The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-21
COOPER's ENPERIENCE
He Made an Exciting Trip 10 Alaska and is
Mighty Well Pleas d.


S. ". Cooper has returned from his ex-
citing and interesting trip TO Alaska
Mr.. Cooper tells the story of his trip
with all the romance of a novel. He
is an eloquent descriptive talker aud a
natural born traveller, for he sees every
thing.
Mr.. Cooper has travelled over Europe,
Asia, Africa, South America and Mexico,
and his trip this year was to Alaska. He
felt highly relieved to be away from the
atmosphere of mortgages and foreclosures
where the stand-offs of local delinqueuts
didn't bother him. he forgot all about
business for four or five weeks aud only
thought of nature aud all the pleasures its
study and contemplation afforded.
When Mr. Cooper sailed frcm Victoria
in the good ship Queen all was pleasure
and hope of unbouuded enjoyment in that
part of America which is so uu-American
Alaska. At midnight rs the steamer
which was gracefully blowing the waves
aud gently rocking a hundred Americans
TO sleep, it came TO a dead stop
with whirr as if the axes OF the
world broke and Cosmos came to
full stop. In a moment the entire
steamer gave up its sleepers, and, as the
graphic Mr. Cooper expresses 1t, the occu-
pants poured out of their state rooms in
rags and jags. The night was dark on
deck, and men in their mad rush about 10
ascertain where they were at, came broad
sides against each other Will force that
added TO the excitement.
The steamer had struck a rock. and its
steel bottom was slashlng against 1t be-
fore the waves like a mighty battering
str la hal IN ia hot
tom of the ship, aud the situation at that
hour will not fade from the memory Of
Mr.. Cooper II he lives to be as old as the
Pyramids. The atmosphere of his mort
gage Office would he to him at that time
as sweet as the essence of an oriental pal
ace. and he would give all his vast earthly
possessions for a feather bed n Wichita.
And still the ship hit and hit the mighty
rock with its pouderous aud powerful
blows, only TO add TO its own destruction.
The life boats were lowered, and the weary
aud terrified wanderers from the United
States sought shelter on the very rock that
caused them exposure, and were glad Of
it. That which threatened to accomplish
their destruction was the anchor of their
safety. IL was but a lonely rock on the
middle of a desert of water away and far
away from home and friends, but as they
watched the stream struggling between
the fluid force behind IL and the solid force
in front of it they very soon cultivated a
fO0duesS for lJ and ali sang out IN Joyful
harmony: Rock OF ages, we cling 70 thee
Dawn came, the shore was in sight and
safety was assured, for they had a little
steam Yacht that could sail merrily to
land with instalIments Of twenty-five every
few minutes.
The water filed the first compartment OF
the bottom of the ship. l. soon entered
the next compartment, which was the cold
storage. Pretty sCou all the Ice Was
melted and the chickens and ether delicate
meats became 30 spoiled that they had to
be thrown into the waves a sweet
menu for the sharks. The Indians who
came from the shore III the morning. how
ever. cuutended with the SHARKS Tor tie
SpoilS Of the wrsck and succeeded TO
fair division. The consequence was that
Mr.. Cooper ana others volunteered 10 sup
ply the table OF the steamer with the meat
OF he wild cattle of Alaska. and right glad
were the excUrslunlsts TO get IT,
For ninety hours the steamer struggled
on the rock. All the coal had 10 he heaved
into the stern 20 lift the weight from
the front end, snd finally. that
weight net being sufficient, ali the pas
seHyers boarded the rear eud and IN this
way the boat was released from the rock
and taken TO the shore. For four days
more mschintsts worked repairing II aud
at the end OF nearly ulGe days II was
enough continued their journey.
Sitka was reached and there NJ. Cooper
gTasurd the hand of a Wichita mzn-Pro-
fes>or [. Z. SAUL. The professor, ike all
Wichita men, had a stout heart snd was
enjoying life among the strange people.
SItka Is the capital OF Alaska l. has
population of about $50 people, prin-
cipAlly Indians aud haif-oreed Russians.
TIE Roman and Greek Catholics have
strong churches there snd TIE natives are
OF avery religious disposition They are
not 80 ordinary Is the i1diaus OF tie
United States. The houses ave huts and
the streets are a. crooked and shspelsss Is
social center Of Alaska Tue Indians os
that territory live altogether Ia villages
and are not II a roaming mature Ike the
[ niled States tribes
After speujiC. short time ~ Sitka the
party steamed north 20 the Muir glacier,
one Of the most remarkable snI wonder
feet high rises rerpeadiculariy from tae
water and extends LANDMARKS forty miles
and two or three miles along the coast IL
IS OF fantastic shape and az distance
LOOKS like a crystal city Of towers AID
miuerets. Every once and awhile a block
of this drops into the ocean Ike palace
falling in an earthquake IL tumoles into
the water with sound and a shock which
are heard and felt TWO miles sway Asd
throws stream of water 30 feet n the
air. Il then floats OF Ike al enchanted
palace rocking on the waves Mr.. Cooper
SAYS Il j. worth Drawing the danger OF a
hundred shipwrecks 10 see.