Willmar tribune., 1897-10-12
DEATH ON A GLACIER.

DEATH ON A GLACIER.
| Thrilling Story of How Three Miners
Perished in Alaska.
| Tales of death in the frozen Alaskan
country have reached civilization in re-
cent years, but none of them surpass
and few of them compare with the one
which has just come to this CITY
! concerning the death of three men.
Charles A. Blackstone, George Botcher
and j. W. Malinque. They were forced
to give up their lives last April, but it
was not until recently the news of their
death reached this eli ".
Ihe three men were expert miners.
They went north on the steamer Lakme
IN March, 1896. For a time they were
at Cooks inlet and later they went to
Circle City, They remained in the dis
tmct until March of this year, but for
tune did not favor them and March 25
they started back to Seattle, intending
to go to Portage bay, an arm Of Prince
William sound There they expected to
take passage on steamer.
10 reach Portage bay they had to
cross Portage glacier, which is about 50
miles in width, and which extends al
most the entire distance from Sunrise
City to Prince William sound. They
started on their Journey across frozen
hclds OF ice to the sound, carrying pro-
visions enough with them to last until
they took the steamer. They also car
ried the mail from Sunrise City. March
~ they were seen on the glacier by
Mr.. Glalhouse and by Swede named
Peterson. They were never seen alive
afterward.
Before Blackstone left this city he
asked friend, George Hall, to look out
for his wife and family should anything
happen him. When word reached this
city that the three men had left Circle
City and had not made connection with
the steamer at Portage bay, Hall went
to Alaska to Investigate. He easily
found traces of the men. and started out
on their trail in the center of PORTAGE
glacier. which is high mountain, and
from all the evidence in Halls possess
sion it would seem that his friends, in
stead Of crossing the glacier direct to
Portage bay, had lost their way, and
had asccnded that terrible mountain,
coming out on the wrong side of the
glacier. On the side on which they came
out the glacier ends abruptly and drops
into another arm of Prince William:
sound, by means of an almost perpen-
dicular cliff. At the bottom of this cliff:
there is, however, short line of beach,
about so yards in width. Mr. Hall found
| I, ~, r.
after reaching the top of this perpendic-
ular cliff, had crawled under ledge of
ice. From statements found in Black
stones diary it is evident that most Of
their provisions had been lost in cross
ing the mountain. However that may
be, both Botcher and Malingue perished
under this ledge of ice, as evidenced by
the following statement found on
Blackstone's body:
''Saturday, April 4, 1s97.-This is to
certify that Botcher froze to death
Tuesday night. j. w. Malinqne die,l
Wednesday forenoon, being frozen so
badly. C. a. B]ackstone~had his ears,
nose and four fingers on right hand and
two ON left hand frozen, an incl back.
The storm drove us on before it over
took us within an hour of the summit.
1t drove everything we had over the
cliff except blankets and moose hide,
which we all crawled under. Supposed
to have been 40 degrees below zero
Friday I started for Salt Water. 1
don't know how I got there without
outfit. Saturday afternoon I gathered
up everything. Have enough grub for
ten days, providing bad weather does
not set in. Sport was blown over the
cliff. I think can hear him howl once
in awhile"
The |oodies Of Malinque and Botchcr
were never found. It would appear
that Blackstone went over the cliff
with the intention Of finding the dog
From this diary, it seems that he
found his dog, and finally, in order to
prevent himcelf from starving to death,
he was forced to kill and eat it. But it
was Of TO avail; no relief came, and he
starved or froze to death. On May 27,
just two months after the three Left
Sunrise City, Mr.. Hall, in his errand of
love and mercy, found the body Of his
old friend at the bottom of the cliff,
together with the bones of his dog.
Mr.. Hall gave his body burial.
blackstone was 80 years old, was 4
native of Oregon, and had lived in
Portland, Centralia, Wash, and Seat
tie. While living here he conducted a
candy and fruit stand. Botcher was a
native of Montana, was 36 years of
age, and for many years followed min
ing. MaHnque was a native of Indiana,
was ss years Of age, was a graduate of
Hamilton college, Missouri, and was a
practical miner. For many years he
was a partner of Mr.. Hall, the hero of
this story.-Seattle Cor. St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
| Bumblebees.
Many years ago the farmers of Aus