The herald., 1897-11-20
GERMAN ACTION
Official Reports of Seizure of Kiao
Chau

CHICAGO. Nov. 19.-Lieut. Ellsworth
Price Bertholf of the United States Rev
enue cutter service, who will command
the overland expedition for the relief OF
the whalers imprisoned in the noun
tains of ice in the Arctic seas, arrived In
Chicago last night. He had received the
order at Washington to leave for the
Coast only SO hours before the 9-oclock
train on the Pennsylvania road steamed
into the Union Station with the Lieu
tenant. on board. When the order came
Lieut.. Bertholf wired Lieut.. Jarvis at
New Bedford, Mass, who will be one OF
the relief party, to meet him in Chicago,
then they were to leave for Seattle. Inc
man whose bravery and knowledge the
starving whalers may have cause to
thank for saving their lives when they
had given up all hope, was anxious to be
off for Seattle, where the revenue cutter
Bear awaits orders to set out. He has no
fears that the party will reach the Ice
bound vessels in time to rescue a large
share of the men who waited too long IN
the far North. He has never made the
trip before, yet he was one of the hrst
men in the government service to report
for duty when volunteers were called for.
For twelve years he has done gallant
duty all along the coast from Maine to
the gulf Two months ago he was sum-
moned to shore duty at Washington.
Tomorrow he will leave for the Pacific
Coast and on the Esd of the present
month he expects to board the ship
which will land him and his party on the
coast of Alaska Then he will begin
the long and perilous journey with dogs
and sledges overland to Point Barrow.
Lieut.. Bertholf was in excellent spirits
last night when he gave an anticipatory
account of the expedition he has been
sent to command.
II left Washington" he said, "at Z
o'clock on Wednesday night. 1t was eX-
actly noon last Tuesday when the order
came for me to prepare to the journey,
and set out as soon as possible. How
7 prepared you can see" he continued.
pointing to a small parcel of necessaries.
II shall hurry on to Seattle, where Cap
tain Tuttle and the revenue cutter Bear
have been ordered to make ready to take
the relief party to the farthest point
along the Alaskan coast she can possibly
reach. We shall probably leave that
port on the 23d of November.
Lieutenant D. II. Jarvis, who is now
at New Bedford, has also been ordered
to report to Seattle. He is experienced,
SO far as Arctic explorations go. Eight
times he has set out to that region, re-
turning on the last trip only month
ago. 1t is possible that he will go no
further than Seattle, but the probable
tiles are that he will go on to the whalers.
Captain Tuttle is to select the other
men who will make the relief party from
the crew on board the Bear. Ten days
go he had Just returned from his last
trin to the whalers, but will be ready to
start out again whenever we want to go.
1t will be impossible for him to get any
farther north than Unalaska, where he
will be obliged to lay up for the winter.
"Then and there the overland journey
will begin. With dogs and sledges, and
all the food we can carry, we shall set
out for Port Clarence. A reindeer COM
pany at the government station at that
place is to furnish a hundred reindeer
We will herd them and drive them with
us to our prospective destination.
THE reports we have received tell us
that there were $50 whalers and five or
six vessels caught by the winter ice.
If our party reaches the sufferers they
will be cared for until the revenue cutter
Bear can get through. Those who are
alive then ought to arrive at Seattle
next fall"