The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-21
THE ICY BAY DISASTER.
How Lieutenant Robinson and Five
Others Met Death.

Others Met Death.
PoRT TOWNSEND, June 20-TSpecial l.
The steamship Queen, which arrived from
Alaskan points at midnight, brought the
following additional particulars of the
death of Lieutenant L. l.. Robinson. The
cutter Bear arrived at Icy Bay Saturday
morning, June 6. Preparations were i'm
mediately made to land Professor Russell
and his party of explorers The first boat
to leave the Bear was in charge of Lieu
tenant ID. Ii. Jarvis. This boat swamped
and filled with water, but there appeared
to be no danger and the men
in it and the stores were
safely landed. The second boat was in
command of Lieutenant Robinson, and
contained w. C. Moore, of Professor Rus
sells party. Boat Coxswain J. Haasler,
Seamen A. Nelson, T. 0. Anderson and II.
Smith. This boat capsized outside the
surf line, about fifty yards from the shore,
in deep water, too far away to enable the
party already landed to render assistance
to the strugg ling men, who for some unex-
planned reason let go their hold on the
boat, and were making vain attempts to
swim shoreward. Only one man, J..
Wright, was saved, and he came to the
DtaNh SlAhSliS W DdS Ol hour.
against which the incoming surf
beat and drove before it With the clinging
sailor. This man had swallowed a great
quantity of salt water, and was brought
back to his normal condition with much
difficulty. Diligent search was made by
Lieutenant Jarvis for such bodies as might
drift in, but only two were recovered. one
being the corpse of Seaman Anderson.
Ixn III ,ID3- Al
Robinson.
How and why this second boat upset is
one of those peculiar mysteries of the sea
which is inexplicable. 1t can only be
accounted for by the hypothesis of some
counter currents meeting Immediately in
the boats course, or some wild charge of
the oceans cavalry, unlocked for and i'm
possible to avert. Lieutenant Jarvis re-
mained on the beach until the next day.
when Anderson's body was buried in the
sand. and that of Lieutenant Robinson re-
turned TO the cutter.
Six additional landings were safely made
subsequent to the disaster, and Professor
Russell, his party, their stores and instru-
ments, were successfully put on shore
The professor promised to have the beach
in the vicinity carefully watched, and if
the other bodies drifted in to see that tbev
were decently inferred. The antecedents
of the seamen, with the exception of Cox
vain Haasler, are unknown. They are all
believed to have been unmarried men
The coxwain had been for MANY years
with Captain Healy in the cutters Corwin
Rush and Bear. He was an excellent man
and of good habits.
The dangers of landing in Icy bay have
been well known for many years to those
familiar with the coast. The water there
abouts is shallow, owing to washing from
numerous glaciers which make their de-
posits in the sea at this point and cause
considerable discoloration. The bav onens
directly on the boundless expanse of the
Pacific, whose swell on the calmest davs
breaks In laundering surges upon this in
hospitable coast. The landing was made
az Icy bay in accord with Professor Rus
sells express request, because it saved his
exploring party thirty miles of difficult
travelling over ice fields.
Lieutenant Robinson's body was en-
balmed. cottined and brought on the cutter
Sitka for burial. He was from Kansas.
about 80 years old, and had been in the
service five years. He arrived on this
, cutter
Corwin, and was with that vessel when
she took Professor Russell's party back to
civilization last autumn. During the mast
winter he had served on board the VOL
cott, stationed at this port. He had been
married five years and leaves a widow.
now in this city, residing with the family
of Jarrett 7. Lewis. Lieutenant Robin
sons funeral occurred at Sitka
June 10. 1t was attended by
Commander Healy, his officers and
as many of the crew as could be spared
from their duties on board. The BODY
was met on shore by the Mission band, of
Sitka. detachment of the marine guard
and several civic officials. These acted as
ali escort to the executive offices. where
simple but impressive funeral ceremonies
were read. Rev. Sheldon Jackson and Rev.
Alonzo E. Austin, of the Presbyterian
missions, officiating. The spacious apart
ments were filled with civil officials, their
families and many citizens. The coffin
was draped with the national ensign and
covered with wreaths of eyergreens and
k.avr e "a.