Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-29
9ailY eagle
WEASEYS REVELATION.
TRUE SECRET OF THE DISCOVERY
or SIR JOHN FRANKLiN'S FATE.


A Mystery Related by the Vicar Of Holy
Trinity, Liverpool-Cspt. McClintocks
Chare-AdmissioBs Made by Capt. Ken
nedy, Whose Expedition Failed.
The sad story Of Sir John Franklin and
his brave conn AIDES Of the Erebus and Ter
Tor has been often told, but it has been re-
served for the Rev. J. Henry Sleeves. vicar
of Holy Trinity, Liverpool, to recount the
true secret Of the discovery of the great
explorers fate" after forty years silence.
This be has done in little book, 'Sir John
Franklin" etc. The ''secret" came, it seems,
in the shape of a special revelation and a
number OF the more important persons con-
cerned are still alive.
WRITTEN ON THE WALL
Every one knows how the expeditions sent
out by the government TO search for Franklin
failed to find any traces of the explorer or his
party. Hope was almost given up when
away in the north of Ireland a very strange
occurrence took place. Ii May, 1s49, child
OF 4, whose pet name, il should be stated, was
''Weasey," died at Londonderry of gastric
fever. She was the daughter of Capt Cop
pin, board of trade surveyor there For
months afterward the dead child, in the
language of her brothers and sisters, was
ALWAYS about They were continually
''seeing" her in the house.
One night, when going TO bed, one Of the
children, aged seven, told her aunt that there
was written on the wall the words, Mr.
Mackay is dead" Mr.. Mackay was banker
in the town and well known to the children,
and next morning it was found that he had
died very suddenly about the time that the
writing appeared The great mystery Of
Frankiins fate was at this time agitating the
country. and soon afterward it occurred to
the aunt to get the child TO question ''Wea-
sey," who as usual was present, relative to
the whereabouts of Sir John and how he
could be reached.
This was done, and ':Weaseys" apparition
at once vanished Immediately afterward
there appeared on the floor a complete
Arctic scene, showing two ships surrounded
with ice and almost covered with snow, in
Guiding channel that led to the ships /"
This scene. in the form of a chart the child,
presumably on the suggestion of her aunt, at
once drew. Then, in connection with this
representation, and in answer 10 further
questions, there appeared on the opposite
wall, in large round letters, the following:
''Erebus and Terror, Sir John Franklin, Lam
caster sound, Prince Regent inlet, Point
Victory, Victoria channel"
No message from the unseen world could
have been palmer or more definite than this,
hut Capt. Coffin, the father Of the child, on
hearing the facts, was at first incredulous.
The child, however, stuck to her story 50
pesistently that he thought it his duty TO
communicate with Lady Franklin, whose
first private expedition with the Prince Al
bert was shortly 10 sail from Aberdeen. Her
ladyship was naturally much interested in
the revelation and soon became convinced of
its truth. The voyage Of the Prince bert
was, however, fruitIess A second time the
vessel sailed, under the command of Ken
nedy, who had been made fully acquainted
with the Londonderry vision and had got his
instructions accordingly. These however,
he did not, owing TO various circumstances,
carry out, and he, too, failed Dr. Rae, who
followed, was rather more successful. but it
was not until the voyage of the Fox that
complete success was achieved.
FOLLOWING THE REVELATION"
The Fox was in charge Of Capt. McClin-
took, Lieut.. Hobson being second in COM
mand, and sailed as late as 1857. Capt. Nc
CIntock's instructions were definite; he was
10 follow the route defined in the ''revela-
ticl." To make a long story short, this was
done, and the result was marvellous Point
Victory" was duly reached; dilapidated
cairn there was searched, and among some
loose stones Hobson discovered thin tin
cylinder containing the only written record
respecting the crews of the Erebus and Ter
ror that was ever found. The record told
when and where the vessels were deserted,
announced the death of Sir John Franklin,
and was signed by the senior surviving Off
GERS. Lieut.. Hobson continued his journey
westward
A short distance from Point Victory he
discovered boat which had belonged to one
of the lost ships, with two skeletons, guns
and other articles. HobSon, through illness,
had then TO discontinue his explorations. but
McClintock came upon huts, the inmates OF
which were in possession of many things be-
longing to the i'll fated expedition, including
pieces of plate on which were the crests or
initials of Sir John and three of his officers.
McClintock reached England safely. In due
time rewards and hOnors were heaped upon
him and his crew, their success, according to
our author, being entirely due TO the fidelity
with which they followed the route indicated
by the Londonderry vision
1t only remains to be stated that the book
TO some extent supplies evidence in confirma-
ton Of the story. Capt Kennedy admitted
that had he followed the revelation instruc-
tons he would have reaped the honors which
fen TO Sir L. McChntock. Sir r, Murchison
wrote that much more satisfactory resUiss
would have been obtained had Kennedy fol-
lowed the course which Lady Franklin was
anxious that he should follow" Capt Cof-
fms children still survive, and ito many who
may seriously question their bona fides infor
NATION of a most satisfying nature will be
afforded by the author" This, it seems, also
applies to important original documents for
whose publication up TO the present permits
sion has not been obtained There are, how
ever. several weak points in the narrative.
Why, for instance, should the secret" have
been kept q secret 50 longl The best of rneTn-
cries is apt TO set diinmed in forty years.
Pail Nall Gazette.
Edward Morrow, living near Bradford,
Pa wbila r1ouyiD,- LAT foil lost a 296 .vsd of