Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-05-12
The rir., Year OF the "Jsanne,,e."

u
coudted to a Herald reporter the fascinating
story of the Jeanette. Two months later,
to a day, so much Of the story as relates TO
the first year out from San Francisco was
published. The lieutenant was an eye-wit-
ness Of the events described in this Install
ment of the narrative but about the time to
which it brings US he was attacked by disease
of the left eye, from which he has suffered
confinement ever since, though his acute and
retentivo memory and his remarkably clear
mind enable him to still give, the reporter
says, q most valuable and complete account
of what passed about him, and which was
faithfully reported to him. The Jeanette,
thoroughly put in order" and perfectly
sea-worthy," left San Francisco on the 8th Of
July, 1879, with officers and crew numbering
thirty-three men. At Oonalsska two Ameri-
can Indians we're taken on. On the 2Sth of
August the steamer passed through Behring
Strait. On the 3lst she was headed north
west toward the southeast cape of Wrangell
Land, the lieutenant feeling that then their
"arctic cruise had actually commenced" The
steamer worked her way painfully but steadi-
ly through much floating ice. On the 9Th of
September "Herald Island loomed up in the
clouds, and judging that he had reached the
'lead" between the Siberian and North Amer
lean "packs," the captain took charge from
the 'crow's-nest" and the ship entered the
pack, ramming its way through the young
ice, that shook the ship badly but did not
damage her. But by P. NJ. on that day she
could go no further Fires we're banked; ice
anchors were put out; the ship was frozen in
to the north and east of Herald Island, twen-
ty-one miles distant. On the 18th an attempt
was made to reach the island across the ice
by sledges, but, within six miles Of the beach,
open water was found. The ship was drift
ing with the ice and the captain would not
send other persons TO the island with boats"
Preparations were now made for long stay.
The ship heeled to the starboard, and had to
be stayed with mast head tackles hooked to
heavy ice anchors. The ice drifted, though
slowly, having "cycloidal motion with the
wind, and the resultant was in a northwest
direction" "Our position, says Lieutenant
Danenhower, twas not an enviable one. At
any moment the vessel was liable to be crush
ed like an eggshell among this enormous
mass of ice, the general thickness of which
was from five TO six feet, though some was
over twenty, where the foe pieces had over
run and cemented together, and turned topsy-
turvy. Pressures were constantly felt. We
heard distant laundering of the heavy masses,
which threw up high ridges of young ice that
looked like immense pieces of crushed su-
gar"
On the 23d of November the ice split, leav-
lllb lAp NN9oOA i1ihB III n hhAl-SAaAApi NhN
corresponding impress of its side floating
away some thousand yards. curious dem
onstration of general and common motion of
the ice was afforded by the fact that an out
house left on the ice was found, 16 months
later, only three miles distant from the ship
TO the southeast. The vessel drifted some
eleven hours, and then was again frozen in.
The long night had begun on the 10th of
November, and was to last unbroken until the
25th of January. Life, in spite of the pres
ence of great danger, WAS 'quiet," and even
"monotonous." The discipline of the ships
company was admirable, and ''for the twenty
one months in the pack but one punishment
was given, and that for profanity" Fires
for heating and cooking were kept up only
from A. NJ. to 3 p. NJ, to save coal, one
hundred and forty pounds dsy being allow
ed for all purposes Breakfast was at . A. NJ
from II A NJ. to l p. NJ. hunting and exercise
on the ice, dinner a 3 P. NJ, and about tea
The food consisted of canned goods with
bear and seal meat twice a week, pork and
beans and salt beef once a week, and mo
rum or spirits except on festive occasions two
or three times q year" The mems health
was excellent, and their carriage and spirits
were unfaltering. In January, $780, the YES
sci sprang bad leak in the bows. With the
temperature 42' below zero Cthe freezing
point of mercury the men were ordered to
the pumps, working with their feet and legs
in ice-water, and everything frozen and freez-
ing solid" The ship was pumped, by hand
by steam, and by windmill pump, for eigh-
teen months-a fight for the frail hold the
crew had on even a chance of life.
About the middle of February it was found
that the vessel was within fifty miles from
where she entered, though in the five months
that had elapsed since that event she had
'drifted over an immense area, approaching
and receding from the 1SOth meridian" but
not crossing it. During May she ''took up
rapid and uniform drift to the northwest"
but returned over the same course during
June. Although the coolest weather was in
FebrIary-5So below zero-yet July and Au-
gust were more trying, being misty and
raw" with "a damp and fog and cold that
struck chill to the bones" The snow dis
appeared about the middle of June and
''thaw- water" appeared on the surface of the
foe but the Jeanette remained Embedded
in the ice SO firmly that whole cargo of ex-
plosives would have been useless" to release
her. The many cracks near the ship never
led in any definite direction. Game was scarce.
There were a good many seals, but 1.-THE meat
was not pleasant to the taste, and it required
the strongest philosophy to enable one to eat
it at ALL" The seal most frequently found
was the "hoe-rat," of which species the fossil
remains are found in the hills of Scotland.
Bear-hunts were the most exciting pastime,
though they did not yield more than fifteen
animals the first year.
The narrative of Lieutenant Danenhower
contains many scientific data, of which only
brief mention can be made here. The con-
clusion was reached that the general motion
of the ice was due principally to the wind,
and that the resultant of the winds was from
the southeast" There was much talk among
the officers and observers ''about the polar
region being covered with an immense ice
cap, which seemed to have slow general
movement in the direction of the hands of a
watch, the direction of the drift being, of
course, different in the different segments,"
There was little evidence of a current. The
water, when soundings could be made, was
from seventeen fathoms to sixty the average
being thirty, and the ocean bottom, usually
uniform, covered with blue mud and shale.
Lieutenant Danenhower arrived at Oren-
burg on the 25th of April, and set out TO st.
Petersburg the next day.-HdrpeT's Weekly,