Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-26
MELvILLES PHANTOM.
Remarkable Experiences of the
Wife of the Jeannette's Engineer,
Philadelphia Record.


The wife of Engineer Melville, the
gallant officer of the luckless Arctic ex-
ploring steamer Jeanette, who is now
searching for his lost comrades around
the ice-bound coast of Northern Siberia.
occupies picturesque little cottage en-
powered amid twining honeysuckles and
fragrant blossopllng lilacs at Sharon Hill.
although it has been more than three
years since George left us all here" said
she Yesterday, "and went out on that ILL
fated voyage. and although oceans of
cruel waters and leagues of land have sep.
arated him from us, have seen him twice
within year." Startling as this state
ment was, Mrs Melville was evidently in
earnest. :'On the 10th of last June"
she continued. II retired to nv room
late at night. Days of anxious waiting
for some news of the Jeanette without
bringing a ray of hope had almost
caused me to despair of ever again see
ing my husband l had fallen into an
uneasy sleep. from which one of the chill
dren aroused me. 1t was. perhaps, more
than an hour after this, and while I was
wide awake, that became conscious of a
strange presence in the room, and you may
well imagine with what mingled feelings
of Joy and fear heard George voice, and
looking up saw him standing by the bed
side-saw him as plainly as l now see
you. He was saying: Count the bells !
Count the bellsl' and, as he spoke, I dis
tinctlv heard the bell of a ship striking.
two by two, the strokes of the hour.
Count them, continued my husband,
and l said: Yes, George l remember
that when the seventh stroke sounded
thought that if it was a ships bell there
could be but one more, and. as the last
sound died awav, my husband said:
Eight bells; the Jeanette is lostl" and
vanished from the room. At that mo-
ment the sitting room clock struck the
hour of four. and it was the morning of
the 18th of June. At that very hour on
that very morning the Jeanette
went down into the fathomless depths
of the Arctic ocean, and the ice foe
closed over her grave. am no Spirit
ualist," continued Mrs. Melville, "nor do
l believe in spirits. do not attempt to
explain what | have Just told you, but it
is, every word Of it, true. l never ex.
pected after that to hear of the safety of
the crew of the Jeanette. A few weeks
after the occurrence which l have mar
rated, and at the same hour in the morn
ing, had arisen for the day. and was in
the hall which you see there. Again I
saw my husband; nay. 1 even felt his
breath in my face + was dreadfully
startled, but had sufficient courage to call
out, George, is that your when the fig
! ure disappeared as if swallowed up in
the air."
"And did you never speak of this be-
fOre2" said the astonished reporter.
Frequently" said Mrs. Melville;
Frequently to our little household, and
once to Mrs. belong, the unfortunate
wife of the poor commander of the jean
nettc. Last summer, or in the carly fall,
met her in Philadelphia. She was
hopeful, even confident, of the ultimate
return of her husband. | was cast down
and finally told her what / have Just re-
lated to you. She was disposed to laugh
at me, but | told her that l believed that
the Jeanette had been lost on the 18th
of June. Alasl for poor Mrs. belong,
my prophecy was too true. Here is a
letter from her to my little girl on the
very day that the news came that Capt.
Belongs bead body had been found"