articles,
mess gear, one box for navigation books and
sextaRt, one box chronometer. two tin cases
seven old sleeping bags (coudemnetll. one lot
rifle, aud other articles There was no list Of
articles found in the cache, but a record was
! found in the navigation book On November
II, left Upper Belun with fish for ten days
food, and with natives l visited tho place al
which
| DE LONGS PARTY
crossed the Lena and traced the party to Six
teraneck. from which place wished 10 searci
for the hut in which Erickson died. but thcr'
was . storm raging and the L.:tives insisted OF
returning to either Belun or Upper .Ee!un. be
cause there was lack Of food and the dogs re
fused to work. We had only raw frozen fisi
to eat, 90 determined to return to Helan, ant
arrived there November 27, in a nearly ex
} hausted condition, with feet legs and fac
badly frost-bi!ten. having been ten days in I
continuous storm and remaining two night
} and one daS in one hole in = snowbAnk. with
ont shelter Of any kind. From my knowledge
Of the country and the evidence Of Noros ant
NInderman, an confident MAT Ie Long ant
; party are somewhere to the westward Of tn
! Lena and between Sixtersneck and Bulehor
which are separated by an extent Of about 10
versts Of barren and desolate region. devoi'
Of subsistence. To search that section . larg
force will be required, with proper authorit.
from Russian officials. therefore come 4
this place to communicate With the Unitet
States and immediately, with the aid Of the au
] +hori n mi pohin0 n Ii, ft