The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-02

enormous crack, WITH the 10y "eSI
raging through it. Beneath his feet
the ice was cracking and heaving. He
turned to make a crossing turther 10
his left, but was violently thrown down
by the trembling Ice.
When he jumped to his feet he saw
that he was alone on a cake or Ice not
more than ten feet square. Water was
all around him and the wind was rising
to a hurricane. Out toward the sea he
could see huge ice blocks tossing about
and grinding in a swell that was grow
ing wilder and wilder.
It was an awful situation, and the
captain confesses, in his diary that he
wished himself safely out of 1t and back
in the rude shelter at st. Michael.
There was nothing the captain could
do to help himself, although he knew
that If he drifted out TO sea it meant
instant death. At the same time he
knew that to jump from the ice cake
and attempt to swim to the main body
of ice that was only few feet distant
would only hasten the end. He could
only wait and hope.
Meanwhile the other members Of the
party who had reached the land at once
formed plans for rescuing the captain.
They ran ahead of the ice pack until
near enough to throw him rope. All
the men who engaged in the rescue
were tied together by a rope that was
fastened to a tree on shore.
After a number of futile efforts Cap
tain Coffee managed to catch a rope
that was thrown to him. This he made
fast to a corner of his ice cake and was
pulled to a place of comparative safety.
BY this time the whole pack was break
ing up and 1t was only by the barest
chance that the party safely reached
shore.
An hour afterward it was pitch dark
and only five miles had been covered
since the start IL the morning. Camp
was made for the night but there was
little comfort. The cold was intense and
the fine snow was blown through the
cracks in the tents and into the beds
of the sleeping men. The snow melted
Oh the beds and in an hour or so all
the men were Wrtnging wet and SILVER
ing.
By o'clock next morning, another
start was made. 1t was pitch dark ex-
Cept for the faint light Of the aurora
borealiS. Good time was made for
some distance and then Captain Coffee
stepped on thin sheet of ice on a
river over which the trail lay and sank
into the Icy water. Fortunately the
others were not far behind him at this
time and soon caught up and pulled
HIM out. This accident, however, ne
cessitated a stop and the building of a
big fire to prevent the captain from
freezing to death.
The next day the party was caught in
blizzard and after an hours aimless
travelling were compelled to halt. For
hours the band huddled together in the
vain effort to keep warm. When the
storm died down a little a fire was built
and attempts were made to resuscitate
two of the party who had succumbed
to the cold. One man was restored to
consciousness, but the other was buried
in an unmarked grave
Next day it was noticed that John
son, the man who had been resuscitated
on the previous day, was tagging be
hind. Soon the others were half a
mile ahead. and when somebody looked
back Johnson was seen half buried in
the snow.
His comrades FASTENED back and
found that both of Johnson's feet were
frozen. He was dragged over the
snow for the whole half-mile, when he
was put on to a sled and so carried the
rest Of the way.
1t took ten days from the time the
party left st. Michael to reach I'm
alaska, an average of about six miles a
day.
For few days the party rested and
sons frozen leg. All the men were
made comfortable in the Indian huts
and after the hardships he had been
through Captain Coffee said the rude
habitation was a veritable palace.
When the much talked of gold pros
pect was reached it proved to be only
a small ledge Of very refractory ore
and the most doubtful value Nuggets,
even of the smallest size, were not to
be found.
Eight days we're consumed in re-
turning TO st. Michael The party was
reduced to two, Johnson being left with
the Indians at Unalaska until the
stumps of his amputated legs should
heal. All the other men were COM
pletely worn out and suffering from in
jurieS or frOstbiteS.
But as soon as they recovered they
all promptly and anxiOusly started out
on another prospecting trip, lost an
other man. who froze to death, and
came back half-froZen, spiritless and
without any gold.