The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-06-29
The Last Days Of De Long.

WASHINGTON June 26.-The Secretary of
the Navy has received communication from
Engineer Melville giving an account of the
finding of the bodies of Commander De Long
and his party in the Lena Delta. 1t is the
same narrative that was published in the press
dispatches of June 10, with the entries in
Commander De Longs note book added.
The first OF these entries was made October l.,
1881. and is as follows: Zone hundred and
eleventh day and a new month. Called all
Lands as soon as the cook announced. boiling
water, and at 645 had our breakfast-haf
pound of deer meat and tea. The doctor re-
sumed the cutting away OF poor Erckson's
toes this morning. No doubt it will have 10
continue till half his feet are gone or death
ensues or we get to settlement. Only one
| toe left now"
On October q touching instance of the de-
votion of Alexy to his commander is noted.
The previous night was terribly cold. and
Alcxy wrapped his sealskin around De Long
| and kept him warm with the heat OF his own
body. De Long gratefully puts the incident
on record. In the morning Erickson was un
conscious He was dashed to sled and the
journey resumed. A large hut was found and
for the first time in many days they were able
| to make themselves comfortable. In the even
ing each one had half pound of dog meat
and u cup of tea. Erickson died Thursday.
October s. The ground was so hard frozen
that his surviving companions could not dig
| grave for him. so they sewed the body in the
flaps Of tent, dropped it IN the river and
fired three volleys from their rifles. On this
day De Long Wrote IN his notebook: What
in Gods name is to become of us? Fourteen
pounds OF dog meat left and twenty-five miles
to possible settlement"
On the next day he made the following en-
try:
Friday, October 6-117th day-breakf fast
consisting of the last half-pound of dog meat
and tea. The last grain of tea was put in the
Kettle and we are now about to undertake
journey of twenty-five miles with some old
tea leaves and two quarts of alcohol. How
| ever, trust in God, and believe that He who
has fed US thus far will not suffer us to die of
want now"
An entry made October shows that alcohol
is OF greet value in the absence of food. Com
mander De Long writes
Saturday, October Scaled all hands at
$50; breakfast halfounce of alcohol and
pint of hot water. Alcohol proves o. great
advantage; keeps off craving for TODD, pre-
venting gnawing at stomach, and has kept up
the strength of the men as given three ounces
per day, in accordance with DR.. Amblers ex-
periments."
On Sunday, October 9, Noros and Ninder-
man were sent ahead to look for help, and as
has been stated before, they fell in with Dan
enhower's party, and were rescued. The
brief entries made by DE Long after this SIM
ply record the successive stages of slow star
vatlon.
Thursday, 13.-Willow tea. No news
from NinGerman. We are in the hands of
God, and unless He relents we are lost We
cannot move against the wind, and staying
here means starvation. Afternoon went
| ahead for a mile. After crossing another
river, or bend of the big one. missed Lee
Went down in hole in bank and camped
Sent back for Lee He had lain down and
WAS waiting to die. All united in saying
gale of wind. Horrible night
The bill of fare for Friday, October Is, was,
breakfast, willow tea dinner, one-halt spoon
| full sweet oil and willow tea" Aexy shot
ptarmigan, and there was soup in the evening.
The breakfast on Saturday morning was Evil
low tea and two old boots"
Now and then Alexy, who was the hunter
tor the party, shot a ptar.nigan, from which
soup was made, but on October 16 he broke
down. On the following day DR.. Amber
baptized him, and he died about sunset. HIS
body was laid on the ice on the river and Gov
cred up with slabs of ice Kock and Lee next
succumbed to starvation and were laid up
Prayers were read for the sick Kock was j..
found dead at midnight October 81, as he lay
between Dr. Amber and De Long. Lee died
about noon OF the same day. De Long makes
this pathetic entry: "Too weak to carry the
bodies of Lee and Kock out on the ice. The
Doctor, Collins and myself carried them
around the corner out of sight. Then my
eye closed up"
Iverson died ON Friday, October %. Ores
sier died on Saturday night, October 80. The
following is the last entry in the book:
Sunday, Oct. 80, 140th day.-Boyd and
Gartz died during the night. Mr.. Collins dy
ing"
DE Long, Surgeon Amber, and All Sam.
the cook, were still alive when this record
was made, but they may have died soon af
forwards.