New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-20
49, LL1NNE1rE REpORL

The conclusions Of the Jeanette Coart OF In
curry are in the main iHdciOus and logical.
The officers and men receive III the report the
praise which their mcrItOrlous conduct de-
served. From the time the snip entered the Ice
TO the dcspaiIing moment when his hand was
uplifled in mute appeal for aid and the breath
left his 3cnumbed body, De Long did not only
what he could but all that anybody could have
done to secure the comfort aud safety OF bis
men and the success Of the expedition. Justice
is done to his memory In the official report.
The management Of the expedition up to the
hour Of the wreck and the conduct OF officers
and men during the retreat across the ice have
been closely scrutinized and 10 criticisms are
offered. The health OF the crew during thc
protracted voyage is justly accepted as ire
futable evidence that the ship Was properly
provisioncd and that the discipline and sani-
tary arrangements were admirable. Melville Il
highly commended for his zeal, efficiency and
heroisn Nndermann aud Swoetman arc hon
orably mentioned, and the conduct OF tho
officers and crew in general Is pronounced OK
ccllcnt, tho characterization Of the newspaper
correspondent being passed over ia silence us u
trivial incident. All this is "a 1t should 10.
The Jeanette was commanded 10y one of the
bravost and most sagacOus officers and one of
tho poest men in the United States Navy,
The officers and crow were worthy OF their COM
mander, and the cruise and retreat viii ever
remain enc Of the most courageous and heroic
achievements In the history OF Arctic adycn-
ture.
The fact is that there has never been any
ground for clitcising the management OF the
expedition, tho conduct of the retreat. or tho
efforts of the survivors to rescue their COM
rades. The only point which required critical
examination was the choice of tho vessel in
which the most hazardous voyage Of modern
times was made This was not II matter which
was brought to light by sO-called newspaper
critics. The officials aud experts Of the Navy
were responsible for the doubts which have
been expressed in regard to the strength and
model of the Jeanette. Before the vessel left
San Francisco in 1879, tile Naval Board which
inspected the details Of reconstruction reported
that for an extended cruise in the Arctic re-
" gions ii was not possible, III our opinion, to
snake her particularly adapted for such SER
@vicc.' Melville in his letters to his wife con-
fcssed that the vessel was worse than the TigTis
aud would never DO for such voyage, adding:
"Some Of us may weather it, but am SAFE the
"Jeannette will never weather it she will
"never stand the ice" DaneuhOwer, debating
his account of the wreck to "A HerdM correspond
ent at Irkutsk, said /" We had to depend upon
: her shape. She floatcd much higher than
"when we entered the pack, and that led us to
"hope she would lift easier in the nip. Her
" fate was practically decided the moment we
found that she would not lift" Chief-Engi-
neer Farmer, Commander Calhoun, Captain
Johnson, Naval Constructor Much and other
experts, in their testimony before the Board of
Inquiry, united in declaring that while the ship
was materially strengthened in San Francisco
it was not possible :" to make her particularly