The San Francisco call., 1897-11-06

| in 1881 and was burned in st. Lawrence
Bay. He lived among the natives for
eight months and was afterward sent
| north by Congress to distribute presents
among the Esquimaux for their kindness
to the officers and crew of the Rodgers.
| He is at present on special duty in tn is
city, having been detailed to establish a
naval rendezvous for the enlistment of
| sailors and marines for the service In
addition, he is under orders to organize
and head an expedition to Alaska in the
spring, to establish stations along the
Yukon and patrol the river with lig t.
draught sternwheel gunboat, which he
| will build after reaching st. Michael in
| the spring.
When seen last evening Lieutenant
Stoney outlined plan that he considers
he only feasible one by which the i'm
periled whalers can be reached.
"An expedition should be dispatched BY
the Government without an hours deay."
said he, with instructions TO proceed as
far north along the American coast as the
ice will permit, taking care to reach some
point where the relief ship can safely
winter. In my opinion either Golatin
Sound or Norton Bay, or even Port Clar-
ence, can be reached if the expedition
starts i'm Immediately.
''The whalers, if they succeed in reach
ing land. will naturally try to work their
way south, following the coast for it is
utterly impossible for anybody, white or
native, to make the journey through the
interior. 1t would be equally i'm possible
for relief expedition to pack sufficient
food the entire distance to the whaIers, so
1t would be necessary to send one. and
perhaps two, men on ahead as rapidly as
possible 10 inform them that assist
ance was on the way, and to
urge them to get as far south
as they could. The main expedition
would push on with dogs and reindeer, es-
tablishing relay stations at intervals along
the route.
I'm this way. il the whalers should sue.
ceed in saving what stores they had
aboard their ships. they might be assisted
back to the point where the relief ship was
stationed.
"There are many native villages scat
tered along the coast where the men can
obtain some assistance, but at the lowest
estimate they will have to travel 500 miles
over the snow and fear they will suffer
mOIc iIOIu lue COlu tuau tuey WILL nom
lack of food. 1t is necessary to have
the heaviest clothing to undertake a
journey in the northern latitudes, and az
as a rule whalers are poorly equipped in
that respect. Moreover, there is bound to
be an entire lack of discipline among
them, for once they get ashore every fore.
mast hand is as good as the captain.
"As 1 said before, it would be impossi-
BILE to carry sufficient food the entire dis.
tance for SO many men and the only thing
that can be done is to get courier to
them and urge them on till the main ex-
pc ition is met.
"The distance is so great that the
chances of rescuing them are decidedly
against success. but the attempt should
be made at once and l believe if the mat
ter is laid before either the Secre-
tary of the Navy or the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, an expedition
will be dispatched as soon as it can be
made ready. Unfortunately. the only
ship in the navy that would do for the
purpose, the Thetis, is at Mare Island.
and in need of extensive repairs, while
the last heard of the Bear, the only cutter
of the revenue fleet capable OF undertak-
ing such a voyage at this season, she was
at Minook Island, and therefore out of
the question.
ut seems to me that one OF the steam
whalers would be best suited for the pur-
pose, and 1 have no doubt the Govern
ment could obtain one of those that are
now in port"
Lieutenant Stoney evinced the greatest
interest in the fate of the poor fellows.
plo aid