Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-14
A WONDERFUL STORY.
Four Men Float About ON Lake Su.
perior Ice Island for Nearly q
Walk FgCf.E1f. ta
From the Duluth Herald, Feb. 2s.
A. AZ r. Too~ IL g.


Week. .tLhga
From the Duluth Herald, Feb. %.
About the 4th of January last, four She
bandowan gold employers, named Thomas
Watson, George Fisher, Edward Under
and Henry Zeck, started for point on the
Canadian shore, below Thunder Bay, to
cross the lake to Isle Royal. The ice was
supposed TO be three or four feet in thick
ness, and they felt perfectly
safe in undertaking the journey.
Unfortunately they made little
or a. no provision for the trip, each
supposing that the other had a plentiful
supply of bread and pork in his pack. They
liesurely walked along on their course until
nearly nightfall, when it was proposed they
should sup. On opening their sacks and
spreading their blankets on the ice, it was
discovered that but three of them had any
food whatever, and these three had but
about four pounds of bread and pound
and a half of boiled beef between them.
However, they divided up their stock and
made tolerable meal, expecting TO reach
their destination next morning. What was
left OF the repast, consisting of slice of
meat, half an inch thick, and about the
size of mans hand, and two small loaves,
were gathered up, and the four walked on
their journey, the night being clear and the
weather calm. Toward morning, however,
one of them, George Fisher, gave out, and
they concluded to take rest. So they laid
down, and, after conVersing while, fell
asleep. When fhey awoke the sun was
shining brightly, but there was considera-
bic wind blowing and the air was piercingly
cold. Fisher continuing to evince signs of
illness, they partly resolved to retrace their
steps, but on walking noTthward for about
some twenty miles, to their utter astonish
ment and dismay, they discovered that the
ice cake on which they were was surround
ed by open water on all sides, in fact that
they were on an island of ice, some ten
miles in circumference, as near as they
could judge. Fears Of their safety now took,
possession Of them, and in their agony they
cried aloud for relief. Tut no one heard
their voices. Night was fast approaching,
and with it came swifter and colder wind
than that which had been blowing all day.
\ Penned in, as IL were, and beyond the
possibility of human aid, their mental suf-
ferings were terrible, for they beheld
DEATH STARING THEM IN THE FACE,
but added to these came the pinching an
guish of hunger. ~ t..5...... ....s-
Fisher, who had once been "cas! away"
on the ocean, and who appeared to be suf
fering from raging fever, was the only one
at this stage of existence who appeared to
realize the necessity of outstanding to the
last what little they had in the way of eat
ables. he suggested that, as there were four
of them In a bad scrape, it would be right
and proper that the bread and meat should be
divided into four equal parts, and that then
each man should subdivide his allowance
into six portions, which, if they used but
one portion q day, would sustain life for
nearly q week. His argument told on bis
companions in distress, and they acquiesced.
The bread and meat were therefore cut up
into four parts, and then each separated his
share into moieties. By mutual consent
they resolved not to eat anything until next
morning; and sorrowfully they spread their
blankets on the cold ice and laid down.
Worn out with cold, hunger, and fatigue,
they soon fell into sound slumber, from
which they were aroused about daylight by
the thunder-like sound caused by the cTacz-
ing of the ice.
About O'Clock in the morning, this be-
ing the third day they were out, they ate
sisting of about mouthful of bread and a
piece of beef about the size of a ten cent
piece and as thin as a wafer. Their feel
ings, as they gazed at each other, can bet
ter be imagined than described. They OBJ
served upon close inspection that the mass
of ice on which they were was moved
enthusiastically, and their hopes revived.
1t was likewise
GETTING COLDER,
and they began to feel assured the open
space between them and the main body of
the ice would soon freeze over. BuG these
hopes were of short duration; for, during
the approach of night, the wind veered
around and blew their island westward.
They were strong hearted men, though,
and Fisher, whose fever had left him cheer
ed them on and reused them up. Indeed,
his courage was astonishing under the cir
cumstances, and stool in bold contrast
with The others who, without him, would
have laid down and died from sheer help
lessneSs.
That day and the two following were
spent in vain lamentations at the hardness
of their fate and wishes to be on shore, bat
no shore was in sight, and the san went
down and darkness came upon them,
On the morning OF the SIKH day, Fisher,
who may be said to be the only one among
them who had ever been in real danger,
suddenly threw his cap into the air and as
tonished them by yelling Gland, ho!" as he
pointed to the northward. They all looked
with strained eyes, and sure enough, there
it was, about eight or ten miles of.
They Immediately started for it
on the double-quick, and in three or four
hours stepped ashore at point about six
miles below small stream emptying into
the lake some ten miles east Of Pigeon
river. Once safe on land, the saved men
became cheerful, and made their way down
the lake to hut occupied by a half-breed
named Walla, who kindly furnished them
with coffee and food. After remaining
with him for over week to regain their
exhausted strength, the party made their
way eastward.