The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-08-17
TWO YEARS IN THE ICE.
Lazy of Herbert Leach, one of Six Sur
yyors of the Jeanette Expedition.

rom the Boston Sunday Globe.
thout any desire on his own part
leh voyage Herbert Wood Leach
.5tkton, in 1879, became one of the
N, Jeanette expedition in search
Ut Nordenskjold's party, and then
T. north pole.
fat as Mr.. Leach knows there are
six members of the expedition
live.
experiences on that Inflated trip
such that he has no laundering
-are Arctic voyages and his love
.t sea has cooled to the extent
or many years now he has been
lploye of the governors shoe fac
as Montello.
bert Wood Leach was born at
Penobscot, Me-, Sept II, 1858,
1u of Hiram Leach, a farmer of
place. He remained at the farm
school until he was IA
old. At that time he was study
t the grammar school in Bucks
and he had then been talking SO
about his intention of becoming
LOT his parents concluded that if
4 not have his way he would run
set.
sl0re he shipped in a cousins
and from an able seaman got to
-lud mate when he was IS. In
opacity he sailed in the brig l..
is II Boston, making two voyages
Mediterranean. Then be decid-
uain ashore for a time, at least,
,Ig IN Boston secured work as a
.4 the old Hawthorne stage line,
northampton street and Char
months he drove a stage, and
Did longing for the sea came
u lie shipped as an able sea-
u bark for Australia and Ma
his return from this trip the
.e expedition was fitting out.
Of the expedition Mr.. Leach
g.. IDEA OF GOING NORTH.
strolling down South street,
! ork, with a friend when we
Z 10 come across the shipping
u the expedition. My friend,
b, also a sailor, wanted to go on
o re, and suggested that \ enter
with him While he made ap-
for the trip. | had no thought
She office the shipping master
by friend a number of questions
10 square-rigged craft. He had
allied on coasting vessels and
answer them, so he was told
wanted. Then the shipping
urned to me and began ques-
ne. Without really thinking
wanted, | answered. This
rA Friday, and when he had ask
tn the questions he desired, he
.4 TO report at the navy yard at
si for physical examination.
sort of pleased at the idea, al
Ven then | had no idea of 60
LUIS told him | would do as he re-
On the following Tuesday l
lie navy yard and took the ex-
ou. 1t was the most thorough
ation l ever had in my life. The
told me to be ready to start
francisco in four days.
few moments | did some
and then told him l would,
IS how | came to be connected
tie expedition. Now l hadn't
~ own people for three years, so
tie them to say l was off for the
md then proceeded to San Fran
.- Jeanette was lying at the
sand navy yard fitting out. She
alt by the English as a dispatch
1ur use in the Mediterranean, and
d served there for several years.
purchased by Sir Allan Young
mt north in search of tidings of
Franklin and his famous ex-
u. Then she was known as the
ara She was absent a year and
.l-l without accomplishing any
3 II note.
% our expedition James Gordon
.s-. was to supply the ship and the
ueMJ was to do the rest. Lieut.
saier G.. W. belong was sent to
ltable craft and purchased the
a She was brought to San
ro to be fitted out.
hanged her name to Jean,
liter a sister of Mr.. Bennett
was Sheathed from keel to
tie waterline with four-inch
inside she was strongly braced
PRESSURE by the ice, and was
strong as they could make her.
Ter build was against here. She
lg bellied craft, and from the
tumbled home. This gave
-e 10 chance to slide under her
.a.se her up when a jam came. AS
atJer of fact her build was such
-4e ice in closing about her actu-
creed her down.
eiIE's new ship is constructed on
-gt idea for Arctic work. l saw
asst winter when l was visiting a
iS- in Maine. She is wedge-shap-
So hat in an ice jam she will be
d night up on top Of the ice, and it
u- impossible for her to get nipped,
'.d say.
ron plates, were placed about the
ettes forefoot, and her propeller
Hanged so that it could be raised
NeL at the stern when it was not
ST. She was about 42S tons regis
IL, recall now, and was an auxili-
am craft. She had never been a
last boat, and the sheathing slow
90 the best we could get out of
about eight knots.
eu she was all ready we left
.and and went to San Francisco.
there a week to complete final
ments. On July s, 1879, we
rough the Golden Gate into
rle and turned her stem north
Lad a crew of 81 men, and Lieut..
1der belong was in command,
d. w. Chip was second officer,
Ohm W Danenhower third Off
IT, W. Melville engineer. When
Ned Alaska we took on couple
rive Indians as general utility