New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-17
reaching 81. Johns and they wcro fod on 500 bis
MELVILLE ON THE JEANETTE RELICS
HE DOUBTS THAT THEY BELONG To THE iLi-FATEp

HE DOUBTS THAT THEY BELONG To THE ILL-FATED
snP-uow THEY MIGHT HAVE DRIfTEp.
Chief Engineer G. w. Melville of the Greedy re-
lief steamer Thets who is one of the survivors OF
the Jeanette Expedition, was asked by a TRIBUNE
reporter yesterday what he thought OF the story re-
lated by Captain Wilson, of the bark Fluorlne now
g. from yesSS wa TSSpfc' TO pary
june an last. '00 He "O0 said that the story
was extremely Improbable and not worthy
of belief, and III his opinion was hoax gotten mp
by some one familiar wi tn the prevailing currents
in the Arctic regions for the purpose OF crea,ing
sensation. As to the possibilities OF such lchO'
being found he said:
When the Jeanne e. was abandoned III at'u Io,
10 north AMI longitude l27 81 eat there ws ro'
OF debris left upon tie ice. which Included lot vi %
out bear skins sails and ropes. worthless guns anu
metallic fe-boat When W. started on the march s 70
gallon breaker or wster-heg IN when IaarrN Wa
expedition The bung was driven tightly into the cask
and TIE carpenter directed TO cut an INSCRIPTION on
Within Owing 10 the direction of the drift of the Jen-
g. during the time mat we re in the ica IL vas he
ii suc held to- ct er an had sunice Il supplies. that
VIC would DRIFT out into the Atlantic Ocean Dy one o,
drift rorthward that we made the ship d1fted toward
Frtncts Josenh Land If carried to The northward OF
Francs joseph Land we woai IN al Irobabily
IN, Isl Of Greenland II carried 20 the southwark OF
Francs Joseph Ind we would come out along the
southern coast OF Francs Joseph LAM, auu ui id
by the cure Il tlat sweeps the ice along
between the south end OF SpitZOcrgru and BE or
Cherry Island II the debris that We LEFT benin Whcn
abandoned Jeanette followed the ar III lhlt We
hal already projected for the ship. II mig nave 1een
camei along OF Greenland hy the LAST
Greenland lie stream, On doubles CAP. fIc ~,
turns AID drifts u tic northward toward MeNhS S
aud lie ter would carry down hIOSh hc
centre O fins RlY and 10 the coast o lanrauor
and IT Is therefore 20 siblc that the relics ron 81
NV the ESuuinaUN off JuancshaaD, II they were I'ulu'
are from the abandoned Jeanette. Ihc human corP.e
alleged to have been covered mp by the bear SKIN Is mani
testify absurd. the time the J"anucite was aPhh
dontd there had been bat little sickness ana no deaS Oh
board
As to the charter party ale ccd to have been found
cannot conceive What DC. the charter party
charicrng the schooner Fannie A. HYDE orr cphHnr aN
far as Bchrng straits, m the hdnd- OF me NlNJ
Department Washington and know oi no olher Cha
Ter party that could possibly nave had on nodl'L ~
strikes me as being impossible that These trilcN colu
form any part Of Lieutenant Clpps party or equip
mcnts. the abandonment OF the Jta'Hctlc, "l
point about GOO mi north OF the siberian coast inc cN
ditiun toward the coast. travelling WIN slcoS anu
h ats until they to within about ity miles oil Il
IBERIA Here the separated by hcaNy norm
gale Lieutenant Chipp'S boat do not bclioEe
wcathcrcd the gale which continued 10 dow Tor suc-
period have driven the Nrccha@c on the c'dSl.
There was absolutely ice AT that time within ninety
miles Of Siberia and utterly impossible Tor any ol
Lieutenant Chpps wrechagc 10 have tcchcd Uc zoe IN
the of the yale then blowing Furthermore u Wod
have been possible for Lieutenant Chlpp even II Ms
had outlildcu the Storm To work 10 the WhdWId
the ice. Nor would lie have 50 desired a
the wind was then driving him in the direction in which
he wished 10 10 cnect landing There were no pear
skins any OF the boats az the time Of the separation
do believe ht the on skin trousers bearing the name
Louis NOrOs were found among the alleged relics as
stated. because short of bread bags ana an the
oil skin clothing was cnt mp make waterproof baS-.
and smallest pieces were preserved 10 patch up the
in the clothing and sleeping bags