The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-20
Fate of Two Members of Rus
sells Alaska Party.
ONE LIVED IN THIS CITY.
Anxiety to Reach Mount st. Elias Caused
the Party to Face the Fatal
Surf

men at Icy bay, while attempting to land
from the Bear through the surf with the
russell Mt. st. Elias party. The names of
the drowned men were: Lieutenant Rob-
inson, Coxswain Hassler, Seamen Ander-
son, Nelson and Henry Smith, all of the
revenue cutter Bear, and W. c. Moore, a
member OF the Russell expedition. Lieu
tenant Robinson leaves wife at Port
Townsend.
NANAIMo, June Especial. THE
queen brings the following account of the
disaster to the Russell exploring party:
They had arrived at Icy bay In the revenue
cutter Bear, and few of them were being
landed in the cutters boat. A big swell
was running at the time and caused the
beat to capsize, and Immediately every
person was seen struggling for their lives.
The accident was witnessed from the deck
OF the Bear and another boat dispatched
to their assistance, but before they could
arrive on the scene six of the number who
had been in the boat were drowned.
short dispatch from Victoria to the Posi-
INTELLIGEScER yesterday stated that the steam.
ship Queen had arrived from Alaska, and re-
ported the drowning of w. C. Moore, OF the Rus
sell party, Lieutenant Robinson, of the revenue
were tying TO make a landing in Icy bay with
the Russell Mount ST. Elias party Mr.. Moore
was resident of Seattle and quite well known.
For two years he was connected with the gro
Gerry firm of Haley, Glenn & Co., and he left
their employ intending to return. He has a
younger brother in this city named Charles C.
Moore, a clerk, employed by the Puget Sound
Vinegar and Cider Company, and also an aged
mother in Knoxville, Ia He was 80 years old,
single, and 1t is said he had s., 400 savings de-
posted in bank. He was also member of Sc
attic Lodge, No. 2, i. o. o. F.
He left Seattle May 20 on the revenue cutter
Bear. with the Russell party, for the purpose of
scaling Mount st. Elias. The party consisted Of
Professor l. &. Russell, geologist from Washing
ton City. Thomas Stamy, Thomas White, J. H.
Crumback, Neil Mccarthy, William C. NJ ore
and M. Warner, the latter of California. They
sailed direct for Icy bay, where they were to
make their headquarters.
When Professor Russell made his expedition
to Alaska last year, on mission similar to the
present one, among his party was William l.
Lindsey, a carpenter, who now lives on
Banner street, near Republican, in this
city. Mr.. Lindsey was well acquainted
with Mr.. Moore, and mourns his I'M
fortunate death as deeply as a brother. Mr..
Lindsey intended going to Alaska with Profess
sor Russell this year, but his family objected so
strongly that he changed his mind, and he sug-
even more than anxious to Join the expedition.
Professor Russell placed Mr. Moore In charge of
all of the party's effects and freight.
Though no particulars as to how the drowning
occurred have yet been received, Mr.. Lindsey
believes that Mr.. Moore, with Lieutenant Robin
son, was endeayoring to make alanding through
the surf, when the boat capsized and all were
precipitated into the icy water and drowned
Lieutenant Robinson was also known in Sc
attic He was about 40 years of age, of q very
jovial disposition, and to know him was to love
him. Last August he was on the revenue cutter
Corwin, and was only transferred to the Bear
last winter. He was on the Corwin at the time
that steamer picked up the Russell party year
ago at Yakutat bay. Mr.. Lindsey, who was one
of the party then, says:
"At Yakutst the surf is about ten feet high,
and We had to shoot the breakers in small
boat to get to the cutter, which stood out of
danger in the sea- We were drenched and
chilled with the spray of the ocean by the time
we landed on board the cutter, and Lieutenant
Robinson rustled around and got us dry, clean
clothes, started fire in the cabin, and in fact
did all he could for our comfort on the entire
voyage back. Upon the arrival of the Bear at
Port Townsend we gave him vote of thanks
and presented him with an alpenstock as a
tender memento of our hazardous expedition"
Icy bay is an interesting study. 1t can hardly
be called bay, for 1t is only bend in the coast,
and the surf there at all times of the year is tre-
mendous, ranging from ten to forty feet high
Last year Professor Russell did not care to haz-
ard an attempt at landing on the mainland from
this so-called bay, and so made shore from the
Pinta at Yakutat bay, q much more sheltered
locality, fifty miles further south Then the
party commenced the long tramp across the
Malaspina, Hayden, Marvine, Seward, Agassiz
and Newton glaciers to the stately Mount St
Elias.
By making landing from Icy bay the party
mountain whose summit they wished to scale,
and the tramp to the mountain would only lead
across the northern end of the great Malaspina
glacier, thence up to the Agassiz glacier, where
the old trail could be picked up at the entrance
10 Newton glacier. From this point the noun
tain is only about ten miles away, and in COM
parison to the former route travel is quite easy
Professor Russell believed that he had made a
serious mistake when he took the long route
from Yukatat bay last year, and so upon this
expedition he determined to land at Icy bay.
brave all dangers of the surf. and make that
place his headquarters. The news of the drown
ing proves how fatal and desperate was his reso-
luton.
Lieutenant Frederick schwatka, of Arctic
fame, is very familiar with the characteristic.
of Icy bay In the last April Century he con-
tributed an article headed 1.-TWO Expeditions to
Mount st. Elias" The following extract per-
tanning TO the party's thrilling experience at
ley bay, gives one q good idea of the fatal ride
of Mr.. Moore, Lieutenant Robinson and the
four seamen
1.-The Pinta left Yakutat and headed for lev
bay, il being better base for operations in the
little known region about Mount St Elias A
mighty glacier from the seaw ard TANKS of the
mountain has advanced at this point a short
way into the ocean, and the shall ow crest thus
formed is called Icy bay. The eastern side of
the bay, the only side a landing could at all be
made was low, fiat, sandy coast on which the
high surf from the great Pacific's swells kent
constantly laundering even in the best of
weather. To get through that surf was the
problem OF the day. 1t was, however.
finally solved in way not altogether
devoid of ingenuity. The boat was rowed till
il was very near the line OF breakers forming
the FIRST indications of the surf. when a light
anchor was cast over the bow and the boat
headed seaward, every sailor being at his oar
The anchor rope was then slowly paid out until
the boat was nearly on the crest of the breaking
surf. any attemp: of the rushing waves to carry
ii ashore being overcome by the oars and the
rope until the breakers were at their minimum
height and force, when the boat was al
lowed TO drift in on q favorable crest,
the men jumped overheard as il struck, and re-
naming alongside to push it farther up as each
succeeding wave lifted it In this way we
landed. though all were drenched 70 the skin "
When Mr.. Moore left on the Bear he promised
20 write TO Mr. Lindsey Immediately upon the
arrival of the Bear at Sitka, and again previous
10 his diSembarking from the cutter at Icy BAY
Those two letters must now be on board the
Queen, which viii arrive from Victoria today
The last letter, If written as promised, will tell
events of the voyage up 10 an hour before the
fatal boat ride in the surf.
WATER FOR MAN AND REAsT