St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-25
Terrible Adventure Of a Boat
man From Verndale,
Wadena County,
Who Went From There to the
Gulf Of Mexico in a
Small Craft.
State SolonS Made at Home
in the Commercial Club
Rooms.
Sons OF the Revolution Will
Observe the Birthday
Of George.

William Walden, OF Wadena, has had
very painful and thrilling experience
and Just now is the hero OF many q
story running through the papers pub
liShed in cities OH the Gulf of Mexico.
His adventures were such as few men
would care to experience, and were
fraught with hardShipS and suffer
ing of the severest kind On the 3lst of
July he left Minnesota in a double-ender
clinker-built boat, built on the model of
the Norwegian fishing boats, and started
OH his journey to Dundee county:
Florida, his only companion being a
Scotch shepherd dog.
The Doat was we'll prOvisoned and
fitted for the journey, and the trip down
the Mississippi river, past the Quaran-
tine station and into the Gulf of Mexico
made without accident OF miShap worthy
of mention. Four weeks ago last Sat
urday in heavy northwest sQuall his
boat was driven ashore on Mitchell
island, about twenty miles south OF Cat
island, in the harbor of Biloxi, Miss.
Mitchell island is a low, marshy piece
of land with no timber or vegetation eX-
cept marsh grass. uninhablted and about
aS deS0late spot as one could lind.
About this time Walden'S provisions
became exhausted, and for five days be
was without food, during which time he
suffered intensely, and added to this
was the unusually cold weather which
prevailed. On Christmas eve the
was frozen hard and stiff, and with his
clothing saturated with the rains OF the
day before his condition was critical.
His only means of providing a fire was
with charcoal, of which he had a small
supply. He built his fire in small
frying pan. Without this he would
have frozen to death. Fortunately he
had an ample supply of water.
At the expiration of five days the
pangs of hunger had been SO intense
that he resolved to kill his dog. For
three weeks and one day he remained
on his boat, his only food being that sup
piled by his dog, of which he only ate
sufficient TO keep him alive, not know
ing how long it would be before assist
ance arrived. During these three weeks
two or three vessels passed within
speaking distance of him and promised
to send him assistance in the morning,
but when morning came they were out
of sight.
Finally. last Saturday. the lugger
Second Hope, Of New Orleans, came to
his rescue and pulled his boat at1oat,
after which he was taken i'll tow by the
schooner Alert of Biloxi, Capt. Calvin
Ladnier, and brought to this place yes
terday. At the time the lugger Second
Hope came to his assistance his supply
OF dogmeat was we'll nigh exhausted,
and a few days more on the island
would have resulted in his death by
starvation.
Mr.. Walden was sixty-three years
old last month and is a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic. He en-
listed in the Third Massachusetts, cav
airy aud served throughout the war.
He was without family and was en-
route TO Florida, where he owns some
property, and where he expects to
spend the remainder Of his days. He Is
here now without means, but has Two
months pension pay due him amount
ing to $50, on the receipt Of which he
will continue his journey, by rail, as 1t
is his intention to sell the boat here.
He has had an experience of twenty
seven years as a seaman, but says this
is the closest call he has ever known.
Mr.. Walden is an intelligent old gentle
man. but says he is somewhat behind
on the current events of the day. as he
has not seen a newspaper since the 2Oth
of last November, and that was eight
days old. The boat i'll which he made
the journey from Minnesota Is % feet
long, feet beam and 20 inches deep.
Quaker and Friends Oats. pkg. .1Oc
Patent Breakfast Food, pkg ....... 1Oc
At FURLONG'S,
Eighth and Jackson.