The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-11-11
LIEUT.. SCHWATKA DEAD.
The Great Arctic Explorer Dies Under Gil
Ehaf

The Great Arctic Explorer Dies Under Cir
eumstances That Point to suicide.
I PORTLAND. Ore, Nov 3-Lieut. Fred
erick Schwatka, of Alaskan exploration
fame, died here at $50 o'clock this morn
ing. He was picked up on the street
about o'clock in an unconscious con-
dition- Beside him was found an empty
laudanum bottle and it is supposed that
he committed suicide.
-.a BIOGRAPHICAL
Frederick Schwatka was born in Galena, Ill,
September %. Is4e After graduating from the
United States military academy in 1871 he was
appointed second lieutenant in the Third cav
airy and servei on garrison and frontier duty
until 1871 He also studied law and medicine,
was admitted to the bar in Nebraska in 1873
and received his medical degree at the Bellevue
hospital, New York, in 1876. In 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 a 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 ard his associates, but NOS
trace was found until 1852 when Capt Nc
Clintock found clothes and other articles be-
longing 20 the crew on King Williams 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 10 civiiz Ition
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
whal, re-
Obt lining leave OF absence, Schwat6a fitted
out his expedition and June ~ les, accom-
panied by William H Glider, Harry Klutschak,
Frank Melms and an Esquimaux. sailed for
King Williams Land Convinced OF tho i'm
possibility OF conveying stores for journey Of
thousands OF miles on sledges, SchW at1a and
his companions spent the winter IL becoming
Injured 10 the life of the Esquimaux uni learn
ing the arts by which the latter are enabled to
sustain life. April 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 the game killed
for their daily food. MAJ they discovered u
stream flowing uorthward and named It Hayes
river after President Rutherford Ii. Hayes.
Following the stream 10 its mouth they landed
at Cockburn bay. Here they learned that about
thirty years before the Esq uimaux had found
an ice-bUund ship OF the west coast Of Adelaide
peninsula IourneyinS TO this point Schw..;6a
found ESQuiiIauX who remembered the lr taH-
lin expedition and hal found skeletons OF sjv-
eral members of the party. Many Of the bones
had been sawed, indicating that caunibdlism
had been resorted TO by some of the sufferers
Travelling onward, SchwatkI gathered sew
erGl relics and learned OF treasure OF papers
and books, taken from the ice bound ship hay
ing been destroyed by EsQrInaux children. At
the site or the camp occupied by Capt CrOZier
after abandoning his ship on Cape John Frank
liz. many articles were found and in a gave
on the evidence Of medal inscribed with name,
were found the remains of Lieut.. Irving, third
officer OF the Terror. On July 3 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
ouEhiy 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-
meats OF utensils and clothing were found, and
u copy of the brief memorial iefI b. Capt
Croz!er when ne set out with the crews of the
Erebus and Terror lbs souls in all. for Back
river which was found by the McCImtocl ex-
petition in 1883
ScAwatka's unex2mPled sledge journey, last
ing from April l. 1879. To March !. 1881, covered
3,21o miles Important corrections were made
by SchwatiSa ana his companions in the map Of
the country traverscd.
The fate OF the Franklin party is yet much Of
mystery. The record can be read only by The
one reserved document anu the EraTcs OF the
members Schwatka returned to civilization in
September.
Later Schwatka explored the course Of the
Yukon river in AlasSa and rcjoi8ed his regi-
msnt IL July, 1881. H. August OF Rat year he
resigned the commission OF first lieutenant
Third cavalry He mm3ndet The New York
Times Alaskan exploring expedition in l-Sd.
January -, 1921 Schwatla fell down The main
stairway of "a hotel in Mason CITY, Ia and was
severely injured. The report was ser out that
he died the next morning. This pre- Led
nard He had been on "a Drotractad spree. The
day of the accident he took a car ria-c ride
while intoxicated. Or his return he got cut OF
the Carriage only with assistance it was while
passing to has room that he fell.