The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-17
Suffering and Death of the
Shipwrecked Crew.
BRINGING BACK THE coRPsEs.
Address OF Count Raspapon, Russian
Scientist, on the Arrival of Amer
lean Party at Orenburg.


panions who lost their lives on the ill
fated Jeanette expedition to the north
polar seas.
Throughout the annals OF arctic explo-
ration no sadder memorials remain than
the journals of De Long and the noble men
who accompanied him on that expedition.
who shared with him the terrible hard
ships which followed in the train of ship
wreck and disaster encountered amidst
the frozen regions of the far north, and
ultimately sacrificed their precious lives
in the interests of scientific discovery.
No one can read the records of
their frnitless wanderings and consequent
miserable sufferings, as found in the
published account of the De Long expe-
dition, without being profoundly affected.
How they constantly yearned for succor.
How they hoped day after day, each min
ute seeming an hour, each hour day,
that relief would come, that they might
again see home and loved onesi Briefer
and briefer became the daily records as the
men grew more and more exhausted by
hunger and by hope deferred. As the
light of their life grew dim the last iottings
they were able to make in their journals
were very short A line; word. Then a
day or two few words only, feebly and
painfully scrawled with blood from an
arm-prick; and then all was over with
those heroes. AS the light of candle
burned down into the socket, their light
failed, revived for brief space. and lick
cred out Darkness reigncd, peace came.
All through the fall and winter of lSSf
and the spring OF 1852 Chief Engineer Mel
vile, U. s. ~, conducted relief party
and searched diligently along the coasts of
Siberia for any trace Of the lost De Long
and his men. After repeated failures aud
many disappointments they were at last
successful. Successful There was no
need then for relief party. Relief had
come long before. Ten bodies were found
in the SNOW near place called Monument
HILL in the Lena delta, March %, 1882.
They were Immediately moved from the
spot where first discovered to a high point
of land not far distant To prevent them be-
ing washed away at the annual overflow
of the Lena river. A rough board box
was constructed, i'll which the bodies were
placed and the box carefully covered.
over this was reared a pyramidal pile of
timber and stone and above all q rude cross
was raised. Here the bodies remained
from March, 1882, to December, 1883. The
search party had accomplished its purpose
and returned to this country.
Lieutenant Harder and Master SchultZe.
both of the United States navy, were in
trusted with the mission of fetching the
remains to the United States, the govern
ment having appropriated the sum of 49,
co for the purpose. Again the ice regions
of the north were tempted, and the cross
which marked the resting-place of the
valiant commander and his men was
found. The bodies were swathed in felt
and inclosed in metallic caskets. The
party was more than two months on the
way from Eastern Siberia to New York
city. where it arrived with it's charge on
February %, 1884. Two days later, on
Washington's birthday, the dead heroes
were buried. and To their memory were
paid eloquent tributes of honor and re-
spect.
The long and tedious homeward journey
was made by various methods of travel,
according to the accommodations of the
country traversed. More than S, 100 miles
OF the distance were covered on reindeer
and horse sleds. At Orenburg, Russia,
the first line OF railroad was met, and from
that place TO Hamburg, Germany, about
800 miles, the journey was made by rail.
The entire distance between the Lena delta
and New York is nearly l., 200 miles.
On the Eth of January, 1854, the home
ward bound party reached the old fortified
town of Orenburg, on the extreme eastern
border of European Russia. All along the
line of travel the grave nature of the mis-
sion was understood by the people. At
every considerable village or town the
American party was formally received by
the chief dignitaries of the place. Adj
dresses of sad welcome and of God-speed
were delivered to them, and they were
shown the greatest consideration and the
most marked attention. At Orenburg, on
the day of their arrival, the one
hundred and twenty-ninth ami.
versary of the establishment OF
the university of Moscow was being
celebrated by the Orenburg branch of the
Imperial Russian geographical society
and large concourSe of learned men were
gathered there. The Americans were
cordially and respectfully greeted and the
occasion was marked by a splendid
address, delivered by Count p n. Raspa.
potf. one of the oldest and most distin.
guished members of the local branch OF
the society.
The rugged, hearty nature of the
Russian is capable of profound feeling
and in his vigorous language he is able to
give eloquent expression To deepest
emotions. Let the following glowing
words of tribute testify to that capacity
and this ability.
Count Raspapoti, speaking for the as
sembled society, said:
Gentlemen Into the Kingdom of science n,
into the kingdom OF Heaven man enters through
= narrow gate, and conQuests in the ilIimitable
domain of know ledge are not made without sac
rlnCeS. But these sacrifices leave their bright
trace on the path Of human DEVELOPMENT ana
posterity preserves gratifed remembrance O
them IN the hearts of its most enlightened rep
resentatives. Among the sciences whose bound
aries are extended under circumstances of tn,
greatest difficulty, that part of geographical sci
ence which has 10 do with the arctic regions o.
our planet holds one of the first places Not /
few human lives have been lost through volun
tary martyrdom IN the icy deserts OF the ex
treme North. Before MS in these rich coftius Ii,
zen silent but eloquent witnesses OF that unhes
i'atiNS selt-SAcrlnce OF which only men INSPIRED
by an Unsuitable thir-t for knowledge and glteC
with an iudomitsbe power OF will are capable
ms Is neither the time nor the place 4
dwell ON the details OF the undertaking which
caused the lameutable loss of these new mar
tNrS 10 science and of their yet undlSCoycrSC
eomranIons, especially since the circumstance
attending the voyage of tie Jeanette are nov
kuoWn To the entire reading world and en-
llghtened humanity in every part OF the glob,
l. watching with intense interest the tranSiel
o. these remains over our boundary from tn,
dcpths OF Asiattc SHOWS. The OrCnburr diVi
SION OF The imperial geographical society O
Russia, tnat Youngest brother OF the great fam
lN OF learned geographical societies, could
least OF all he an Indifferent spectator OF III,
recent deeply pathetic Journey of these bod!e,
OF men VINO Sied beneath the banue
OF science In the name OF this section,
81 which i have the honor 10 be one o
the Oldest members. | permit nsvScl
to greet you, gentlemen, the worthy comrades
ana feiloW-conntrym at ilu>trinuS cttizsu
who pcrished III unequal struggle with ia
suRmouutabl9 obstacles p.accd ia their way b,
nature Itself consider IL the greatest honor {,
be empowered 20 express feelings which / an
bold To hope are entertained with perfect una
nimity by NV respected colleagues
We Russians sympatbize with that extende,
development of science and civilization 81 IL,
great American nation. Nothing could be nor,
Ia accord with our own minds and our o4
expansive natures We can not, therefore. 3
the present moment avoid expressing befor
you our ans-AtiauIie friends, the sincere re
kpect with which We are filed, In view, on III