Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-09-14
TWO OF CREW OF LOST wHALER
NAvARICH REACH SEATTLE.
TALE OF PERILoUs ADVENTURE.
TWENTY-NINE OF THE CREW ne
LIEvED TO HAVE PERIsHED.
Nnvarich Was Caught in the Ice
Northeast of Point Barrow and
Was Abandoned July 20-A
Desperate Fight for
Life.

Seattle, Wash, Sept. 1.-TWO of the
crew of the whaler Navarich, lost in the
Arctic, together with thirty-1ve of her
crew, came down on the steamer HUM
boldt, which arrived from st. Michaefs to-
day. They are Captain Joseph Whitesides,
the commander of the vessel. and ms wi1e.
The Nevarich left San Francisco March
2 last. and entered the Arctic ocean In
July. She soon got caught in the ice at a
point 12O miles northeast of Point Barrow.
At first the captain thought the ship could
be extricated from its position, but on July
90 they realized that there was no hope OF
such an event. They hoisted signals of dis
tress, trusting that the revenue cutter. Bear
or some of the other whalers of the fleet
would see them and come to their assist
ance. But the fog came and obscured them
for days. They drifted rapidly northward
with the icebergs. Finally they decided to
leave the ship. On August IA the whole
crew took the small boats and started
across the ice. After dragging them for
five miles. they came to open water and
embarked. The current caught them at
once, and before they had gone ten miles
they were in another ice pack. They then
discovered that they had only five days
provisions, and they abandoned the boats
and started across the ice on foot.
They all got back safely and then COM
menced preparations for second attempt
TO save themselves. All but eighteen men
decided to push across the ice fields on
foot.
The weather was not bitterly cold but
it was foggy and disagreeaoIe, and neces-
STATED more clothing than was conducive
to rapid travel. For this reason a limited
amount of food was carried, for they
thought they would surely reach the Bear
or one of the whalers within two or three
days. The eighteen left in the boat
thought they were better off there than
on the ice. and were left to their fate.
Away across the treacherous ice went
the thirty-seven men and the gritty woman
But one day out, the captain and his wife
and seven of the others changed their
minds about the likelihood of saving them
selves by the method they had undertaken
They would come to open water now and
then. which impeded their escape. while
eften they would find it necessary to go
far around the massive icebergs rearing
their precpitous sides directly in their
path. Nine of the party went back to the
ship. leaving twenty-nine on the ice. Moth
ing has been heard or seen of the twenty
nine men since that day. August u.
The party got back to the ship safely
and on August IA made another start. with
eight in the party, CaptainW Whitesides, his
wife, First Mate Blaine. Fourth Mate
Read and Seamen Scott, Lechow, Mclean
and Peters. They took a small canvas
boat into which they put weeks pro-
visions. 1t was heavy load for the little
craft. but this was me last hope they had
and they had to take desperate chances.
Only the fact that the sea was compara-
lively quiet accounts for the miraculous
escape. for any rough weather would have
instantly swamped them. They got into
clear water In q few hours, padding
through the fog and darkness. avoiding as
best they could the drifting ice. They
pushed on for hours. Finally, they could
go no further and they got out and walked
over the ice. For sixty hours they kept
on, first walking and now and then taking
to the small boat. At last land was sight
ed. The land proved to be Cooper island,
a barren, desolate island, from which posi-
tion they were rescued the following day
by the Bear.
Captain Whitesides things the twenty