The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-25

euAS tlllo Al0 uH0, CT COURSE DeafQ 0Ott-
ing o1slhss comrades and was extremely
anxious to render some assistance to
them. For 4 long time no opportunity
offered until finally one day he succeed
ed in finding . vessel bound for the Ok
hotsk Sea and secured passage on her.
His supply Of money contributed by
his fellow explorers had dwindled pretty
low, bat was replenished to some extent
by charitable people to whom he had
told his story. The vessel in which
Bascomb secured passage was the
schooner Hannah Rice, owned by q firm
of traders, Dinliolm & Co, of Wadin-
stock, and was on her way with supplies
for d new station inst established at
Munguro or Shanta Bay. Wheat the party
under Bascomb's lead reached the spot
where his party had set up its cabin
they were startled To find lying . few
Of q man. Pushing open the door an
overpowering stencil greeted them.
They fell back precipitately, but finally
mastering courage again advanced. A
horrible sight met their eyes. Just over
the threshold lay a docomposed body
side was another. They were
entirely unacceptable. There was
a small store of salt beef, hard bread,
tea, molasses, tobacco aud two rifles,
three old rusty sabres n some ammu.
milton. In the bunk with the body was
the log. Parts had been torn out, pre-
sumably to preserve some secret. Near
ily all the entries were made in the
of them bore bis signature.
The story told by the log is one of ter
rible suffering. Although the log was in
a delapidated conditiohsB ascom secured
what remained intact Oft and recently
permitted your correspondent to inspect
it, The entries for January, 1877,
showed that heavy snow and intense
cold was experienced. Both Brown and
the Chinaman got much better until the
latter part of the month, when Browns
leg began to swell badly and he was con.
fined to his bed. In February there
were very heavy falls of snow.
On March 8 Captain Thompson's entry
says: This month brings sickness and
misery into this house.
March 81 was compel ed to lie
down, with my legs swollen and turn
ing black which l put down to scurvy.
March 20-One of the Chi1ameu on
his back with the same disease. Brown
still getting worse and complaining that
be cannot live.
March 30-This month ends with
the sickness of our other Chinaman,
who is just able to walk. My God! when
will this end?
April 5-This month brings the great
est misery I have ever experienced.
Brown is net able to turn on his blanket
and mono Off s are abe to give him a
helping hand. The poor Chinaman is
only able to give hima cup of tea once
in while.
"April s-Poor old Brown died and
not one.of US able to close his eyes.
april l0-One ofthe Cinnamon gone.
We hiaa on awful time getting the body
into the snow.
April 12-This night / feel more like q
dying man than ever.
"ApNl 18-IheTe is absolute misery in
the ranch, One Chinaman died during
the night. This morning I tried to get
up, but fainiad. We tri.d to get the dead
Chinalnan outside, but all efforts failed.
/ feel that we ars all doomed"
The next and last entry has no date
and is written in a very feeble, shaky
hand, 1t reads:
"How long l have laid here 1 don't
know. All is a blank. lam alone. IN
able to move. The others are dead.
Oh, what agony I am inl I feel it eat.
ing at my vitals. This must be death.'
Here the logabrubtly ended. A grave
was dug by the party and the remains
were laid in as best they could be. The
door of the cabin was strongly fastened
to keep out the bears. Two years after
Bascom visited the same spot. He says:
The cabin still stood above the com
mon grave and / could not look upon it
without a shlldder passing over me to
think OF the terrible tragic months
these men had passed, dying one by
one of that slow, certain dis.
ease, far from home, hep
and civilization. The shores of this
wild, desOlate country are the silent
cHstodia;s of many a tragedy. The
counterpart of this and lonely graves
and CHASTITY skeletons give evidence
to the hundreds who have lost their
lives in search Of gain or adventure in
this frozen land of the north. No clue
to the friends of my comrades were
found. SO far as know, and they had
unfortunately left nothing Of their his.
tory. They were men without ex.
per1ence in cold ATTITUDES, for they
had made none Of the ordinary. precau-
tons to ward off sickness"
Bascom has been cruising around the
unciYilized parts of the world ever
since these thrilling experiences until
last Saturday, when he arrived in New
York and Immediately started for his
home here. He wants no more OF adj
venture and, being a man of good ed
ucation and much experience, will prob
ably settle down tothe hum-drum life of
a Waterbury tradasman.