The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-12
A Starting Development in Letter
Received Months Ago.
West, the Painter, Discovered Man
Alive in Yakout Hut.
The Mans Feet and an Arm Were
Gone---He Soon Died.
There Was Another Man in the Hut---The
Records Which We're Found.
These Records Prove That the Men
Were the Castaways of the
Jeannette's Lost Boat.
The Story Pronounced Hoax Of the
First Magnitude


BosroN, Jan. 8-The Globe publishes
copy of letter written by Mr.. D. L. West, the
painter, to friend in Pittston, which is certain
" one of the most unexpected contributions
to arctic history that has ever appeared. The
letter was received some time in September.
1t was shown to several parties who came to the
conclusion that the castaways found by Mr..
West were doubtless from some English
whalers, 80 that the letter was not
given out for publication. few days
ago, however. the gentleman who
received the letter called on friend and
pointed out the similarity between the names of
the shipwrecked parties, as ascertained by Mr.
West, and the names of the men in the boat of
Lieut. Chipp as contained in the presidents
message. Remarking on this similarity, and
noting that the gulf of Khatanza is near the
point where the remains of De Long and his
nen were found the gentlemen concluded that
it was possible that Mr.. West had discovered
the men lost from Chipp's boat Accordingly
it was given out for publication
The original letter will be given to Senator
Dawes, to make such disposition of as he may
see fit The bible referred to will be sent to
the United States minister in Paris The letter
Is dated Filliposki, Siberia, July 81, 1882, and
after describing trip to the Sgerma mines, in
search of brother-in-law who had just left,
describes how he was lost on the gulf of Kha-
tanZa This letter then continues: sTo add to
my confusion that evening, blaze of fire
broke out in the northern horizon, and con-
SANITY increasing long flames of fire, now red
and anon green, gave jeweled change to the
aurora. 1t was scene never to be forgotten
climbed high cliff and watched the boreal
blaze until it faded and the sun came forth in
glory not one-haf so grand. The sunbeams
cast their slant on the crusted snow, and on the
opposite side of the cliff upon which was
they revealed bowl-like snow valley Look
ing down upon the sloping sides, I could see
that the crust was broken by footsteps.
If l could have known that l had be-
fore me Yakout snoW-hut / should
have been glad but I feared that the
valley might be the abode of savages (Tchouck-
chees), who would have been only too glad to
have robbed me of clothing and dogs The
evidences of human life were skin boat living
upon the snow and the presence of that strong
odor which marks the residence of man
here at the north. At the opposite side of the
bowl was evidently the door of a snow-hut.
and half expecting to see a grizzled Yakout
appear there, l was Oh the point of retrac-
ing my steps when my eye was attracted
by a pole planted above the entrance
to the hut, and at the top of the pole faded
piece of bunting l did mot stop to reason
about the meaning of this impromptu flag, but
was soon at the snOw-hole, and, looking into
The cairn that opened there, gun, some boxes,
an ak, and other odds and ends met my gaze
A smouldering fire was distinguished, and,
pushing aside curtain, of rawhide, [ entered
the cairn. Among some furs and blankets lay
two men asleep. | could not see their faces,
but it was apparent they were not natives
Touching one of the sleeping forms with my
foot he awoke. | saw before me
the grimy face of white man. On
the features WAS a look of such desnair and
terror as one seldom witnesses, and which, then
witnessing | can never efface from my mind.
The pinched lips moved with broken and
sickly attempt at smile, and the great blood
shot eyes that looked from the sunken face
cleaned with the fire of a ferocious beast
An unkempt beard, long, shaggy hair, and
hideonsly disfgured nose seemed to belong to
q Demon rather than to man or beast For
several minutes those eyes were fixed on mine,
and then, as the silence was becoming embar-
RAISING, asked in English who he was In
answer he only stared / repeated the ques-
ton in French, in German in Russian. No
answer. But at length the man took his ewes
from my face and Glanced at his comrade
thought that the other man, if awakened
might perhaps be more communicative, and /
turned my gaze on the sleeper. Stepping to his
side, bent over him an instant and then I
started back. The stranger was far away and
the frozen body was at rest in its last sleep
The man grinned in a most diabolical man
ner in return for my look of horror, and
shrank away from his eyes, as, weak and tot
tering he struggled to rise. As he partially
shutfled off the bag in which he had slept,
was more horror-sticken than before to see
that he had no feet and that his right arm was
missing"
Mr. West then describes how he remained
with the man until he died, but was not able to
get any information from him. He then goes
on to say: i performed the last sad offices
for the dead one. His feet and arm
had dropped off, after freezing, from
the effects of gangrene How he must
have suffered! His companion had ap-
parently been dead some days. Both had been
young men. Both were terribly frozen. Look
ing over their effects I found nothing to indi-
cate the identity of those who had been lost
Something impelled me as was leaving the
hut to turn back and take last look, with the
idea OF finding some memento of the dead. At
first | came upon nothing worth bringing
away, but, under the fox-skins. discov-
cred an English bible. The name
written on the fiy-leaf was "a Kuehne. "
I had written thus far, when, on
looking over the IDLE above referred to, | had
found this legend scrawled with pencil As
near as | can decipher it, it is a record of the
history of the shipwrecked sailors while on
land It is written on the back of the title
page of the New Testament The writer was
evidently man unused to writing, and there
is but little more than bare chronicle in the
words, which will copy verbatim:
I've reached land here, and will wait til
warmer, so bull I'd snow house October-Noth-
ing of other boats crews. Hares plenty. Their
mometer broke and no cold reckoned.
'Jany The 9-Star died All sick.
'22 Name not declpherable, but begins
with WI Died.
'27-Dth died
sPeter kid wolf
Mar. the 2-Sharvell, that's all.
"The interrupted record has rO further Ian
guage There are no tracks of any other writ
ing in the Fook." The names of at least -four
of the castaways were A. Kuehne Star Peter
or Peters, and Sharvell
The above letter is signed by David L
West an American artist who resided in Paric
for several years. The following are tbs
names of those who formed the party in tht
SECOND cutter from the Jeanette, under com
nlnd of Lieut. G. W Chip; Capt W. Dun
oar. Albert sweetman, Henry Warren, Peter
johnson, Edward Star, - Shawell. and AL
bert Kaihne.
DENIED.
RosToN Ian g-The renorted discovery Of