The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-12-02
THE BEAR.

the merciless power of the crushing, grind
ing masses of ice which are at this time of
year being driven shoreward by gales of
whose savage fury we of the temperate
zone can have but feeble conception. No
ship which was ever built could stand that
awful pressure, and it is expected that the
doomed whalers will be ground to pieces
during the first storm.
Whether or not the 265 men have by
this time escaped to the bleak, inhospitable
shore is an open question. If their ships
have not already been destroyed, it would
hardly seem probable that they should
wait until the final catastrophe and then
take the slim chances of making journey
of many miles over the heaving, grinding
masses of moving ice. The more plausi-
BILE theory is that the unfortunate whalers
have gone ashore with what provisions
and clothing they could manage to take
and have established "a camp or else have
tried to reach Point Barrow. Even at the
latter place there is not enough food to
keep a surplus of 265 men during the win
ter At one time the government did have
a supply station there for this express pur-
pose, but few years ago it was sold to @
private company, and the provisions have
been removed
OF course it will be impossible for the
Bear to go through Bering strait at this
season of the year, for that gateway to the
arctic has been closed for weeks by an i'm
passable barrier of ice. The plan Of the
rescue expedition, therefore, will be for the
Bear to steam up the Alaska coast as far
as possible, perhaps to Norton sound, and
there send out an overland expedition.
Captain Tuttle Of the Bear is to be in gen.
eral command Of the expedition, but the
land party, which Is to make an overland
march of hundreds of miles across an arc
tic waste in the dead Of winter, will be in
charge of Lieutenant Hooker, also of the
revenue cutter.
According to the suggestions Of Secre-
tary Gage, an attempt will be made to col
lect large herd of government reindeer
and drive these from the neighborhood Of
Port Clarence, the reindeer station, to
Point Barrow, the animals being designed
to furnish the double purpose of pack car
riers and supplies ION the hoof." The
perils Of this overland trip, even for a well
equipped and well provisioned party, will
be something appalling, but the men who
will undertake it are thoroughly expe-
rienced and have been especially chosen
for the purpose.
The revenue cutter Bear has long enjoy
I'd the distinction Of being the best cruiser
in the arctic regions and has become fa-
nous for her long and successful service
in the dangerous northern waters. She
was built in Greenock, Scotland for the
Dundee whaling fleet, but was purchased
by this government and in 1883 won the
applause of the civilized world by her
| plucky rescue Of the Greedy survivors.
Later she was sent TO the Bering sea sta
tion and for more than dozen years has
been battling sea and ice in those wild
waters. This time she is called upon to
force her way as far north as possible, and
Captain Tuttle may be depended upon tC
urge the gallant cutter to do her best, fol
the lives of 265 American sailors are al
| stake. FRANKLIN PRICE