The Dickinson press., 1889-12-21
A TALE OF WOE.
Wonderful Escape From Death by Starva-
tion of Two .Advcnturers.

tiOn OF Two Advcnturers.
The British Columbia mail today brings
the following terrible tale of starvation
in the Yukon district, which is clipped
from tho Victoria Times: "Chilcott,
Alaska, Oct. 1.-Thrce detachmcnts of
men have returned this fall from Yukon.
Tho second brought word that they
passed boat lying on the beach with no
ono to be found near it, but it was
thought to belong to four men who
started from Forty Mile Creek to come
out on July 6. 1t was known that they
had but small supply of food with
them, and it was supposed they had taken
to the woods IN search of game Thus it
proved to be, and yesterday two men
tottcrcd down the mountain side to this
place, whose cmaciatcd faces and trcm-
bling limbs showed that they had sur
vived an experience that few men would
have lived through. One of them was j.
w. Sperry, of Portland, Ore. lie is fifty
years of age, with hair as white as the
driven snow. The other man, II. C. Rose,
also from Portland, is twenty years
younger, and this youth alone saved
Spcrry from filling an unmarked grave
in the valley of the Yukon.
"Thrce weeks after starting OH their
homeward journey, their supply of pro-
visions was entirely exhausted, and they
soon became SO weak that they could
not pull their boat, which they finally
abandoned, and took to the hills in
search of game. Occasionally squirrel
was shot and quickly eaten by the men,
who were now ravenous, and wild bcr-
ries became their only means of slbsis-
tcncc. Their trail was followed by
clouds of mosquitoes and flies, that lit
had to fight continually, and their facco
and hands soon became raw and bleed
ing sores. In their weakened condition,
Ingram and F. C. Young, from San
Diego, Cal, others of tho party, were
unable to fight off tho pests, which
preyed upon their cyclids until they be-
came SO intlamcd That they lost all pow
came totally blind.
"Thc dread Of death by starvation and
fear of being hopelessly lost in that
strange country soon told upon the
minds of these two, and Ingram repeat
edly begged his companions to shoot him.
Finally ho lay down, refusing to move,
and when his companions saw he was
about gone they left him, almost drag
ging Young along. The next day Young
succumbcd, a victim to starvation and
the tormcnts of pests which swarmc,l
about them day and night They left
him lying upon the ground to die, how
fur from where the foot of man has ever
trod they do not know.
"Anothar day brought them to some
dried salmon caught by Indians for
winter use, and they were now able tc
rctrace their steps to the boat, and soon
u party of Indians came along from
whom they obtained food enough to en-
able them to reach the first white settle
ment this side of tho Yukon. On theil
way back to the boat they came to tho
spot where Ingram was left, but follnt
the mosquitoes and flies singing requiem
over their comrade. lie was left will
but stone to mark his resting place
and his blanket and few branches o
henlock spread over him for n shroud
They could not find where Young was
but they arc satisfied that strength Oh
reason mover returned sufficient to allow
him to move from the spot.
Con their way out tho party discovered
ledge having Il clearly defined vein OF
rich ore, showing free gold, and at its
base found liberal quantities of gold in
every pan. Location notices were hur
riedly put up, and tho anticipation OF
rich results in another year, when they
all hoped to return, buoyed up THEN
spirits for n time and spurred them OF
to renewed efforts to escape their i'm,
pending doom. The pangs of hunger
soon destroyed all hopes of future riches
and their only thought was for some.
| thing to cat. Notwithstanding thcil
terrible experience the two survivors in.
tend to return to the Yukon the coming
spring"
British Columbia adviccs say that tho
steamer George w. Elder has arrived at
Victoria ON her way down from Alaska,
with several Yukon miners on board.
Tho miners complain bitterly of the pro
visions sold to them, upon which they
have entirely to depend, by the Alaska
Commercial company. The miners say
that they were obliged to take eighty
pounds Of putrid bacon, as it was all they
could get. Out of the lot they could
only use four pounds.
Another party driven by hunger were
obliged to eat it with the result that four
Of them died. The prices asked are
enormous, yet the miners had to submit
and pay what was asked or starve tc
death. They say they had one or two
alternatives, either to go without the
provisions offered for sale by the Alaska
company and starve, or to purchase
them and run. the chance Of being poi
soncd to dcath.-Ottawa (Ont.) Dispatch
In Louisville Courier-Journal