Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-25
PENETRATING A WILDERNESS
Adventurous Explorers Invade an Unknowi
Region Of Canada,
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED MILES IN A CANOE
The wonders of North America Eight
Hundred Miles of River, sixteen Great
Lakes and Vast Herds of Rein
deer-A Thrilling Trip.
rcopuriob' ed. 1911

Journey undertaken in the past quarter CEN
fury. and the largest exploration OF hitherto
unknown territory, has just been accom-
plished. The details Of these explorations
have been set forth in a few meager ac-
counts, but no consecutive sketch of this
marvellous tale OF adventure has been laid
before the public. For the first time the
facts, as taken from the lips of one OF the
explorers. are here described. Two brothers,
Lieutenant Joseph b. Tyrrell OF the cana
dian geological survey at Ottawa, aged about
80 years, a tall, handsome fellow, and his
brother, James w. Tyrrell, a fine, wiry, well
built young man of 30, a Dominion land sur
veyor OF this place, are the heroes of this eN-
plot, which must take rank for the courage
with which 1t was undertaken, the GOODNESS
and tact with which It was carried out and
tho holiness and hardihood with which 1t
was accomplished, with any similar adyen-
ture of the century. They are both natives
of Canada, both graduates of the Toronto
university, the former in the liberal arts aud
the latter in engineering. j. w. Tyrrell is a
citizen Of Hamilton, the birmingham OF
Ontario" where he is happily married ana
occupies n pretty cottage in that city OF
pleasant homes. j. B. Tyrrcll has been en-
gagged in geological explorations for the Do
minion government for the past eleven years.
and j. w. Tyrren has spent eight years OF
his life in adventurous exploration. They
come of an honored family, their father be-
ing the oldest municipal officer in the DOE
miniOn.
The younger man spent two years filled with
incident in surveys in the northwest, be-
tween lake Winnipeg and the Lake OF the
Woods. He then engaged in a survey on
the international railway, run by the great
Canadian Pacific road, through the wilder
ness of northern Maine, a territory about
as well known to the public as the interior
of Tibet. On his return he settled as an
engineer in Hamilton, and for four years was
d general surveyor, and planned and exc
cuted the building of the first inclined rail-
way In the province, the one up the noun
tain at Hamilton. which carries loaded
street cars and drays up to the top without
interruption, a height of 1875 feet. His nit
ness for the journey which has just closed
was established by an experience with the
Hudson Bay expedition of 1856. under the
command of Lieutenant A. b. Gordon, X. NJ,
in charge of the Dominion steamer. Alert.
For two years he was photographer and
meteorological observer of the party, and
was as familiar with Hudson bay as any
man, except those connected with the 5oO-
ton ships of the Hudson Bay company, and
"Tyrrells Beacon" on Big island in Hudson's
strait. was built by and named after him.
PLANNING o HI TRIP.
J.. b. Tyrrell, in the year 1892, had been
surveying anu lODhlll5 up Nv bcooSS ~
the Dominion government on lake Athabasca,
and %eastwardly on the Black lake. He en-
= ployed Indians on the survey, ana nnally
came to reach information from them that
there were three canoe routes leading from
the vicinity of Black lake north, and east
of lake Athabasca, Beyond these lakes
stretched an unknown land. 900 miles to
Hudson's bay, an unknown region never
trodden by the foot of a white man.
"But lost in the wilderness, nameless, un-
noted,
or man unbeholden, thou vert not till now"
Could 1t be that there was any river ris-
ing from the dim seen height of land that
rolled its black spruce-clad folds skyward,
from those solitary lakes? After much
thinking upon the problem, for which there
was the s~cantiest basis of action, he decided
OH the venture. Some of the Indians had
said there was q river running toward Hud-
sons bay eastwardly. but they knew nothing
of its existence and no one had ever de-
seconded it or knew where it ran. AS spring
approached he laid his plans before the min
lister Of the interior, Hon. Thomas DAILY, and
finding them heartily approved, the expenses
of the expedition were authorized, he being
placed in charge and authorized to secure
the services of his brother. j. w. Tyrrell.
Proposing to travel by, canoe, they aimed to
secure the most expert canoe men TO be
found in the Dominion. After some nego-
tiation, they were fortunate enough to secure
the services of the three brothers, Louie,
Peter and Michele French, Iroquois Indians
from Caughnawaga, near Montreal, who had
gained a worthy name from battling with
the Lachine rapids in the st. Lawrence.
Bidding goodby to his wife, j. w. set
out from Toronto to Edmonton on the Sas-
k~atchewan. by rail, reaching there May "a,
just as spring was beginning to cover the
plains with greenness. At Edmonton they
purchased supplies, but had brought with
them three splendid Peterborough canoes of
vanished cedar. eighteen feet in length,
capable of carrying 1,S0O pounds each, and
which afterwards proved their title to be the
best boats in existence. On May % they
started northward in wagons for Athabasca
Landing, a Hudson's bay post, 100 miles from
Edmonton, and from that point launched
their canoes and went h~urrying north down
the river to Fort Chippewyan. Their sup
plies, about 1000 pounds. followed by the
Hudson's Bay company's steamer, arriving
ubout a week after they did.
At Edmonton they had engaged the as
sistance of three Indian half breeds of the
Chtppewyan or Prince Albert race. who
proved most expert woodsmen. For seventy
miles down the river there is a succession OF
rapids so swift and so dangerous that no
one had ever attempted to run n canoe down
them. Approaching the Grand rapids, that
shoot with tel rife force down the rocky
channel, and knowing that they would have
to encounter unheard OF dangers. they
pointed to the rapids. The ~Iroquois brothers
spoke rapidly to each other. and after a
AbiAltl SUM- W. thl III Ut
others were appalled,. but committing them
selves to the canoes they shot down the
stream like lightning, to the great surprise
of the natives of that region, who declared
that no one had ever done 1t before. Reach
ing Lake Athabaska, they landed at Fort
Chippewyan. a mere Hudson Bay company's
post, the British government ostensibly
compelling the company to establish forts
for holding the country, though this is in
reality n sort OF governmental farce, as
there is no garrison. and the forts generally
consist OF trading stations, Here they
waited a week. uneasily, for the steamer
bearing their canned goods. provisions, Ave
gallons of alcohol, which for weeks was their
only means of cooking, astronomical and
scientific instruments and extra clothing.
THE START.
Time had hurried forward and 1t was the
LIST OF July when they started with loaded
canoes along the north shore of Lake Atha-
basca, making a survey Of the shore as they
went, for a distance Of 270 miles. At Fort
Chippewyan, through the influence of DR..
Mckay. they secured n guide to accompany
them as far as the Indians had penetrated
toward the north. There had been difused
among the Indians in the Saskatchewan dis
trict a sort of terror OF this unknown land,
and they talked with the Indians engaged
I'm the expedition, trying to frighten them
from going. AT last tho ~IroquOis came to
the. explorers and said; These men tell us
that the Eskimo, whom we shall meet, will
eat u.s. NO" said the younger Tyrrell,
a-H - - ii Il A.