Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-09
FATE OF A RUSSIAN COLONY.
Every Man Left on Halls Island, In
Bering Sea, Eaten by the Bears.

Every Man Left on Halls Island, In
Bering Sea, Eaten by the Bears.
From the New York Sum-
From the quarterback Of the United
States revenue steamer Corwin, lying OF
Halls Island, at the ncrtherly end of st.
Matthews Island, in Boring sea, the cap
tain and several officers were looking to-
ward the shore. Douglass, the pilot, had
just pointed out something under the cliffs
that looked like low. half-fallen walls. and
said they were ruined barrabaras. The
barrabara is the Aleutian house, built half
underground. Some of the gentlemen wish
ed to explore the interior of the island in
hopes Of finding signs Of valuable miner
ais.
Mr.. Douglass. how about going inland
here?" inquired the captain.
well. don't know, SIR" said the pilot
Il wouldn't care much to go at this time
"f year. unless the party was large and
well armed. Any one can see from here
what forb!ddirg country it is, and it's
sure to get worse when you reach it. It's
chock full CT bears, and in the breeding
season they're mighty ugly,"
How does it happen that there are so
many polar bears on st. Matthews and
Halls islands," asked the captain. This
must be about the southern limit Of their
range"
well, I suppose, sir, they come 1own
from the arctic on the field Of ice. follow
ing the seal and the walrus. The winter
pack reaches way south Of here, ard the
bears make homes on the island among
rocks and caves. They breed here, and
as more come every year from the north
they naturally get plenty. So long as they
find enough TO eat they won't trouble any
! body unless cornered, and once food gets
scarce they'll attack anything. One look at
what's left Of those barrabaras has always
been enough exploration for me in these
parts.
There's sad story about those old
houses. SIR continued the pilot. "A good
many years ago the Russians thought
sent a ship with I don't know just how
many people to make start. No doubt
the settlers We're a hard lot-convictS Of
one sort or another-the Russians often
made such use of their hard citizens. But
that's neither here nor there. They were
human beings and were put on shore right
here, and they built or dug. whichever you
like to say, those barra baraS. Provisions
for year were given them, and they were
| told to skirmish round and see what they
could do in the hunting line. Then the
ship sailed away, promising to call round
next year and see how they Were getting
along.
And SO she did. but the settlers were
not doing anything that the visitors could
see They hoisted no signal and made no
sign of life at ALL and when party from
| the ship landed, a grewsome sight it was
they saw. The tops were ripped off the
barrabaras and everything was knocked
| about; not living thing could they find.
Some moldy provisions were left, and.
worst of all, some human bones; not whole
skeletons lying as though the people had
been starved or had died of disease, but
just human bones spread about the floors,
and some of 'em outside on the ground.
Not bit of writing was found; nothing
at all to say how or when the trouble
| came. Water was plenty and provisions.
too and only the bears could account for
the wiping out of the little colony. They
must have corralled the settlers in the
dead of winter. when the pack ice is all
around the island, and hunger makes EN-
fierce and then they must have torn on
the roofs of the huts and made short
work of the people The ship sailed
| away and the Russians never tried to col
| oniZe the island again..