The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-04

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~a--se,ra ar-noss nevons conception.
i, fa,s<ss@w 5sSS he bark Little Chic. %
<ew z@afara. Ca5s- Allen. was cruising N
the Ar-t4c in t1ss VICINITY CT Point HoCe,
ora OF The rendezvous OF ne whaling
fee. For nearly week the wind had
held from the northeast. he weather had
been very cold ard heavy snow bad fallen
IN the afternoon q oAcsoosr the fresa
breeze Increased % violent gaze. and ma
STOW fell heavily. cTfFsz almost norizon-
tally ny the tierce WIND.
Txt hafgr@ this BLIZZARD began the YES
sci had been Of Caps Llsoi1r1e, With the
land plainly Ga sgaL Al II o'clock a.
riQs< ire starkpozr4 watch came on deck
ara Capt Alien went oeloH, leaving his
second officer Mr.. Niles. In charge 81 the
deck. Niles steppett upon the aeekaouse
70 get a bsr-er view O. his saIrr0und !ngs.
and a. once saw glare Of white directly
ahead. He took Il for young Ice. and or
sferad the helm hard aporl. 20 sheer OF
from =; bat the vessel has not begun TO
answer her helm before she struck. not
AGAINST a pack 81 Young ice, but upon the
shore. and swinging around. lay with her
starDoar4 side parallel 10 the beach.
Roller after roller, coming with the fun
force OF the heavy gale, struck the help
less vessel. lifting her bodily and throw
Ing her cheer tns1ore, while the spray
ieapsd completely over her lower yards.
Almost immediately after she struck casks
began TO appear leeward. showing THAI her
side was dangerously crushed. Capt AL
len had dashed on deck as soon "a the YES
sci struck and, as soon as he could CAV.
the order 20 cut the uasc< away: but no
one could use the az as r was impossible
10 stay on the deck without clinging 10
shrouds or ropes win both hands
To escape the terrible blows OF tho
waves. some OF the men went I'D the
mainmaSt, others up the mizzen. and for
q time seemed 10 be safe. Those OF the
crew who did not go into the rigging
gathered on the cabin steps and between
tire galley and the cabin door, but ths
house could not long Withstand tina fury
OF the waves. and soon fell IN. trapping
many OF the men under il. Then. as IL
the ran OF the house was a signal. the
vessel went to pieces. breaking into three
parts-ae the n1izzellTnast and just aDafr
the try-acTks; there W as a rush OF water,
= shout from the men, cut short by the
rear OF the descending waves. and with
q sort OF moan. the LATHE Ohio d.sap-
pesrei.
Thirteen men were carried ashore by
the waves, reaching hand almost 81 by a
n.rso ole. through the driving snow and
the debris OF the wreck, dashed about in
the water and the air: four others found
themselves On shore when the malanast
fell
One. on shore the men started for the
village al Point Hope. Tigarah by name.
The way by the beach was three miles.
bur the men cared only 10 get out or the
wind and turned almlessly Inland gDtn
they had got behind the hills when they
turned southwark TO the village.
Capt. Bayne. OF the whaling station st
Point Hope. took ths wrecked men IN,
persuaded the natives TO give up half or
the wreckage picked up alongshore. and
ted and clothed them On October II the
steam wfIaaer Be- ylcere passed close IN
shore and seven OF the men, IN Capt.
Bayne's lfeboat. PIT of 70 board her.
Almost within sight OF the shore the
waves swampei the boat. and with the
seven men died all hope Of the others get
ting away from the village.
TWO or the survivors died there during
The winter: FIVE were taken on board the
steamer whaler William Lewis when she
reached Point Hope and the other three
found berths on the United States steamer
Thetis. and that was the end OF the Little
Ohio.
The House at Point Barrow.
Far beyond the Arctic circle. the most
ncrtnerIy point In the vast territory OF
Alaska. and therefore the most northerly
point in the United States. lies Point Bar
row where gather the American wnalers.
following always farther north the ever
rstreating whale; and there. when the
number o. vessels which visit the place is
considered. occur probably more ship
wrecks than at any other place on the
globe
This most northerly point IN the United
States Is long. Low. characterless point
o. sand, with the scaaty vegetation Of the
Arctic as its sole natural ornament
iIchens, moss and ferns. In shape II 81
like tAe letter F. without the middle bar
Of II II letter: the upper bar extends to
the eastward. and an anchorage Is formed
to the east and south OF the point, 20 which
the w'halers betake themselves when ths
Wind blows rom ehe south and west
Here for many years has stood the build
Ing put up ~ the war department IN Iss1
for Lieut. Ray and his companions, who
dwelt therein for two long years. After
they had returned. the department lent
the building 20 the treasury department a.
house Of refuge for sfipwrecked crews.
a storenoHSe for such treasures OF food
ard fuel as passing whalsrs could spare.
and later on a whaling company obtained
the use OF IL es a trading station. Ia
fSs9 congress authorized the erection ar
Point Barrow Of building suitable for
house OF refuge fer whaierS; and 70
carry the necessary materials for the
house. and the clothing, food and fuel
Vherewffh 20 stock Il when finished, the
United states steamer Thetiz was sent 90
special duty into the Arctic under CON-
mad % Lieut.. Commander Charles H.
Stockton. sailing from san Francisco April
p IS,e
T~ee new house % refuge. erected by the
combined efforts Of The Thetis and the
TulteA States revenue marine steamer
Pns- IN August. Use stands nearer 20 ths
beach than the os8 house, directly oppo-
site saa anchorage and within A few
SCORE s-aras % the shore II is larger and
more substantial. ard has proven vastly
more comfortable than that 10 which Ray
ard rs men suffered during the winters
CT 1851 ard iss1 Except t1r ths absence
az a porch. snd for tae comparative de-
fc3entw OF window area. TIE house %
refuse Is not unlike an old ashsones
farm house. with its long slorA3rg roof
ard IS ''Ican-tof 30 evIdeEtlT a kitoae~-
L Is a frame building. wlt3a double walls
ana 3cuhle windows. carefully built an
trter1e4 20 withstand the severity ~ ar
Av-sls winter: ard Within Il are stored
clothes food ard fuel suf1eient - warm
snd feed re men Ter Elne months 81 a
t{9ne
TIE Taetix was og~e q Dundee wAaIer.
,~en 80 was purchased ~ fhe United
STATE % take pars in tia expedition under
Commando Schiey - relieve Greety ard
his csEnpans srss n the eastern Arctic. ard
T. sor WELCOMING cabin Fae miserable
Survivors az ta@ Greedy expedition were
bro-z-t bsck - civilization
Earfw tetS xpTs-g reports wsre csF-~eat
81 @ssna % re nswssz ne-s % th8s Cast
vSas rEs government tutSY~aess % remove
ta@ Use % rasag. A. Point Barrow. Rn3
-. t1e cutter Fear woUA receive oroers
20 .ea~ a~ect Sz- v-aasAA~ thts rsaa hAs
ben carried CT. ! an Gza5Se % As-er-
ia
Caught In the lee.