, 1896-07-29

~ \ as 'blalA. al
a point from which communication
might be had with the wandering
koraks, who come up from Kamschat,
Ike in the spring with their vast herds
of reindeer to Craze the later during the
short arctic summe on the nutritious
MOSES of these far northern lands.
With the koraks it was expected to re-
turn soulh IN the fall. when the snow
should have again frozen on The sur
face 50 as 10 make passage possible for
the reindeer and sledges.
ANOTHER OBSTACLE APPEARS.
The difficulty in reaching the desired
point was very great. There was but
n steamer a month TO Sitka, and one
in sin months to the seal ISLANDS. from
either Of which points Siberia would
be practically as impossible As il one
were in Terra del Fuego. The Jean.
expedition, had been lost. and the rev.
enue cutter Bear was searching for her
in the Arctic sea. The Rodgers had
been burned on the Siberian coast, and
Che only available revenue cutter. the
C0ITin. was in the Mare island navy
yard undergoing repairs. a whaler
was not 10 be thought Of. as it would be
too slow 20 reach the destination in
time to join the koraks. At this june
turc Hon. a. S. Paddock, then United
States senator from Nebraska. came to
the rescue.
Chester A. Arthur was president, and
John c. New Of Indianapolis was as
sis-an, secretary of the treasury, in
charge Of the revenue marine. Con-
gress had passed an act appropriating
$4,000 to be expended in the purchase
Of presents with which to reward the
reIcuers OF Ch. crew of the Inflated
Rodgers, and che Corwin was detailed
to proceed as soon as she was ready to
go to sea, to deliver these gifts to the
wild inhabitants of Asia's bleak shores.
Senator Paddock made a personal re-
quest of the president to order the Cor
win to land Mr.. Kent at the Bay of ST.
Lawrence, which is southwest of Beh-
ring Strait. and at the direction of the
president such an order was issued by
Assistant Secretary New. 1t was mis-
sent and duplicate orders issued, both
reaching Mr.. Kent on the same date
and allowing him still time to reach
San Francisco by the date of sailing,
which was for April II.
BOILER EXPLOSION KILLS THE
SCHEME.
II now seemed as if the fates were
prcpitious and success were a foregone
conclusion. But it was not to be. On
the very eve of his intended departure
from Omaha to join the Crown, Mr..
Kent was handed a telegram from San
Francisco which read as follows:
Revenue cutter COrwin blew up her
boiler in Mare island navy yard this
evening and will be unfit for service
this season.
Thus ended for the time being the
great Behring Strait railroad scheme,
for 1t was impossible to reach north
eastern Asia in time to join the Koraks
for another year., and to land when
they were gone would be fatal. Before
the year rolled around events occurred
which necessitated the indefinite post
ponement of the enterprise. though the
activity with which Russia is now
ciic coast terminus makes it highly
probable that in much less han 25
years round the world tourists starting
from Boston will scan the card at
tached 10 the rear Of the sleeper for the
information by that so common as to
excite no comment: This train
through without change Of cars to New
York, Chicago, Omaha, San Francisco,
Juneau, V~ladivostock, Irkutsk, St.
Petersburg. Paris, and Calais" and
should her Britannia majesty's parlia-
ment ever muster courage to permit Of
the completion of the tunnel under
Dover Strait. commenced so long ago
and abandoned for fear of French in.
v~asion, there may be added London
and Liverpool"
WILLIAM LIGHTFOOT VISSCHER.
THE PLAY.
The Orris ODER company appeared
before another larpa oudierca at tho