The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-12
In SNOW. AND SWAMPS.
Hardships of a, Rescue Party
From the tCorwin.
AFTER THE DARE's SAILORS.
Climbing Icy Mountains and wading
Cold Rivers of Vancouver Island
Where Indians wotidn't Go.

PoRr TOWNSEND, Jan. i11-The recent
cruise of the revenue cutter Corwin after
the crew of the schooner Dare, which was
wrecked on the coast of Vancouver, near
Bonilla point, furnishes good illustra-
ton of the arduous duties which very
often fall to the lot of thds branch of the
government service The news of the loss
OF the Dare and the starving condition Of
Captain Perry and his crew on the island
coast reached here December 81. Consul
Meyers, of Victoria, asked for help, and on
that date Collector Bradshaw sent the letter
OF the consul to Captain Hooper, of the
Corwin, who lost no time in answering the
cry of distress. By noon the Corwin was
under way. By night she was struggling
against southeast gale on a lee shore.
Next day at o'clock she got into Neah
bay, where Indians were taken on board
as pilots and surfmen. The next morning
start was made for Bonilla point. The
Indians landed at Nitnat, and there
learned that the shipwrecked crew had
started overland for San Juan. The Cor
win returned to the latter place, and Cap
tain Hooper tried to engage the Indians
to make the journey from San Juan to
Bonilla point, hut failed to obtain their
services for the whole distance. Five IN
dams said they would go to the third river
for 500 apiece, but said to go the whole
route was too dangerous.
On this Captain Hooper determined to
send out a relief expedition himself He
called for volunteers, and Lieutenant +. G.
Dodge, Seaman Carlson and Fireman Arm
strong at once requested permission to
make the dangerous Journey. They were
landed and the Corw6n patrolled the beach
from San Juan to Nttnat, until she ran out
of coal, when shel had to return. She
coaled up and went back to Boniila point,
where Lieutenant Dodge and his men
were taken off the beach through tremen-
dous surf by Lieutenant bennett.
Lieutenant Dodge's account of his jour-
ney is most interesting one. He is not
an extremely robust man, and that he
should have gone through incredible hard
ships, with so little evidence of it, speaks
well for his sailor training. When seen by
Leader representative yesterday, he told
his story as follows:
eve left the ship in the morning of JAN
uary 3, at San Juan inlet, landing at the
Indian village at the north of the Cooper
river. After travelling mile and half
towards the Jordan river, we came to the
II,
and the telegraph operator for the Cape
Beal & Victoria line. We induced him to
accompany the party. Before leaving he
insisted on us leaving everything at the
hut, allowing US only fifteen pounds of
weight for each man. We crossed the Jor-
dan river in small canoe, one at a time,
and commenced the ascent of the hrst
mountain. After we had reached 1000
feet we were above the snow line and had
har lnfr oil ..tynr
which was deep and soft. Three hours
and half after the start We had travelled
one mile and were at the summit of the
mountain. 1t being noon we stopped for
one hour to eat. and then began the de-
scent. At the bottom we came upon q
cedar swamp full OF large timer, while
immense fallen trees, eight and ten feet in
diameter, we're stretched across our path,
forcing us to climb over them to get along,
while we sank to our hips in the soft
spongy bottom OF the swamp.
After terribly hard pull we reached
the second mountain, which was 900 feet
high. The ascent was extremely dilicult,
and at times had to be made on all tours.
The night of the Sd found us on the banks
of another river, whose swollen waters
rushed by in the darkness with great veloc-
ity and noise. We could not cross that
night We had left our tent behind and
the rain was falling in torrents. After
some difficulty ire was started with the
wet wood and some hot tea was made All
night long, drenched to the skin, We sat
by the miserable IRE and attempted to
keep ourselves warm. When our blood
began to stop circulating with the intense
cold we would by turns take the ak and
cut down trees.
when daylight came an attempt was
made to ford the river. The water was
shoulder deep. Carlson and myself swan
across Arst with a line. When we landed
on the other side French Louis and Arm
strong were pulled across through the
swift current. After that the journey was
over mountains from 500 TO 800 feet high,
and through gorges where narrow and
these streams, which we had TO ford, was
through sandstone formation, the walls
being over 800 feet high. About ave miles
further on an alder swamp had to be
crossed We waded through waist deep
for two miles During this perilous pass
age we had to keep close to each other for
fear of one sinking too far.
'''rhe third river, which was soon after
reached, was 800 feet wide. A tree was
felled which reached a third of the way
across We walked out on the tree as far
as possible and then forded the rest. the
water up to the waist and and holding on to
the line. By nightfall another river was
reached which was 400 feet wide and no
bottom at twenty feet. We sheltered
under the wet trees in terrible transform
and waited for day. A southeast gale
arose and the rain fell harder A Ire was
lit With some drift-wood, the dry b art of
which only was LIT 10 use. In the morn
ing raft was built and when the 4ood-
tide backed up the water and thus less
ened the swift current, Carlson and my