Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-12

The brave and competent Engineer
Melville, who conducted the boats of the
Jeanette and its crew TO a landing and
safety, attempted the rescue of De Long
and found the dead, and sought in vain
for the third boat, is expected to arrive il
New York on the day after tomorrow.
The New York Times says in this ~associa-
tion:
When the Jeanette sank, and the re-
treat was ordered, it may be a question
whether the second cutter, as events
turned out, was the best boat that could
have been taken-it has been said that
there was a better left hanging to the da-
wits that would have weathered the storm
in which Chipp persisted. Such a boat, at
all events, should have been provided, as
it is known that the second cutter was a
very bad sea boat, besides being not large
enough to carry her own provisions, and
one OF the delays solely Occasioned by
waiting for this boat, on the retreat, was
fatal to the whole party, since the ice ON
the course in front damned during that
night, and causeda all three boats to remain
off Thaddeotfsky ten days without being
able to move. In the outfit Of the retreat
six fine Richie boat compasses were inten-
tionally left behind, because the Cap
tain said, as Danenhower narrates, ne
preferred the pocket prismatic compasses.'
The former had always been kent in the
Jeanette ready for use on taking to the
boats, and Danenhower says that their
Abandonment was much to our detriment
at q later PERIOD In following the record
of the retreat it may also be inquired
whether the natural temptations to explore
their fine disc very, known as Bennett
Island, ami their stays to recruit the weary
men at other points were not sufficient 20
retard the retreat until the Journey
through Siberia became precarious, which
Il few weeks earlier might have been made
with safety. Heavy loads were taken
from the Jeanette, but among the arti-
Giles not taken was a shotgun, which was
unfortunately left by orders on the ice
when the ship went down, the whole trust
being put in the rifles. belongs records
tell the result in such expressions, here
and there, as numerous ptarmigan tracks,
but for their capture AlnYia had only a
rife, and, though q good shot, only sue.
ceeded in obtaining a few The day that
Nindermann left the party, then wholly
without food, there was a large flock of
ptarmigans near by, nearly all of which
could have been secured by a shotgun.
We have the testimony Of Lieutenant
Danenhower that Melville strongly OBJ
jected to the delay that preceded the last
stage Of the boat journey from Simoutki
Island to the mouth of the Lena; but, of
course, it could not be foreseen that this
delay would be Just sufficient TO cause the
party to be caught in a storm that came
up and sank Chipp's boat, separating. also,
the two others. Despite all delays, it was
no later in the year than September l6
when De Long made the land; and, con-
sidering this fact, and the six weeks that
elapsed before tho last Of the party per-
ished from hunger, on October 30 or 81,
with the short distance Travelled, it will be
worth inquiring whether any other mode
Of jOurneying could have enabled this
party Of resOlute men TO save itself. De
Long own record shows that at FIRST he
had no apprehenslqns on this head, and,
IN fact, it was not for several weeks that
the expedient was adopted of sending the
strongest Of the party ahead to seek aid.
Up 70 that time the whole party regulated
itself TO the abilities ofthe lame and weak.
still they moved far enough TO get perma-
nently away from a region where thew
saw many deer and shot as many as they
required to a barren one, where they
starved to death. Would it have been
really feasible or not to establish the main
party in this reindeer region, hunting and
storing some game, while pushing on the
two or three strongest men, so that the
latter, then not weakened by lack Of food,
could go on rapidly In search Of aid?"