The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-06
LIEUT.. j. W. DANENHOWER.
The Hero of the Arctic Expedition
Gives an Interesting Account of it.


]
Jeanette expedition. at the Grand Opera-house,
last night, and his recital of the perious adven-
lures and sufferings of himself and comrades in
the Arctic regions was listened to with much in
| terest Lieutenant Danenhower is apparently
about thirty-ive years of age, probably six
| feet tall and cOmpacty built. He
| has dark hair and eyes. fan
beard and intelligent aud expressive face. He
| makes no pretenslons TO oratorical ability. but
| tells his story simply, modestly and consequent
1 ly more effectively. He was gracefully intro
duced to the audience by Rev. Oscar c. McCul-
loch, and engaged its closest attention for two
hours.
| Lieutenant Danenhnwer described the Jean
nette as she appeared when OH July A. s79, the
ship purchased for the voyage, the Pandora n
little vessel 1875 feet long and twenty-five feet
wide, was rechristened the Jeanette. He gave
the detail OF officers and stated that the
was twenty-five in number. When the vessel
left San Francisco, July 6, 1879, they soon en-
tered the chain of the Aeutian Islands. They
had TO enter this region with caution, as at that
! time of the year the islands are wrapped in fogs
which. when they rise, disclose, towering over
| tie vessel, great volcanoes, belchng forth smoke
and lava. The islands are a chain of chmneys
stretching from one continent to another. They
then entered the shallow Bphring Straits. The
anu gentle ana generous people. The ex-
! plnrers proceeded to st. Lawrence Bay, where
they met the supply steamer and where they
sought for tidings OF the Swedish Pxpedi-
ton He would never forget the words of an old
mariner they met at ST. Lawrence Bay, who said
| II they went by way of Behring Straits they
would have the japanese current in their favor,
but If they were shIpwrecked il would carry them
on TO the great unknown II they went by Green
lhDu thty would have the current against them;
II they were shipwrecked it would be in their
favor and tins they afterwards found to be true.
The expedition sailed for Wrangell Land where
they intended to establish winter quarters. and
investigate the country ny land and water, and
determining whether it was continent or island.
On Aug, 3lst they sailed northwest for promi-
nent cape of Wrangell Land. On Sept. 9TH they
struck lane of water, which they pursued for
some days, until one day the lane closed, fogs
set down upon them and they closed in.
The Jeanette never escaped from that -floe.
THE LIFE ON sHIPBoARD.
After speaking at some length concerning
their life on shipbOard, Mr.. DanenhOwer said
that the physicians decided they must have pure
water, which would stand the nitrate of silver
tesr, aud all their drinking water was distilled.
This was the first Arctic expedition which went
odt without Il stock of spirits. They had no
Grog. and 1t is an argument in favor Of temper
ance that that ship had an unexampled health
record. On Christmas and Fourth of July they
had little groG to celebrate with. Men and
officers had the same rattous and Jared alike.
mere WAS less pickering In that crew than he
had seen IN board shius in ordinary service. and
only one nan was punished all the lime they
were in tile ice. This was young man who was
addicted 10 profanity, who had to be brought up
with round ;urn. There had been n tendency
a few months ago TO bring up all the disagree
menis In the expedition hut he was glad to say
II had been stopped IL not fair There
were more dlsagreements III any business house
~ this city.
The lecturer narrated an accident one night in
November, when the ice parted in the line OF the
ships keel. For nine hours they drifted in the
| broken ace, likely TO ne crnshed at aay mOinent
wirhpnt IA chance of reaching solid ice. After
nine hours VI drifting in the broken ice, the ship
ran into young ice, which soon accumulated
around them, and the ship frozen In again.
The next morning large raven flew over the
ship, and WAS shot 10y one of the crew. II
regarded by The superstitious as an omen that
the Jeanette never more would leave ner 10y
bed and she never did.
Lieutenant Danenhower described graphically
the perilnus life on shiphoHrd at that time. The
pressure would come upon her without warning,
ana first her bow, then her stern would be
stern then the deck would be lifted away from
the beams until the cabin ceiling would part and
disclose 10 view the rough. implanted side of the
boards which formed the deck. While asleep nj
night sudden report like the crack of rifle
would be heard close to some sleeper's II
was the iron or the copper contracting with the
intense COLI IL was apparent that the ship
could not last long, and knapSicks were packed
and the boats made ready so that when
the end came they could he thrown on the
ice alongside before the ship went down,
DEsERTIoN OF THE JEANETTE.
At last the fatal day came, on June -, when
nip of unusual strength shattered the much
strained Jeanette. At $50 the next morning.
Captain De Long gave the order to quit the ship,
The ice piled around her as high as the
upper deck. Captain De Long was himself the
last man to leave the ship. The tents were
pitched on the ice near the ship. Should they
stay and see her sink2 She might sink the next
minute, or she might be carried on those seas for
two years, drifting with the ever-moving ice.
They were tired and the order was given to turn
in. The ice WAS in cOmmotlOn, and crack
opened under the captains rent, which nearly
engnlfed some of the prople. They were ordered
to turn out agaiL and shift their tents. Then
came the crash. The ship lifted. First her bow
went up. Then it came down and her stern went
| suddenly up. She careened, she shndderrd.
There goes her mainmast," cried enlisted
man. "There go the forevards." Then the ice
parte d, and down went the wreck Of the Jean
! nette in thiriy-eIgbt fathoms of water. All that
came up were a cahn-ehair and little hox.
ShOnld we have left her If she had not snak2 he
asked. AS explorers We wonld have stayed with
| the ship. halers would have left the vessel
| when she was first caught in the ice.
In describing the preparations for the retreat
| the speaker said the men were packed in the
tents, seven men in space of nine feet. They
| were 600 miles from their destination, the Lena
delta, in atirude 10 15' north, 1850 81 east
| The first thing was to organize the retreat.
! They had provisions for one hundred days.
| Their provisions were principally pemmican,
hard brend and beef tea. II 6 described the penn
| mican, which, he said, he believed recon-
mended by distinguished CincinnaIian and
| Arctic explorer, DR.. Hall thearty applause, and
| the pemmlcan was made on the recipe given by
! DIR. Hall. On the 17th of June the order
| given 10 advance. They manned the drag
/ ropes and gave three cheers They were home-
ward bound 1t took them a day TO make "a
mile in advance. They had seven pieces, boats
| and sleds, and IL required thirteen trips over
| that mile. After weeks advance they found
| that they were thirty-seven miles further north
than when we started They were then in the
| highest latitude ever reached in those seas.
| After time rhe wind shifted from the sontn-
west to tho north, and they drifted TO the south
ward, aud made several miles a day. BY great
| exertions they reached an island, on which they
encamped, and named IL Bernetts Island, in
/ honor Of James Gordon Bennett, OF the New
| York Herald, who sent out the expedition, and
here raised the American flag. They remained