The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-06
Civil Strife and BIoodshed in the
HerscheII Island Colony.
DESERTERs FIGHT PURSUERS
Season Of JolIity Starts in Well But is Soon
Changed-Men Leave for Yukon Gold
FieIds-One Sailor Killed Another Badly
Wounded-But One of Them ESCAPED.

A state OF civil war prevails at Her
scheIl Iseland, Arctic Ocean, or did last
spring. which was the last time letters
were dispatched to friends at home
by the whaling colony in that frigid re-
gion. a batch of letters was received
in this city Sunday morning, and the
information they contain reads more
like dime novel or story Of pirate
marauding than an actual recital of
facts in a community of civilized men,
says the New Bedford (Mass.) Repub
Iican Standard of September IA.
The winter colony at Herschel Island
the past winter consisted of Is vessels
and about 800 person The Balena and
Grampus, also of the feet, wintered
further eastward this year. The usual
season of jollity and good cheer served
to while away the dun, cold months,
and sociability has been at higher
pitch than ever before. There were
five women in the feet this winter,
Mrs. Greene, Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. Cook,
Mrs Porter and Mrs. Whiteside, and
their entertainments were a source of
great enjoyment.
But the early part of the winter saw
a state of affairs arise which required
the exercise of all the firmness and
rigid discipline usually found in an
army. Even then the safety of the
colony was at times threatened and
the greatest excitement prevailed. Soon
after the fleet went into quarters the
men commenced to get excited over
reports of rich finds of gold in the val
ley of the Yukon river, and the fever
commenced TO ferment among them to
have a share in the harvest. AS the
hardships of winter came on these
murmurings grew more intense, and
desertion came to be momentarily eX-
pected.
The first desertions took place No
vember ), when two Germans started
away to walk across country to San
Francisco. Five days later they came
back, heartily sick Of their determine
ton, declaring that they had no idea
San Francisco was so far off. One of
them had a toe frozen.
On January 1st, in the midst of a
blizzard, with the thermometer down
to As below zero, an Indian came tot
tering into camp with the information
that Second Mate Tilton of the steamer
Alexander, who had left on the 18th,
was lost with his dog team, and unless
aid reached him speedily would perish.
Second Mate Hill of the steamer jean
cite and Third Mate Curry Of the Mary
D. Hume started out for his relief.
They found him in an Indian hut, suf-
fering from frost-biteS, and exhausted,
but the Indians were doing their best
for him. They started with him back
to the fleet, and reached there on the
oath. Tilton was badly used up. Sew
eral of his fingers and toes were frozen
and have since been amputated, but he
was at the time of writing thought to
be on the road to recovery.
A MEETING OF CAPTAINS.
January p seven more men deserted
in a body and started for the Yukon.
They broke into a storehouse on shore,
stole a quantity of provisions, several
rifles. a sled and dog team. The size
of the deserving party made things
look serious, so a meeting of the cap
tains of the fleet was held and martial
law was declared throughout the set
Element A regular beach patrol, arm
ed with loaded rifles, was established
and rigid orders were issued for al
men forward to, be on board before
p. m. every night.
On the 25th of January an expedition
consisting of seven officers started il
pursuit of the runaways After pro
ceeding five miles they got into snaT
as to leadership and came back to thu
ships with the information that they
/ could get no further.
Three days later, January %, anothe
party was organized, with ample pro
vision for discipline and generaIship
! After a hard journey on the trail the.
came suddenly on the seven doser.er
early one morning, huddIed around ;
! fire cooking breakfast. The deseTter
were completely surprised, Their ftrm
| being in the luggage packs, and at III
point of the rifles they were forced t.
/ hold up their hands and surrender. O.
the return trip to the ships three Of tn
! prisoners escaped, but the other fou
were safely secured and heavily iroued
| Another wholesale deSertion tool
place about midnight on the night o
March 16th-an expedition which sc
riously threatened to cripple the force
of the fleet. At II p. M. twelve mel
from the various ships stole away 70
the Yukon. Next day party of TWEEN
ty officers and men started to Oyertak
them. Several captains were in tn
party, and there were vehement as
sertions that they'd have the rascal
| this time" But about o'clock tina
night the captains came back. The.
were closely followed by terrified ma
tiyes, fleeing to the ships for protec
! tion, saying that the pursuers haC
overtaken the deserteTs and that no
/ fight was in progress. Such untowarC