New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-19
THE CRUISE OF THE JEANETTE
DANENHowER's STORY OF THE VOYAGE.
MR.. CoIIINss sESsITIvENEss-THE CHOKING OF
SEwcoMB-AMDLERs JOURNAL.

Naval Affairs, investigating the loss OF inc Jeaupette
The witness said that in the water Lieutenant Chppss
boat was inferior TO the others, hut more easily
hauled on the Ice He thought there difference o!
100 miles between the places where tho De Long party
and tho Melville party landed He rehearscd the story Of
the landing and said 1t was practically impossible for
DE Long to land where witness did because the mast OF
the captains boat broken in the gale and his boat
drified more than the boat In which witness was lie
said Dc Longs boat had a set OF nautical instruments.
lie thought the other boats provided with them
because the captain expected the hrcs boats would keep
together and that one set OF instruments would do for
the entire party.
Q-Was not leaving the boat behind crave
errori A-That is n matter OF Judgment The boat
compasses very heayy-weighing between five and
ten pounds
witness was unable to get any dcabte location with
the prsmatio com passes Ho know that Dunbar, Collins
and Newcomb were opposed putting the ship into tho
ice Soon after the ship put into the lead he had
heard them complain about it and had said to them
live succeed It viii be grand thing AMI II we fail
people viii say foolish. You didn't doubt the
captains judgment at Mare Island, and 1t is too late
now" Witness said his opinion on the wisdom oil
the governed greatly by subsequent events
II he had been In charge he would have entered the
lead, explored it and then got ont. Ho woild nave
learned the condition OF the lee and explored other leads
There was great danger, OF course that the Ice would
close in the ship but the chances must be taken II IL
was desired 10 get to the north.
Odd YOU state to Jackson that you thought entering
the Lad grave mistake and caused the failure OF the
expedition Al may have.
Mr. Collins witness SAID objected TO beng stripped ana
examined by the ships surgeon. He said 1t was all tom
foolery Mr. Collins sensitive and had never been
accustomed TO such examinations. Witness thought, Mr.
Dunbar and Mr. Newoomb were also opposed to it, He,
himself was willing to submit to being stripped although
dslikingit Mr. Melville had said to him when he
asked go to Blum: 1T will never be said that Mel
Vile was afraid to go anywhere" HIS answer was at
ought be said that Melville took advantage Of nior
nation that DanenhOwer had obtained, and went him
self" witness had said that he would fight to
the bitter end the placing OF Melville In charge
OF the boat IN which he lie would have fought the
captains right do in the civil courts De Long was
dead however and he had no further fight to maze lie
although was good personal terms with the latter
Mr. McAdoonls there not Away. NOR OF less an'aso
Witness said there was, very often. In reply 10 Mt
union but added that there union on the Jeanette
expedition and he believed strength also
THE NATURE OF COLLINs's WORK.
Upon crosse animation Lieutenant Danenhower said
that the object OF the Jeanette expedition IA he under
stood IT, was to explore Wrangcl Land and much OF
the Siberian and Polar possible Ii was Mr..
Benefits idea that the expedition should by way OF
Behring Strait and in taking that route Captain De Long
acted under orders Mr. Collins had Photographic appa
rau with him the Jeanette but he had no developer
and did not know how to maze developer;
therefore he could not make negatives. As matter Of
fact he negative from which print could be
TAKEN In America before the departure OF the exped
ton Mr. Collins provided TO providing, many or
the scientific instruments for the expedition
among them thermometers, barOmeteTS and pendulum.
He did not. however bave his Thermometers compared
with any standard in America before taking them noIth
Some time In the conrSe OF the hrs winter ne t0ok tle
mean thirteen of his thermometers and established
standard his own. II his intention 20 compare ths
standard with true st ndad upon his return and thus
ascertain what correction sb0nd be applied To his theO
metrical observations. All Of his thermometers however
were broken after the sinking of the ship that
the records had been saved there would have becu
times made errors in the OF the scientific in'tr-
ments. lie made mistake, for instance in using
ON the III 1t ,ide in determining the tTue meridian VIE
ness pointed odi thS error 70 nm IT. va; an error often
board the Jeanette which could BE- properly called scen
tine work lie took and recorded observations Of various
kinds bal all the other officers did the that was
NOT scientific work. 50 far as witness knew MI Collins
did moi draw scientific deductions from mis- observations
OF his work he aguet0me ter hc dl nJ even keep
a record MI Chpp aftcfwarl given char1e OF this
Instrument and adopted system Of makinE observations
the tiue that the lattcrs observations Were all wrong
Books had not been bIoYlti III A''I.C4 l9r , ino
records Of the scientific observations DIT. Couns
an English log book. Nj Collins had other books among
them very large one In which witness understood he
told witness that he nld history OF the expedition Wit
ne1s that book after me SINKING OF the snip
Ncwcomb. MT Collins had never told witness that he
fact witness did not believe he had been.
The deneanor OF Captain DE Long toward tho other
10 feel the possibilities OF his position he became
reserved and self-cOntained. lie always treated
After what was known The Bear Hunt
when witness and other officers left the ship
inspection. The captain ssued order forbidding
officers to go away from the ship without leave Mr;
was Contamination Of naval Officers against him Asa
of fact
nocv NJ non.nteIcOufse with the other officers For
The relations between The Other officers were gener,
Tere was no regular deck watch kept by he Officers Of
the Jeanette but there was alwa's supervisory watch
The only NEGLECT or negligence that witness could think
| arrangements TOR extinguishlng an accidental fire.
witness , thought the hre, l ,,oh in the Ice
NOT NOT the case aud the fire extingui,hing
howe nOncgi yence which contributed Ia any way 10
the loss OF tue ship
TIKI DISCIPLINE NOT TOO SEvFR.
The discipline enforced by Captain De Long was not in
witnesses opinion unduy and the captain was very
kind TO every one on board The formato5, however,
which ii was necessary to observe before going away
from the ship on any short excursion were
unnecessarily troublesome and veHaous Up to the end
OF nteen months after the ship LETT san Francisco not
man on board had been punished When il was necessary
for Captain DE Long 10 Tepmand an 1fccT-as he twice
| v.
tain was particularly considerate. In course his
term service witness had been on twelve different
sells There less disagreement on board the Jean
nette than many of tho other eleven ships
| in which he had served. This was due
largely TO the discipline enforced by Captain DE Long
There were no rtmartals on the Jcann ,tte, bat
there had been on other vessels in which witness had
sailed In witness opinion Captain be Long treated Mr.
Collins with particular consideration. Had heard II said
among the other officers the ship that il a commits
stoned officer had done what Collins sometimes did he
would have been brought up for tt" and continued
| the witness, II Oncc brought up for IL"
no uIffl "a iuy he
Jcannete by the ice, and said Captain De Long she
time was perfectly cool and calm although be Vas
only line officer The ship able do duty. Lieutenant
! Clpp and witness were both disabled. and
| the former had be carried ont the foe
Everything was saved that necessary to save be-
fore the ship down. and much more The shotguns
were eft behind because the ammunition for them was
! rI hI1h rrnnIn dunn nul III,