The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-21
VICTIMS OF UNKNOWN NORTH.
The Mystery Of Sir John Franklin and
the Jeanette.

OF the explorers who have never re.
turned from the frozen north since the
day when Sir John Franklin and over
hundred souls mysteriously vanished
forever from the sight of man, poor
George De Long and his companions of
the Arctic steamer Jeannttte perhaps
furnish the saddest example. NY old
friend, Commodore Melville, one Of the
few survivors OF the Inflated expedi-
tion only lately gave me brief ac-
count OF a tragedy, the horrors OF which
have seldom been surpassed-eyen in
the dark annals of Polar enterpass,
writes Harry De. Windt.
The Jeanette, screw steamer, prev.
iously known as Sir Allen Young's Pam
dora, left San Francisco for Behring
Straits in the summer of 1879, and en-
tered the pack due north Of the latter,
hoping to establish winter quarters at
Wrangcil Land. But the vessel was soon
firmly jammed in the ice and swept
away in northwesterly direction. far
from the coveted goal. Winter crept
on with its furious gales and billiards
and the Jeanette was once only saved
by miracle from being dashed to de-
struction by the foes.
Another summer found the ship help
lessly drifting at the mercy OF the pack.
Two years after leaving San Francisco
Melville risked his life to hoist the Amer
lean flag on barren rock, now mapped
as Jeanette island. and a few DAYS
later similar islet was discovered and
named Henrieatta Some useful work
had therefore been accomplished, which
revived the hopes of DE Long and his
now despairing crew. There was even
some attempt at iollifcatinn on board
to celebrate these events, and no one
anticipated the sudden and total loss
Of the ship, which occurred only week
later.
On the 18th Of June, 1881, terrific
hurricane arose and the Jeanette was
literally smashed in two by the ire
mendous pressure, and went down bodi-
" leaving her crew shelterless several
hundred miles from land. Let the
reader picture the situation--th leagues
Of ice and stormswept sea which lay
between this miserable handful Of men
and the coast Of Siberia Itself death
trap of cold and hunger) and let them
then realize the logged pluck of DE
Long. who could, under such ghastly
conditions, cheerfully enter in his Jour
nal: Jeanette went down at 4 a. M
Set up tents on the ice. Getting sleds
and boats ready. Everybody bright and
cheerful In the evening Lauterbach
serenaded us with his harmonica.'
The Jeanette expedition now struck |
south for the New Siberian Islands,
and during this harassing and perilous |
journey Melville was the most energet- /
ic and rcsourceful member of the partv, /
most Of whom were doomed to destruc-
tion. Five boats and nine sledges car
ried sixty days provisions, which UNI
derfed and enfeebled men and dogs /
could scarcely drag at small space.
Bennett Island was eventually reached. I
after terrible hardships, in twenty days, (
and here they landed and obtained a
supply Of food by shooting the sea birds
which swan about the ice-bound mass
Of granite,
Leaving this on the Sth of August,
the Liakoy islands were reached eleven
DAYS later. And from these to the
Siberian coast extended open water
dashed into fury by ceaseless gales.
Many of the party were now sick and
footsore, all were exhausted by cold
and hunger, but the indonifable Mel
Vile urged them on with the fact that
every inactive hour must lessen the
chance of salvation. So they embarked,
one gray. tempestuous morning, on a
mountainous sea, in three ships boats,