Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-27
SUFFERING sURYEYORs.

Party IN Sad Straits On tho Shores OF
Lake Superior.
James Hughes, of. this city, took gov
eminent surveying contract recently, and
the Saltwater Messenger, of the oath,
gives the following account of the trip:
The Hughes surveying party (of which
Frank I. Wilson, Allen Comfort, Charles
w. Foster, and others of this city were
members) which left Saltwater October 10
to survey government lands some $50
miles northwest of Duluth, passed through
''scenes and unseens" which the boys will
remember till life's latest hour. The fol-
lowing is brief narrative of the expert
ences of the party, as related by mum
Der of those who returned last Sunday:
The party sailed from Duluth to the
north shore of Lake Superior, and on
landing, started with a months rations on
their backs, for seven days jaunt over
hills, through marshes and around lakes
to point where their labors were sup
posed to commence, their first duty on ar
irving being to run @ correctional line
some thirty miles westwardly. This proved
| to be tedious work owing to the almost
| continuous cloudy weather and the neces-
sity of using solar compass in this
| work. After three miles of this correc-
tional line had been "run" in as many
weeks, provisions began to run short
and party was sent to the western
end of the proposed line ION the
shore of lake 120 miles in circumference
to bring back some provisions sent there
before the main party left home. -Four
weary days the grub brigade" travelled
toward the setting sun without encounter
ing the desired lake, whsn, having been
without food two days, and there being nc
evidence Of the nearness of the lake or
certainty that the supplies had arrived, it
was decided to retrace their footsteps, and
they rejoined their starving comrades
three days later, having ailayed their hun
ger by means OF some small game en-
route. On the return trip, Mr.. Graham,
one of the squad, inflicted a severe cash
on his right knee while cutting
wood for fire, and no little
anxiety was felt on his account. Realizing
their perilous predicament Mr.. Hughes.
the contractor, accompanied by two men,
started on foregiug expedition, leaving
the starving and wounded with the assur-
ance that he would return with rations as
speedily as possible. The boys voluntari-
ly put themselves on short rstions, and it
was well they did, for on the morning of
the sixth dsy after Hughes departure the
entire stock of provisions consisted of two
biscuits weighing probably two ounces
apiecel for each man. A motion 70 ad-
iourn was adopted unanimously, and the
furnishing crew started, the wounded man
hobbliug along with difficulty, but patient
ly enduring his suderings. There was no
reason to expect food before distance of
forty weary miles had been traversed, and
even at that distance it was uncertain.
But by one of those mysterious and
rare occurrences which seem a
vertible dispensation OF providence. q
claim shanty containing provisions was
found after travelling twenty-five miles.
Here the party halted and filed up, sitter
which the remaining twenty-five miles to
Lake Superior was travelled in better
spirits. Arriving at the lake the hospi-
talities of two fishermen were bestowed
upon the land-wrecked surveyors while
they waited for vessel passing south
ward. None appearing, they chartered q
six-careo fishing boat and pulled g distance
of eighteen miles over a roagh sea to
Beaver bay. Here they again yainly waited
for boat, and st length they started for g
tramp of twenty eight miles for Agate
bay. where they struck steamer bound
for Duluth and reached heme last Sanday.
Nothing has been heard of Mr.. Hughes or
his companions since their departure N
quest of supplies.