Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-03-01
WAS DELCNG SACRIFICED2
The Loss of De Long and his Companions
ofthe Inflated .Jeannette Expedition Laid
at the Door of Engineer Melville-Anoth-
er Investigation Demanded by q Brother
of One of the Victims.

ofthe Inflated Jeannette Expedition Laid
at the Door of Engineer Melville-Anoth-
er rInvestigntion DE manded by q Brother
of One of the Victims.
NEW YoRx, Feb, Is.
DR.. Collins, brother of jerome j.
Collins, who lost his life in the Inflated
Jeanette Arctic expedition, left
yesterday for Washington, where he in
tends to petition Congress to order
further and more thorough investigation
of the circumstances attending the loss
of the vessel and 4 portion of her crew.
Sunday evening the doctor was called
upon at the residence of his brother, Mr..
Bernard Collins, No. $50 Stcuben street,
BROOKLYN. In the course of a talk with
him some of the grounds upon which he
bases his petition were asccrtaincd. lie
referred briefly to the troubles on board
the Jeanette up to the time she
was lost i'll the ice, and said that his
brother had not received just treat
ment at the hands of Lieutenant-Com-
mander DcLong which he said he could
prove by letters found on the body OF
his brother. Although deprived of any
authority, DR.. Collins said his brother
performed all the duties he was able
to while DcLong was asleep. Just be-
fore the boats separated Collins and
Bartlett were- hunting on the Semen
Sofski Islands. Before they returned
from their excursion jerome told Bart
lett that he thought the expedition would
turn out similar to that OF Franklin, and
insisted that if anything should happen
to him that Bartlett would carry home
his documents, giving Il history OF the
entire voyage and experience OF the party
.'W hen the boats Scparatcd,' said the
Doctor, ''Melvilic at once struck Tor the
Lena, and reached one of its mouths alter
Il long and perilous Journey. ON Scptem-
Der 26, 1881, he arrived at the village OF
Gcoomvillocke in Il disabled condition,
and Dancnhowcr took charge of the
party until he recovered few days alter
ON October 10, Il Russian, named kus-
nah came to the village. and, saying tltt
he could furnish them with reindeer, tea,
-four, bread and salt, which they needed,
Dancnhower accompanied him to his
home a'fcw miles distant and returned
with these articles. Fish and geese were
plenty in GcOOmvilloCkc, so the state
ment hat Mclvillc's party was
SUFFERING FROM STARVATION
at this point and unable to move is false.
Melville then TavckuSmah the Whaic-boat
and 500 roubles to procure further sup
plies at Bulun, which he said lie would do
in five days. Dancnhowcr asked TO accom-
pany him, hoping to fall in with some of
his consent. After Kusmah started, Dan
enhoNcr reminded Melville that he had
given no directions to ku>lnah to spread
the loss of the DE Long party among the
natives. DancnhOWcr then, and not till
then, was allowed to 20 and warn the ma
tvcS along the route to Bulun to look out
for the lost navigator. This was the only
dirccti ion given by Melville looking TO the
relief of De Long. kuSmah did not re-
turn until October %, when he brought
letter from Nindcrlnan and Noros, whom
he had met at Seven Houses. The letter
said that the De Long party was starving
and needed help Immediately. The cN-
cuse was offered before the court of
inquiry at Washington that Melville would
not 20 to the relief of De Long because
he had no dogs or slcdgcS, The survivors
told me that all of these equipments
could be obtained at the village ut
which they delayed so long, and ample
time, us the facts indicate, was given him
had he moved Immediately to rescue the
lost party, and DancnhoWcr, in reported
interview in Siberia, in answer to the
question if Il man had gone to Bulun with
KuSmah would the rescue of De Long
have been the result, replied that it would.
Melville had orders to take his party to
place of safety where he could obtain food.
Then he was to communicate with the
Russian authorities. He knew the route
which De Long would take after reaching
Barkcn. He knew it was his intention to
go west to Sogasta and the Signal Tower.
HAD SOME ONE GONE
to Bulun with 'Kusmah and started an cX-
pcdition north Immediately it would have
picked up Nindcrman and NOroS before
tslcy reached Bulcour When it is under
stood that the distance from this point to
where the bodies were found is only ll5
miles, including all the windings OF the
Lena, which Nindcrman and NoroS fol-
had NnlN 1n
made Il forward move instead of consult
ing his own comfort and that of his party,
regardless of the fate Of his companions,
he would have reached De Long and his
party before any OF them, with
the possible exception of Ericsson, had
died. The weather was mild and no
great storms had set in, so there was no
possible excuse in these respects. Mel
Vile remained thiIty-threc days i'll Cocoon
villocke. Had lie pushed on as he was
URGED to do by DancnhoWcr and many
others of the party he could have reached
belongs party i'll five days at the long
est SuppoSing he found no traces of
the party, knowing the route down the
river Lena, which the Captain would take,
| he would have started Il party norihward
| with the supplies, and Nindcrman and
NOroS would have been found before
| reaching I,ulcour. Having ascertaincd
| from them the exact position and condl-
| tion of the Captains party, their rescue
was Il fOrcConc conclusion.
| | have large mass of information
| which has never reached the public, and
| il will be 50 conclusive that if Congress
grants another inquiry
WHICH Is SOT BIASED
| bv naval esprit du corps ii can not fail to
| subStantiatc the charges | make. There
| are several survivors who, were they not
| chokcd off, as they express il. and COM
pclcd to answer sin ply YES and no,
| could have changed The entire complexion
| of the testimony given in before the
| court of inquiry. They are anxious
| to be furnished an opportunity to
| tell all they know, and | intend that
| they shall do so if there is any such thing
as Justice. l am free to say that the
death of my brother, DeLonS and his
party should be laid at the door of Chief
engineer Melville and | am prepared to
prove every assertion | make"