Evening star., 1898-11-05
SUCCOR FOR THE WHAlERS
Lieut.. Jarvis Tells the Story of Point Bar
row Relief Expedition.
Lecture Before National Geographic
Society-CoElp1imen to Revenue
Cutter Service.


the members of the National Geographic
Society and their friends at the Columbian
University Hall last night. He delivered q
lecture on the Point Barrow relief expedi-
ton, and carried his audience, which was
of large proportions, along that hazardous
trip by means of stereoptcon. 1t was a
detailed account of the government expe-
ditiOn to succor the imprisoned whaiers in
Bering sea, who were caught by the ice
and believed to be starving during the Will
ter of 1897 and 1898.
In the absence of the president and vice
president of the society, Mr.. Henry F.
Blount presided. He referred to the daring
exploits of the lecturer, and praised the
department which made these undertakings
possible.
The Secretary of the Treasury was pres
ent, and gracefully acknowledged the COM
pliment to the department over whtcn he
presided. He said the ofe-repeated quota
tioT, Peace hath her victories no less re-
nowned than war might well be changed
to read: The victories of peace in the
name of humanity and the saving of life
are more renowned than those of war
The revenue cutter service, the Secretary
said, was an important arm of the Treas
ury Department. 1t is composed of many
ships out on the seas hunting smGgg}ers
and often saving distressed mariners. Give
the name of that service high place in
your memories, he said. Referring 10 Lieu
tenant Jarvis. he characterized him as a
devoted heroic officer, and commended him
to the audience.
Trip in Cutter Bear.
Lieutenant Jarvis had a rather slow de-
livery and spoke extemporaneously. His
tip in the cutter Bear from San Fran
cisco to Point Barrow was ably Illustrated
by aid of the stereopticon, and the audi
ence wGS much entertained. A map Of the
territory first exhibited, and the speak
er explained how in the summer of 1891
the northern ice pack thirty or forty miles
from Point Barrow came down month
carrier than was expected, and how it Lad
caught eight whaling vessels There
thirteen vessels fishing at the time, but
five escaped. When these returned {, Cali
fornia and brought the news, the peol.e
interested grew excited and the sub ect
attracted such widespread attention tnat
it formed the subject of disc Issicl by
the cabinet. The cutter Bear had JUS, re-
turned, November Is, from its -et.ty TIP
in the north when it received The orGers
of the Secretary of the Treasury I, return
and rescue, II possible, the iceDoI.ii whif-
ers 1Ais order was received November 20.
On November = the steamer vas stuche d,
provisiOned and ready to sail. The tr,p
from Sea ile tC Cnalaska Was un,y entful.
save that 1t was the nrst winter trip that
had ever beeL attempted. When the Rear
reached the stats the ice was .Iund so
thick IL impossible to prOcn- l. SO
the boat was headed for Cape Vancouver
and arrived Lee ember H. Tnen began the
land exue- -.itIon, with Point Ba ro~ Leo
miles away, as the goal. 1T was impOssI-
BILE to cary enough provisions to last the
trip and vas decided to live on the coun-
try. What tEey would Kill al how they
would fare was wild conjecture. The couE-
try was conn eratively unknow1, and tie
weather frgE tiTlly cold Orl?.s from
Washington directed that the two hcrds
of reindeer Ill lie He-ghborhood be driven
to Point Barrow for the whalers. There
were 40 ieer in the two herds, ana off
they started From 1t Russian, Li"u,enan
Jarvis SAID, he obtained four dog teams.
But Few Villages.
The country was wild, with here and
there a village. One of the disagreeable
features of the trip was the cold northeast
wind which blew its cutting force into the
faces of the explorers. Oftentimes the
trail led through the woods, but, while
more agreeable, in that there was no wind,
the snow was loosely packed and travelling
was more difficult.
After describing in detail the character of
the country through which he passed, and
showing views of some of the most striking
scenes, he said the little expedition was
rewarded, March %, by finding the first of
the imprisoned vessels. 1t was the whaler
Bclvidere and was the nearest one of the
vessels to Point Barrow Here it was
ItdTntl thdl the SNlpS Aukd ana jessie
Freeman had been crushed by the ice. and
the crews were safe on board the Bevi-
dere- The latter was saved by steaming
close in shore. Later he found the Rosario,
Newport, Fearless and Jeanne The crews
Were mostly i'll of scurvy, and he imue-
diately set about to put them in shape.
Tasks were set for the men, to give
them exercise. Insanitary conditions We're
changed and good. fresh meat (many of
the deer were killed. soon put them in con-
ditiCn.
There were 100 men on the Belvidere -
on the Rosario. 50 on the Newport and
Fearless and - on the Jeanne. All the
crews remained by their ships save those
from the wrecked Auka and Jessie Free
man. They were sent to Point Barrow. 1t
was a sixty-mile tramp, and it was thought
the men might endeavor to find the gold
neids and be lost; but nothing of the sort
happened, and the men all arrived a Point
Barrow.
The lecturer here took up the treatment
accorded these men at Point Barrow and
incidentally referred to their daily work
one little band went off into the interior
and killed $4,000 pounds of meat, which
was sent into camp.
Supposed to he Lost.
Lieutenant Jarvis spoke of the finding of
the bark Wanda, which was supposed to