The morning call., 1893-12-03
THE CARLIN ESCAPE.

tax in times OF profound peace.
THE CARLIN ESCAPE.
The escape of Mr. w. E. Carlin and
bis party from a terrible death in the
SHOWS of Idaho may fairly be classed
among the thrilling adventures Of travel.
The party was formed to hunt in the
slopes of the Bitter Root Mountains, the
highest ridge of which constitutes the
boundary between Idaho and Montana.
but whose spurs extend far into the tor
mer State. 1t argues inexperience on the
part of the hunters that they should have
started into the wilderness so late as Sep
tember Is. That was the day on which
they left Kendrick, on the railroad, and
struck into the desert. The hunters were
three in number. and they had with them
a guide, cook and five weeks provisions.
Their objective point was Warm Springs.
on the North Fork of the Clearwater,
which appears to be about 100 miles from
keDdrick. To strike this point they
marched round the bend in the main
stream of the Clearwater, passing through
Mussel Creek, Weippe and Lolo. The
country through which their course lay is
not described by geographers, Tor are the
places or rivers marked on the maps 1t
is, of course, the usual barren. volcanic
plain. overlaid with alluyium. through
which torrential streams from the Bitter
Root Mountains have cut deep gulleys.
They reached the border of the North
Fork Of the Clearwater after march of
ten days. 1t was then September %, and
the approach Of the snow could not be
dali -
ers to find big game, which is abundant on
the spurs of the mountains, blinded them
to the dangers OF their position. Snow
was air eady visible on the mountain tops,
but they continued to hunt till October 10.
Then they became uneasy and started
back to find the Lolo trail. They had not
gone far before they met four feet of
snow, which was so wet that it could not
be crossed on snowshoes. They were COM
pelled to return to their camp on the North
Fork.
They had scarcely a weeks provisions
left and they do not seem to have been
successful in killing game for food. Hap
PLY they fell in with an old trapper, who
sold them his winters supply. Their only
line ofescape was by way of the river.
Cutting Down trees which grew scaniily
along is banks they built two RATS and
with their supplies embarked on these to
navigate the North Fork to the main
stream, q distance of sixty miles. This
was on November 8. By November 13
they had travelled twenty-five miles. the
RATS having been upset more than once
on powders In the rapids and their occu-
pants thrown into the icy water. On that
DAY they. became satisfied that further
navigation by raft was impossible and
that they must cover the remaining thirty
eight miles of their journey on foot. I'm.
happily the cook was disabled and was
unable 10 walk. 1t was a cruel necessity,
but there was nothing 10 do but to abandon
him. There were but eight days provi-
sions left; bad the party remained where
they were they must have perished. They
made him as comfortable as they could
and left him to his fate.
The North Fork. like most streams in
idaho. plows its way through the soil at a
considerable depth below the surface, and
the banks take the shape of canyons which
are crowned with rough, jagged powders.
Walking on such surface is no easy task.
The fugliives sometimes spent day in
travelling mile. A single misstep meant
fall into a chasm where death lay full ia
view. 1t was showing hard and was Bit
terly cold. Provisions gave out. and the
travellers lived chiefly on huckleberries and
tea leaves. Their strength would not have
lasted much longer when. on November %,
Lieutenant Elliott at the head of q relief
party hove in sight. Such rescue beg
gars roman ce. The return to Kendrick in
boats on the main fork of the Clearwater
was slow and tiresome. but to those who
had escaped death by only shave it must
have been intensely delightful.
People who are not bitten with the
mania for destroying the lives OF wild
beasts are amazed to read of The dangers
which hunters will confront for the sake
of sport. But the impulse which prompts
a man to take his life in his hand to kill a
lion or grizzly bear Is the same which
prompts the soldier to lead forlorn hope
it is one of the highest and noblest attri-
butes of manhood. Higher even than this
is the quality which inspires to the rescue
of men whose lives hang in the balance By
other men who Iisk their own in the work.
The story of the Carlin escape will long be
remembered. and the man who will be best
remembered in connection with 1t Is Lieu
tenant Elliott lie is a man of whom the
War Department should keep track.