Smyrna times., 1884-02-27
De Longs Fate.

tlon was enacted last week. In july
1879, the Jednnette sailed from Sa,
Francisco on her ill-starrcd yovape
To-day all that is mortal of her heroi,
commander and his companions in the
last agonizing march across the Len,
delta lies in an American port await
ing the meagre offices of Christian
burial and the barren honor of a publi,
reception and naval ceremonials. Tb,
long quest is ended now: the hopeful
stirring cruise northward through
behrlng Strait to the edge of thcice; the
hopeless, wearisome and monotonous
drift with the pack for twenty months
the desperate retreat across the ice and
open sea to the Siberian settlements
the 1orlorn and tragic march south.
ward ending in starvation and death
tho securing of the delta by survivors
ana rescuers and the funeral march OF
0,OOO miles from Yakutsk to Uamburo
ana thence across seas to New York,
The last link in this chain of luckless
adventure ends herein the CITY
where DE Long was born forty wears
ago. And what is the outcome of these
eXhausting labors, these heart-rcndinp
suiterlngs? What has been added to
the circuit of human knowledge ?
Merely this: that on the maps which
DE Long studied in boyhood at the
Free Academy, and on the larger
charts whercwith he planned voyages
OF exploration when he was in COM
mand of the school-ship in this harbor
'hree Islands, two Of them very small,
are now to be vaguely outlined.
The Jeannette voyage was planned
IN the same spirit Of reckless adventure
which led the old-time navigators to
turn their faces nOrthward and to sail
they knew not whittier. 1t was a pri-
Vafe enterprise with which the Navy
was supposed to have only nominal
connection; so that an official board
examining the vessel and finding if not
especially adapted for the purposes of
Arctic exploration, did not venture TO
demonstrate against the expedition.
The ship was headed for an unexplored
quarter of the Arctic basin in the vague
expectation that an ingenious gcogra-
pher might be right in his conjecture
that Wrangell Land was another
Greenland, and with the desperate re-
solve on the part of her commander TO
winter in the open pack, if there were
no alternative, and to drift with the
current toward the Pole. Private en-
terprlse having exhausted itself in
cqulpplng one ship in place of two for
TINS haphazard cruise, the nominal
connection of the government became
a hard and vexatious reality. The
CoF'ctn was sent twice toward Wranocu
Island; the Rodgers was dispatched On
her Inflated voyage; the Alliance was
ordered to Spitzbergen on a fantastic
cruise; the expense of the delta search
es and the transportation of the sur-
wing members of the Jeannettc's crow
were assumed; and Lieutenants ITar-
Dcr and Schutze, sent out in the vague
nope OF etiecting a yescue, were order
cd to b:iAS back the bodies Of the dead
at the expense of the Government
although not allowed any voice in
Shaping the course of the Jeanette or
IN revising the plans of her commander
the General Government has incurred
an enormous bill of expenditures in
consequence of this private enterprise.
"hat renders this reflection peculiarly
VeXatlous is the fact that in its practical
results the expedition has proved
utterly barren.
The only useful purpose which this
disastrous voyage has served is the
study OF heroic character which it has
supplied. De Long was a man of
noble traits, with a pure heart. an un-
tainted life and an answering faith.
lie did not enter upon this cruise for
my vainglorious purpose, but in a
spirit OF lofty enthusiasm for the extern
sion of geographical and scientific
Ihowledge. As an explorer he pur-
'ued his object with singleminded |
as commander he dis
played constant solicitude for the COM
ort of his men, generous appreciation
u the good qualities of his associates.
ma hrmness, organizing power and
in the terrible crises of |,
memorable voyage and retreat; and |
IS a man he faced disappointment,
lardship, danger and death with in
repidity and Christian resignation.
)e Long presents to-day one of the
'urest and most inspiring types of
haracter which the annals of the
United States Navy have ever reveal
d. On this account his memory
hould be honored, even if the rash en-
erprise which he headed was a signal
ailure.-M 7 Tribune.
49,