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Show TERRIBLE ADVENTURE. Account of the burning of the exploring steamer, "Rodgers" San Francisco, June 21.-A Port Townsend dispatch says: The steamer Idaho arrived from Sitka, &c. Following is a full report of the burning of the United States exploring steamer Rodgers in the St. Lawrence bay and the rescue of her crew. The Revenue steamer Thomas Corwin arrived at Sitka, June 3d, with the officers and crew of the Rodgers. The officers landed at Sitka are: Master D. S. Warring, Executive Officer; Ensign G. ??. Storin, Passed Assistant Surgeon; M. D. Jones, Passed Assistant Engineer; A. V. Zane, and Assistant Surgeon I. D. Castello and twenty-six men, all in good health, the latter comprising the same crew that sailed from San Francisco all told. Lieut. R. M. Berry, commander of the Rodgers, accompanied by Ensign H. J. Hunt left St. Lawrence Bay on the 23d of December to sledge the Siberian Coast in search of the Jeannette, on May 13th, 1882, the Master having received a letter through natives from Berry, dated at Kenyma River, April 4th stating that he had heard of the loss of the Jeannette and landing of her boat and should go on his search for the survivors, that he should not return by way of eastward, and directing Mr. Warring to take his party, make the best of his way to San Francisco, and communicate with the Navy Department. The point where the letter was dated was about half way between St. Lawrence Bay and the Lena River. By the time the Rodgers was burned she was laying off the shore, about a mile and a half. The fire was reported at about 8:45 a.m., when everything was done to save the ship. The fire was in the lower hold forward, and it is probably [probable] the cause was spontaneous combustion and the place where it ignited was so situated that it was next to an impossibility to get a stream of water to it. The officers and crew fought the flames to no purpose. The fire gained so rapidly that it became evident to her commander that all attempts to save the ship would prove fruitless. At about 4 p.m., the ship was headed for the beach in the hopes that by scuttling her sufficient provision might be saved to subsist the party until rescued. Although from six to eight feet of water rushed into her fire room, yet owing to her coal and timbers being choked the water did not flow forward to the seat of the fire. The ship, at this time, lay about 230 yards from the shore surrounded by soft slush twenty inches thick, too soft to land upon it, and yet too heavy to force boats through under ordinary circumstances. Fortunately, the ship was provided with hidorki (?) by means of which the men were enabled to carry a line ashore. At 10 p.m., the flames proceeded so far aft that it was determined to abandon the ship. Up to this moment the whole company was engaged in fighting the fire, making jettison of combustible cargo, breaking out boats, provisions &c.; but little success was, however, had in securing the latter. The condition of the ice was such that it took until 2 a.m., of the following day to land what could be saved. The boats were hauled up and the whole party encamped upon the beach for two days before any attempt was made to communicate with the native who came with a few sledges to assist the party to their village at a distance of about seven miles. Three barrels of flour and one of beans, one of sugar, one tin of coffee, and about three hundred pounds of pemmican, seventy five of tobacco, eight Remington rifles, five thousand cartridges, some trade articles, and all five boats, with a complete outfit were landed. The trip from the boats to the village was very laborious in the exhausted condition of the ship's company, it being over hills with snow four feet deep. The village consists of ?? huts, and the tribe are ?? which inhabit all that portion of Northeastern Siberia. The officers and crew were distributed among the different habitations, where they settled down for a long winter's seige [siege], adapting themselves to the customs of the savage life. It soon became evident that the supply of walrus meat of the natives was insufficient for such a large party and a redistribution of the men became necessary among the different villages along the coast, which was done with a range of about thirty-five miles. On the fourth of February Master C. T. Putnam, commanding the supply depot, at the Cape Serdge Carmen, arrived at the village with four sledges loaded with pemmican and other provisions for the shipwrecked party, he having heard of the loss of the ship through natives. He started on his return trip in bad weather and was overtaken by a gale of wind with drifting snow, when two days out and was obliged to turn back and an endeavor to reach a village on the southern side of St. Lawrence Bay (about twelve miles from the north head) he became separated from his native escort and not being able to see ten feet ahead of him was carried out to sea on an ice floe. Later in the day he was seen about 7 miles off the shore, abreast of the village. A vigorous attempt was made to rescue him by four of the Rodgers crew and two natives in a canoe, but owing to the intervening ice they were unable to reach him and were obliged to put back after getting three miles from shore. This was the last even seen of Putman [Putnam]. Master M. Warring, leaving the ship's party in charge of Ensign Storin, procured a sledge, guide, and dogs and searched the entire coast to India Point and thence to Plover Bay and found not a trace of the unfortunate officer. On the way down the coast four dogs were identified as belonging to Putnam's sledge; one of them had a wound through his neck as if made by a pistol bullet. This circumstance was wholly unaccountable. The conduct of the natives is reported excellent and their humble hospitality profuse. Their provisions of walrus and seal meat was at times very scarce and they often went without food themselves to afford relief to the whites. The Rodgers party subsisted entirely upon native food, pemmican being principally reserved, it being found necessary to take it to the boars for preservation. Only one notable instance of unbehavior on the part of the natives is recorded. During the absence of Mr. Warring, on the Putnam search, a turbulent chief with a band of followers came from a neighboring village and demanded the whitemen's provisions. The situation was a critical one, but owing to the skill and decision with which Ensign Storin handled the case all danger of collision was averted and the marauding party were sent off hungry. On the second day after leaving St. Paul the Corwin struck ice to the northward and westward of St. Mattews' Island. She entered the pack and so remained, punching her way slowly through. On May 14th she struck clear water off Plover Bay, spoke the whaling bark Hunter, of New Bedford and obtained intelligence of the Rodgers crew being at the north head of St. Lawrence Bay; also ascertained from her the loss of the bark Sappho, of New Bedford, Captain Coulon, near Plover Bay, she having been sunk by ice, but all hands were rescued by whalers present. About midnight she spoke to the North Star with the Rodgers crew on board. On her return she found great mortality amongst the Aleutians of the Seal Islands from Pleuropneumonia. She reach ?? on May 23d, arrived at Sitka on June 3d. |