David Spilman Fine Books

Loss of the Steamer Jeannette; Record of the Proceedings of a Court of Inquiry Convened at the Navy Department, Washington, D. C., October 5, 1882, By Virtue of an Order signed by the Hon. W. E. Chandler, Secretary of the Navy, To Investigate the Circumstances of the Loss of the Exploring Steamer Jeannette [47th Congress, 2nd Session, House of Representatives, Ex. Doc. No. 108] 1883

[United States Navy]

Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1883. Very Good. First Edition. [9x6in]; 363 pp., 14 foldout maps, and diagrams of plans and sections views of the Steamer Jeanette; Bound in dark half-leather with marbled paper boards, gilt lettering and rule designs on ribbed spine, marbled end papers, light speckled stain to all trimmed edges; Minor shelf wear to covers, edges and corners with rubbing of covers, joints and bottom edge, corners bumped, minor age-toning to text and maps, typical closed tears, with some repaired, and nicks to map edges, lacking title page with facsimile laid in, front free end paper detached, several loose leaves. [Howgego III D4,] CS. Item #14445

The Jeannette expedition (1879-81) was led by Lieutenant-Commander George Washington De Long (1844-81). The purpose was to find a route through the Bering Strait, that was warmed by the Pacific Kiro Shio current to an open polar sea. The 'Jeannette' became icebound, northwest 350 Km and sunk in May 1881 some 400 Km from the Siberian coast. The 33 men provisioned three life boats to drag over the ice to open water for the nearest settlements in Lena Delta. On the water, they became separated in a gale and one boat vanished. George Melville's boat, with 11 men, landed in an eastern bay of the Delta and were able to reach a village to find help. De Long's boat, with 14 men, landed 100 km away on the northern part of the Delta and, with winter coming, they were not able to find shelter or game and all perished by the end of October 1881. They were found by Melville's rescue party in March 1882, and the bodies, journals and artifacts returned to the United States.

This book is the formal Navy inquiry requested by a joint resolution of Congress for a formal Naval Court of Inquiry on the Loss of the Jeannette which was conducted by the Navy in 1882-3. The 85 day inquiry generated the first compilation of documents and witness statements on the expedition. The Navy Court found no fault in the conduct of the officers or men and commended the actions of De Long and Melville. In Part 2, the Navy transmitted the report of Lieut. G. B. Harber on the search for the remains and artifacts of the De Long party and return the remains to the United States.

A separate Navy inquiry and report was submitted to the House of Representative in May 1884 [48th Congress, 1st Session, House, Ex Doc No. 163]. This was a follow up of Lieut G. B. Harber, U.S.N.,on the search made by Liuetenandt Schetze for the remains of De Long's party and the return of the remains to the United States. This is consider and accompaning report to this 1883 report. Also in 1884, a separate House inquiry was called due to objections to the Navy Court findings by survivors and survivor's families to members of Congress. The family of Jerome J. Collins, reporter for the New York Herald assigned to participate in the expedition and died with De Long's party, specifically objected to De Long treatment of Collins, Melville's failure to rescue the lost party and the "cover-up" of failures by the Naval Court of Inquiry. The Inquiry detailed with the testimony of 20 witnesses, 74 documents filed, excerpts of the journals of De Long, Ambler and Collins and much questioning by representatives of the Collins family and for Emma De Long and George Melville. There were no conclusions, findings or recommendations to the Navy from this inquiry.

Price: $500.00