The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-01-30
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND OAR.
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
Periis Encountered-by Five Whaiers
Close Quarters With a Panther
IIcroism In Mines.


'HE five wha'ers who deserted
their ships in winter quarters
at Herschel Island succeeded
in reaching the gold mines OF
The Yukon. They staggered into Cir
Gle City after having tramped for
nearly month over the mountains
and trackless snowy wastes of the
Arctic. Physically they were more
dead than alive; in appearance more
like beasts than men. During their
long tramp toward Circle City they
made hard fight for existence.
After their companion Thomas had
been shot and Fitzgerald wounded,
and the other seven of the fourteen
who deserted had been captured and
taken back to their vessels, the five
who reached the Yukon pushed on for
the gold fields with only their rifles to
depend on to supply them with food.
The five were Anderson, Rae, Schultz,
Jorgensen and Watson. The story OF
their hardships in crossing the un-
known northern part of the Alaskan
territory was brought down from the
north by tho miners who returned
| from the Yukon on the Bertha.
T When they escaped from their pur-
suers they were undecided about ven
turing into the barren country thai
lay between them and the gold fields.
For day or two they remained il
camp celebrating on plan of action.
While thus engaged a deer stumbled
almost on top OF them. Two or three
rifles cracked and the animal fell. 1t
meant fair supply of meat to begir
the journey with and it decided The
question. AS soon as the carcass had
been cut up and each man had should
cred as much of the meat as he coult
carry the deserters started for tn
Yukon.
II was almost in the middle of al
Arctic winter and the men had nearl,
500 miles to travel to reach their goa
if they went in q direct line. Owe
mountain ridges and glaciers the.
tramped and made fairly good prog
ress for week. Then they were caugL
in blizzard that preventedany travel
|, ing for week. The cold was lntens
J and the men burrowed IN the snow t
keep warm. They were unable to COO
any of their frozen deer meat an
| hunger compelled them to eat it raw
| By the time the blizzard had subside
, their stock of provisions was almo;
, | exhausted and two-thirds of the joul
{ ney yet before them.
!, On they plunged through the snow
: their fingers and toes frostSitten, an
| starvation before them. Two do,
8 passed without any of them tastin
9 TODD. Worn out and helpless the
laid down in tie shelter of an icecra
praying for the end.
+ Anderson was half dreaming, b
Z numbed with the cold, when he saw
o pair of eyes glisten through the gloo
o not over twenty feet from him. Ca
4 tiously he raised his rifle and when
y cracked large wolf fell in deaf
q Eagerly the men skinned the amin
q and soon Its steaks were broiling OF
!, a moss fire. That wolf lasted fol
q days, when another was killed. ~
"a meat of the second had been eaten f
a two days when from the crest of
n steep ridge the men saw blue curl
# smoke rising from the bottom Of
"a valley beyond. The smoke was fro
, Peter Hanneit's cabin on branch
!, the Yukon near Circle City. The
I. the sailors were given welcome.
~ soon as the summer opened three
- them started down the river for
% Michaels. The other two remained
% dig the gold. San Francisco T
~ aminer.