East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-25
Survivor Of the Jeanette
Expedition

Charley Tong Sing is the name of a
Chinaman who came to the city last
week from Portland to cook in O'Neil
Bros. restaurant. Charley speaks
English fluently and is very reserved
in his manner and speech, says the
Prineville Journal.
No one would for a moment sus-
pect that some of the acts of his past
life have received recognition from
the government at Washington, and
yet 1t is a fact that twice during the
past 20 years congress has awarded
him gold medals as an acknowledge
ment that Uncle Sam appreciates such
acts of bravery as this quiet and taci-
turn Celestial has performed.
Charley Tong Sing is one of two or
three survivors of the Jeanette expe-
dition which 20 years ago set out to
find the north pole, and 1t is proba-
bly, due to the fact that Charley pos
sesses fine physique that he is alive
today to tell of the awful hardships
endured at that time. The story of
that expedition, when the ship coast
ed northward and finally entered the
stretches of ice-bound waters that
We're soon to entomb the vessel and
all of her company, is told as follows:
Nearly two years were spent in
Arctic seas, the vessel often wedged
fast in ice. Necessity compelled strict
economy of provisions, and it fell to
Charley's lot to supplement the ships
store by whatever strange dishes the
north seas could furnish. Polar bear
seal and strange birds were killed and
added to the mess. .
on the night of June IL, 1881, the
jeanette was lost, and the little COM
pany of explorers were forced tC
shift for their lives, battling. against
such odds as nature seldom bring:
to bear against men.
Jammed tight in the ice, the vesse
was already strained beyond her en-
durance, when on this night a ire
mendous impact keeled her over, anC
finally she broke in two in the mid
die. The two parts of the ship slowl.
sank and during the night as mucl
of the ships stores and boats an,
sledges as the worn-out adventurer
ice and the party began the lon
tramp over ice and snow to tn
northeast coast of Siberia
The dogs sickened and died unit
in August but two remained, and tn
sledges were hauled by some of tn
ships company who had the strengt
TO wear the harness. The stores wer
soon exhausted and for weeks tn
survivors subsisted on walrus, seal
and even on sealskins and leathe
from wornout boots. Several of tn
men died on the journey over tn
mountains of ice.
When the open sea was reached tn
three boats were launched. A storl
separated them One cutter was lo
with all overheard. Another, in con
mand of Captain DeLong, reache
land, but all of its party perishe
miserably on the desolate shol
where neither food nor shelter cou
be found. The captain himself star
ed to death. The third boat, in whiC
> DIS Nlifli ICY OliS aoiliS iDhN viz 'NcA
safely and reached the Siberian Goa
at the mouth of river. After weel
} of travel they came upon two Esqu
; maux huts where they obtained foo
) and shelter
, 1t was on this journey that Il
! Chinaman showed his courage, sci
, sacrifice and tenderness. Strong
J la ne nrt,
) them on the march. and was the
2 main reliance for game to take Il
! place of the exhausted provisions.
Z The Esquimaux guided the travt
: ers to Russian settlement whe
: good sledges were procured and
9 start made across Siberia. Reinde
Z later took the place of the dogs un
. the railroad was reached and L
: voyagers were carried to st. Peter
. burg. thence to London and to Ne
York. where they arrived in t
) spring of 1888
. Lieutenant Donahue and two of t
Z men became insane as the result
. their awful experiences and sh
themselves. The boatswain swas tie
derby nursed by Tong Sing on &
. voyage across the Atlantic, but
. New York he. too, lost his reason al
! died in an asylum.
. Upon his return to the Unit
. States the navy department In reco
. milton of Tong's bravery, present.
Q him with a gold medal on which
: inscribed: Charley Tong Sing, Ar
. tic Steamer Jeanette; Fidelity, Ze'
: Obedience" and on the reverse si'