Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-11-10
LIEUT.. scHwATkA DEAD.
The Great Arctic Explorer Dies Under Cir.
cumstances That Point to Suicide

The Great Arctic Explorer Dies Under Cir
cumstances That Point to Suicide
PORTLAND, Ore, Nov. 3.-Lieut Fred
erick Schwatlka, of Alaskan exploration
fame, died here at4:50 o'clock this morn
ing. He was picked up on the street
about 8 o'clock IN an unconscious con-
dition- Beside him was found an empty
laudanum bottle and it is supposed that
he committed suicide
TYPOGRAPHICAL
Frederick Schwatka was born in Galena, Ill,
September %, I649. After graduating from the
United States military academy in 1871 he was
appointed second lieutenant in the Third cav
airy and served on garrison and frontier duty
until 1877 He also studied law and medicine,
was admitted to the bar in Nebraska in 1873
and received his medical degree the Bellevue
hospital, New York, in 1876 lin the year 1877
he determined to go In search Of traces OF the
Sir John Franklin exploring party and secure
the books and papers alleged TO have been
buried in cairn.
During the first ten years after the loss Of
the Erebus and Terror several finely equipped
expeditions were sent out to discover the fate
of Sir John Franklin and his associates but not
a trace was found until 1882 when Capt Nc
Clintock found clothes and other articles be-
longing to the crew on King William s land.
Capt Halls two expeditions discovered the
spot where the surviving members of the
Franklin party had made their last camp on
their fatal attempt to return to civilization
after three years amid snow and ice and the
skeleton of Lieut. LIE Vesconte, of the Erebus,
In 1872 and 1877 spoons bearing the Franklin
crest and other articles were brought back by
whalers
Obtaining leave of absence, SchHatka fitted
out his expedition. and June 10. 1e78, accom-
panied by William H Glider Harry Klutschak,
Frank Melms and Esquimaux, sailed for
King Williams Land. Convinced of the i'm
possibility of conveying stores for Journey Of
thousands of miles on sledges Sch" atka ana
his companions spent the win ter il becoming
Injured to.the life of the EsQuimaux and learn
ing the arts by which the latter are enabled to
sustain life. April l the following year the
start across the land was made In three
sledges drawn by forty-two dogs were
wares for barter and provisions for
three months, in case of necessity. They
depended entirely on the game killed
for their daily food. Nav 8 they discovered a
stream flowing northward and named it Hayes
river, after President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Following the stream to its mouth they landed
at Cockbcfn bay. Here they learned that about
thirty years before the Esq uimaux had found
an ice bound ship on the west coast OF Adelaide
peninsula Journeying to this point Schwatka
found Esquimaux who remembered the Frank
lin expedition and had found skeletons of sew
eral members of the party. Many of the bones
had been sawed, indicating that cannl ballSm
had been resorted to by some of the sufferers.
Travelling onward, Schwatka gathered sew
eral relics and learned of q treasure of papers
and books, taken from the Ice bound snip, hav-
ing been destroyed by Esqu1maux children At
the site of the camp occupied by Capt. Crozier,
after abandoning his ship off Cape John Frank
lin. many articles were found and in grave,
on the evidence of a medal inscribed with name,
were found the remains of Lieut.. Irving third
officer of the Terror. On July the party
reached Cape Felix. the extremity of the island
and the limit of the land to be explored On
their return journey they examined more thor
oughly the ground traverSed the snow having
entirely disappeared Graves were found in
many places along the coast marked. by heaps
of stones which the survivors had placed over
their fallen companions as monuments Frag-
ments of utensils and clothing were found, and
a copy of the brief memorial left by Capt
CroZier when he set out with the crews of the
Erebus and Terror, 105 souls in all, for Back
river, which was found by the McClintock ex-
petition in 1859
Schwatka's unexampled sledge journey, last
ing from April l. 1879, to March 4, 1880. covered
$3.50 miles. Important corrections were made
by Schwatka and his companions in the map OF
the country traversed
The fate of the Franklin party is yet much OF
a mystery. The record can be read only by the
one reserved document and the graves OF the
members. Schwatka returned to civilization liz
September.
Later Schwatka explored the course of the
Yukon river in Alaska and rejoiEed his regi-
nent in July, 1884 In August of Cel.at year ht
resigned the commission of first lieutenant
Third cavalry. He com manded the New Yorl
Times Alaskan exploring expedition ID 1886.
January 80, 1891, Schwatka fell dowr the mali
stairway of hotel in Mason City, La and wa.
severely injured. The report was seat out tina
he died the next morning. This pre- fed a ca
nard. He had been on protracted spree. Tht
day OF the accident he took a car riage ride
while intoxicated On his return he got out o
the carriage only with assistance It was while
passing to his room that he fell.