The times., 1898-09-28
BACK From ICY REGIONS
Lieuts. Jarvis and BarthOlf
in Washington.
THEIR WORK OF RESCUE
With Native Guides They Volunteer
ed to Garry Relief Overland to the
Barrow, Alaska - Details of the
Daring Expedition on Sledges.

Lieut.. D. II. Jarvis and z. P. Bartholf,
of the revenue cutter service, reached
Washington yesterday from Seattle,
Wash. and reported to Capt. Charles F.
Shoemaker. chief of the revenue cutter
service.
The return of these young officers marks
the successful completion of one of the
most daring relief expeditions undertaken
since Admiral Schley's party rescued the
members of Greely's polar expedition.
Last November the news was flashed
across the continent that eight whaling
vessels. with crews aggregating three
hundred men and women, had been
wrecked in the ice-locked regions just
north of Point Barrow. Alaska. The suf-
ferers were reported TO be without food
enough TO last them through the Winter,
and the American Government was urged
10 undertake their rescue.
The matter was discussed in Cabinet
meeting and Capt. Shoemaker was di
rected to take steps to rescue the whalers.
The revenue cutter Bear had just returned
from a long cruise in Arctic waters, and
orders were sent to Capt. Francis Tuttle
to prepare and provision her for the un-
dertaking.
The trim little cutter was fitted out in
seventeen days and sailed from Seattle on
November q under command of Capt.
Tuttle. She entered Behring Sea early, but
the ice became so thick that a landing
was impossible and it was thought best
to return and await another opportunity.
Accordingly Capt. Tuttle left Norton
Sound, the farthest northern point
reached by the Bear. and headed back for
Cape Vancouver, anchoring there on the
18th of December. Lieut.. Jarvis, who is
one of the most experienced men in the
Arctic regions, volunteered 10 make an
overland trip and rescue the sailors with
reindeer and sledges.
At Cape Vancouver, Lieut.. Jarvis land
ed his party near the small Esquimau
village of Tunalak With him We're Lieut.
Bertholf. Dr. S. ]. Call, and an Alaskan
guide named Koltchof. After saying fare
we'll to the men on the Bear the little
band pushed ahead. Progress was slow
and finally Lieut.. Jarvis and DIR. Call
left their two companions and hurried on
alone.
MY idea said the lieutenant last
night, was TO gather up herds of rein
deer on the way north, and drive them to
Point Barrow for food. The trip occupied
1O2 days, and the distance We covered
was more than 1,400 miles We reached
our destination, however, and carried
food and hope to the 800 whalers. In the
party to which we carried relief were
delicate women, wives of the whalers.
1--WE went with dog sleds across ice
and snow and at many places had to
climb steep hills in our journey along the
Alaskan coast After we left ST Mich
aels we made very slow progress, and
when we reached Norton Bay our real
difficulties began. The wind was souther-
ly and the fall of snow so heavy that it
was jammed against the shores like
miniature mountains 1t became worse
on our way across the bay and four ma
tives were required to break a trail with
snowshoes for our dogs and sledges."
During the entire trip the lieutenant
and his companion seldom left their
sledge. They had no snowshoes, and
without them could not walk. Once they