The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-15
SAVED FROM DEATH BY A WOLF.
Five WhaIers Plotted Across Alaska
SHOWS by a Savage Animal.

Five WhaIers Plotted Across Alaska
SHOWS by Savage Animal.
The five sailors who deserted their
ships in winter quarters at HerscheI
island succeeded in reaching the gold
mines of the Yukon, says the San
Francisco Examiner They staggered
into Circle City after having tramped
for nearly a month over the mountains
and trackleSs snowy wastes of the Arc
tic. Physically. they were more dead
than alive; In appearance more like
beasts than men. During their long
tramp toward Circle City they made a
hard fight for existence.
AFTER their companion Thomas had
been shot and Fitzgerald wounded, and
the other seven of the fourteen who de-
serted had been captured and taken
back to their vessels the five who
reached the Yukon pushed on for the
gold fields with only their rifles to de-
pend on to supply them with food
The five were Anderson, Rae, Schultz,
Jorgenson and Watson. The story Of
their hardships in crossing the I'M
known northern part of the Alaskan
territory was brought down from the
north by miners who returned from the
Yukon on the Bertha
When they escaped from their pur-
suers they were undecided about ven
turing into the barren country that lay
II
day or two they remained in camp,
celebrating on a plan of action. While
thus engaged a deer stumbled almost
on top of them. Two or three rifles
cracked and the animal fell 1t meant
fair supply of meat to begin the jour
ney with and decided the question AS
soon as the carcass had been cut up
and each man had shouldered as much
of the meat as he could carry the de-
serterS started for the Yukon.
1t was almost in the middle of an
arctic winter and the men had nearly
500 miles to travel to reach their goal
If they went in a direct line Over
mountain ridges and glaciers they
tramped, and made fairly good pro-
gress for a week. Then they were
caught In a. blizzard that prevented any
travelling for a week. The cold was in
tense and the men burrowed in the
snow to keep warm. They We're unable
to cook any of their frozen meat and
hunger compelled them to eat it raw
their stock of provisions was almost
exhausted and two-thirds of the jour-
ney was yet before them.
On they plunged through the snow
their fingers and toes froStbitten and
starvation before them. Two days
passed without any of them tasting
food. Worn out and helpless they lay
uOWn Ny oil iCe CIdS pray ing lOF the
end.
Anderson was half dreaming, be-
numbed with the cold, when he saw a
pair Of eyes glisten through the gloom
not over twenty feet from him. eau
tiously he raised his rifle, and when it
cracked a large wolf fell in death
Eagerly the men skinned the animal
and soon its steaks were broiling over
moss fire. That wolf lasted four
days, when another one was killed.
The meat of the second had been eaten
for two days. when, from the crest of
a steep ridge, the men saw a blue curl
of smoke rising from the bottom of the
valley beyond. The smoke was from
Peter Hannett's cabin, on branch of
the Yukon, near Circle City. There the
sailors were given a welcome AS soon
as the summer opened three of them
started down the river for ST. Mich
aels. The other two remained to dig
for gold.