New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-08

THE REPORTED FINDING VI Of1lrE OF AM IL
REASONS FOR DIsCREDITING THE sToRY-A TALK
WITH GEORGE KEENAN,. THE SIBERIAN TRAVEL
LER.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-GeOrge KEENAN,, OF
this city, who has travelled extensively In Siberia ana
who il perhaps the best informed authority In THIS
country upon the geography of Arctic ASIA talked TO-
day TO reporter the Associated Press with regard
the statement teegraphed from Boston last night, that
thu bodies of the crew of the Jeannees second cutter
have been found by American artist ON the cur OF
Khatanga long, arm Of the Arctic Ocean, south
and east Of the Taindr Peninsula.
Upon beng asked what he thought Of the story Mr.
Kennan replied II strikes very clumsy inven-
ton"
o-For what reasons A.-FOr all sorts of reasons. In
the first place. the mouth of the Gulf of Khaanga more
than 800 miles in airline and more than 5OO miles IoE
lowing the coast from the place where the boas Oh e
Jeanette separated. Lieutenant Chipp knew very well
CAPTAIN De Long intended TO land at the mouth OF the
Lena it is hardly to be supposed that he would de
uberasey and voluntarily 300 or 400 miles further
TO the westward and land on the edge OF the 1amur
peninsua-the drearies most desolae ana least known
mart of the entire north Siberian coast OF course he
might have been blown there against bis WILL but 1t is
IN the highest degree Improbable. you should lose
Ueht of small boat fifty miles of Sandy Hook with
gale blowing on-shore, you would hardly e1-
meet 20 nd that boat the coast Of South Carolina
But this 49, perhaps the least Of the storys mproba-
bilities
The artist who IL said to have discovered Lieutenant
cordng 10 his letter. for the upoSe OF nhdlng G
fn.law who had been exiled 10 the ezerDa mines 90
NOT think there is mine or RussiaI setement OF any
kind vii hin 400 miles OF the mouth OF knatdhga 1uh
Yessisk and KhatangsS both 400 miles inland. few
samoyades wander in summer over the IoonGIa wnco
as aug the Arctic Ocean that vicinity, but IN WIN
ter even hey retire to the interior and leave the wnoe
region uninhabited Tue mouth OF khatansa cur tnr
North az the winter quarters OF Dr. Kane AMI it could
be reached, al the season when MI NesI ~ nc Went
letter tel graphed from Boston besides Delng snspl-
Siousy vague nts pqesence OF man m the
North cannot be detected at distance OF nan
30 ~ ,pSbt The ChooEehces Of whom
r ao Mes ss oI Knaancs CUT ana it is neat mpos
sibe that traveller in that region shouu even 4o"rn
'AIl the details of the finding OF the
survivors Of the second cutter strike me as
spiy preposerous. According TO the alleged record
fonnd IN tie Bible supposed belong 10 kuehne, on
nj least of the crew. lived until the % OF March So
In other words, an inexperienced SAILOR thrown on cue
uuinhabited Tamur Peninsula, In latitude 10, WlhOu
food proper clothing or shelter lyed through an ente
finuously below the horizon for nearly 100 GAYS III
Captain belongs party could nor Keep 5neinsSlves
Della AT the beginning Of it is hardly reason
Able suppose that any one Oh Gu c e
rem coast and at point two or three degrees IF'ner
FINALLY If the story contained this letter had any
foundation in fact should long ago have had fuI
PARTICULARS or Jhc nnuus VI
Rnssian channels OF communication. The loss OF tue
Jeanette has been known FOR months III every RUSSIAN
Retirement I'm Northern siberia IL bodies OF w8itf men
had been found the CUR OF K1atanga last spring. as
Represented by this letter, the Russian authorities az
Yenisaisk would been informed OF the act before
midsummer and should have mad the news promptly
by telegraph ,.s T .,,,,,, 4, 10
70 be cassed with the story which went the ROUNDS OF
the papers some years to the effect tha III one OF
The remote and secluded valleys OF Eastern Siberia there
had been discovered q living mammoth
Neither Secretary FrelinghuysOn nor Secretary
Chandler received any information with regard 10
the alleged finding OF bodies OF the Of the jean
netes second cutter the Gulf VI Knatangai Is NoFt-
ern Siberia last spring
VERY BAD HOAX.
BOSTON Jan. 1.-THE yarn about the finding OF the
Chipp party ia a hoax.