Omaha daily bee., 1892-01-10
TREASURE TROVE ALASKA.
Miner W. Bruce Experiences a Real Storm
at Sea.
ATCHlNG COD AS A PASTIME.
A Country About Which Only the Most
Meager is Obtainable-
Stock Raising PROMISES
Great Returns.

JUNEAU, Alaska, Dec. Especial Core
spondence of The BEE. The third day after
the capture of the fur seal of which | wrote
in my last letter, was a memorable one to me.
The captain early in the morning called NY
attention to the rapid falling Of the oarome-
ter. He told me that in this latitude
when it registers 30 it was very low and
meant a severe storm.
BY 2 O'Clock q strong breeze had sprung
up, and within an hour a gale was upon us,
and our ship was plunging through seas that
threatened to sweep the decks. When dark
ness set in the barometer registered 2S. 40.
About 8 o'clock the ship was turned about.
and throughout tho long hours before day
light the following morning we lay facing the
storm at the mercy OF the waves, which were
rolling US in a seethipg caldron.
l had experienced storms at sea before, but
never upon a vessel where | was thrown in
such close proximity with the crew, as upon
this. All but one of the eight men who COM
posed the crew were old sailors, and three of
them had sailed in every quarter of the globe.
They were of that sturdy race which has
placed Norway among the nations of the
world that have furnished some of our best
navigators. They were men who, when the
wind howled its loudest, and the masts were
bending and creaking as it whlstled among
its spars and ropes, responded without a
murmur TO orders to ascend the rigging, but
| noticed they did so with teeth firmly set
and blanched faces. / have talked with
many an old salt, and In answer to my ques-
ton IL he ever felt afraid in a storm, invari-
ably answered In the negative. | remember
now 1t was always when he was on terra
trma, or when the ship was flying before a
light wind, that he laughed at such a ques-
tion.
My experience during the past season,
however, has convinced me that
there are few men who are not,
to say the least, a little anxious
when the ship is tossed about III a tempest
which threatens every moment TO wrench its
timbers asunder and bury the wreck beneath
the foaming depths.
1t was during this storm that | made several
attempts TO secure a view of the ship when
IL was plunging its %iercest, but when my
plates were developed, but one showed any
thing but chaos. This was taken when the
sun shone for a few moments, the next
morning after the storm had spent its fury,
and the ship was blowing along before the
wind with closely reefed mainsail.
We were now approaching land, and the
JOY experienced whom the captain told ne
upon retiring one night that we would see
land by q o'clock the following morning, can
some time at sea.
! was upon deck with the first approach OF
daylight, and found the captain had preceded
me, and stood with glasses in hand anXiously
peerinR across the wide expanse OF
water. As the hands OF tho ships
clock pointed TO ten minutes past six, he di-
rected me TO look just over the bow of the
vessel, and sure enough, q long, low outline
stood against the horizon. Within tive hours
. fair wind had pushed " so near that l