Jerome J. Collins: Ireland's Forgotten Hero: Jeanette Expedition

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Grand Finale

The last phase to restore Jerome J. Collins' grave happened just over a week ago. While Ronnie was over here in the good 'ole US of A bumming around NYC for the first time with his family, things were coming together back home in Cork for the grave of Jerome J. Collins.

With the final addition of railings around the grave, it is now restored to it's former glory just as it was back in the early 1900's with exceptional detail. Even the finials on the 4 corners were not overlooked. I hope my family would be very proud and honoured. It's a testament that the memory of Jerome Collins and what he died for is still remembered to this today.

Thank you to Brendan Walsh of Cork, Ireland's Walfab Engineering Ltd. for the excellent work, along with Mark Walsh of Cork, Ireland, and Wojciech Zabrocki of Wolczyn, Poland who returned home after completing this job. All men seemed very proud to have had their hands on this work. Brendan told me in his email, "I would like to say it is a great story to tell and well done for all the hard work involved". Thank YOU Brendan, and also thank you to Mona Hallinan of Cork County Council for providing the funding for this project. Also thank you to Ronnie for pushing the papers to get this done, as well as Catryn Power for her continual involvement and guidance.

All photos courtesy of Brendan Walsh. May not be used without written permission to Walfab Engineering LTD, Cork, Ireland.

Monday, July 21, 2008

The Jeannette Tragedy

For those of you who have not read this article yet, or were unable to to view it online, you can now click on the pictures below and read the story full-size. "The Jeannette Tragedy" was published in two parts in The Irish Echo on July 9th and July 16th, 2008. This newspaper is the most widely read Irish-American Newspaper in the US. I am honoured to have been interviewed for this story, and even happier that it turned out so well.

I am still waiting to hear from another writer with The Daily Mail, a national newspaper in Ireland, as to when my other interview will be published. When that happens, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

PLEASE DONATE to FURTHER MY RESEARCH ON THE AMAZING LIFE OF THIS UNSUNG HERO, JEROME J. COLLINS

All proceeds will go toward furthering my research on the life of Jerome J. Collins, America & Ireland's Unsung Hero, who's funeral was deemed the "Longest Funeral in the World". Collins was the World's First Weather Reporter, and died at the age of 40 on the USS Jeannette Expedition to the North Pole while serving as the Scientific Officer on board. He was placed under arrest for a trivial charge of "smoking in the cabin", yet charges were never lifted in 1884 during the formal naval inquiry which investigated the mistreatment of Jerome; his brother Dr. Daniel F. Collins of Minnesota forced this Naval Inquiry to attempt to clear his brother Jerome's naval record of the trivial charges. Dr. Daniel Collins, my GG Grandfather, died at the young age of 50 yrs in 1900, unselfishly donating his body to science in order to further the medical practice. His grave, along with about 8 other plots including his wife and children all located together, sadly remain unmarked at St. Mary's Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. Any further donations will go to erect a proper monument in tribute of his life, which was likely financially exhausted due to his unwavering efforts to aid his dead heroic brother Jerome Collins during the Jeannette Inquiry of 1884. Jerome Collins is possibly the only person in history to have been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously for his sacrifice in the Arctic while he forever remains under arrest/suspension. It is my goal to overturn those charges, but I realistically can't do it without outside help as a single mom. It is also my campaign to replicate his Congressional Gold Medal, which was lost or stolen, and have it formerly donated to the City of Cork in Ireland, specifically the Cork City Museum; the medal would be made based off an existing medal. This replication has already started as of October 2015 & has been completed. In addition, any donations will help fund my portion of writing for our book about Jerome Collins; travel is needed in order to finalize the last bit of my research at the NARA in D.C., the Smithsonian, the Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, MD, and lastly to visit specific places of interest in NYC where Jerome Collins would have resided and worked, including St. Patrick's Cathedral where his first out of 2 funerals was held in 1884. Ultimately, I would like to return to Cork City, Ireland, to have the replicated medal formally presented to the city. Thank you in advance for reading my story and for your support!

Who IS
Jerome Collins?

An engineer, journalist, scientist, meteorologist, and arctic explorer, among other achievements, Jerome came from a family of warriors and statesmen, he grew up with a passion for meteorology; men of his day even heralded him as the "Father of Meteorology". Born October 17, 1841 in Cork, Ireland. Engineered the North Gate Bridge, Cork. Came to the US about 1866 and eventually worked for the New York Herald Newspaper as Scientific Editor. Established the New York Herald Weather Service and used the telegraph to cable storm warnings to the western coasts of Europe, UK, Ireland. Founded the Clan na Gael. Died October 30, 1881 while enlisted in the US Navy as the Scientific Officer aboard the

Jeannette Arctic Expedition.

Wrongfully placed under arrest for 18 arduous months until his death, the official charge "smoking in the cabin". Lt. Commander De Long forced Collins' photographs, scientific notes, and diaries to sink with the ship. Jerome's funeral deemed "Longest In The World", his body having travelled approx. 15,000 miles from the Lena Delta, Siberia, to NYC, then to Cork for burial alongside that of his beloved mother's. The charges were never lifted from Jerome's record, despite the fight two of his loyal brothers (Dr. Daniel F. Collins a gifted and well versed physician in Minnesota, and Bernard A. Collins an Inventor/Scientific Engineer in NYC) gave against a US naval Inquiry in 1884; no official ruling was made on the claim that Jerome Collins was mistreated by Lt. De Long while on board the Jeannette. Although Jerome died while serving under the United States flag in the Navy, his heart always fought for the freedom of his native island home, Ireland.

Jerome J. Collins: Ireland's Forgotten Hero

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Grand Finale

Monday, July 21, 2008

The Jeannette Tragedy

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