The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-19
.PR|VAT|ONS OF
A WOMAN FROM
COPPER RIVER
Torn From Husband
by the Rapids.
ADRIFT IN THE MAD WATERS
FINALLY RESCUED MORE DEAD
THAN ALIVE.
Her Clothing Gone, She Is Picked Up
by the Dora and Brought to
Juneau in Male
Attire.
ADRIFT IN THE MAD WATERS
FINALLY RESCUED MORE DEAD
THAN ALIVE.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.
Special pispateh to The can.

JUNEAU, Alaska, Nov. 10 (by steam
ship Cottage City).-In the cooks gal
ley of the Alaska Commercial Com
pany's steamer Dora, which arrived
here to-day, was a woman in male at
tire. She was busy washing dishes. She
had on a pair of dilapidated shoes,
which some one had thrown TO the four
winds of Copper River, and through
which peeped several pink toes; ragged
trousers, no suspenders, an old under
shirt and red handkerchief for head
covering But it was evident the
woman had the sympathy and respect
Of the passengers and crew. Her ap-
pearance was magnet. to people on
the dock, who swarmed amidship to
see her. Perceiving herself the object
of so much doubtful curiosity the poor
woman hid herself in humiliation. Her
story is far tougher than she looked.
John Henderson and wife, not much
more than a year out of Finland-even
to which uttermost part of the earth
had spread news of the riches of the
Klondike-sailed for New York, thence
travelled to Alaska, and found them
selves last May facing the Valdez gla-
cier, that icy gateway to the Copper
River Valley. They sold everything
they owned in Finland and invested the
money in transportation and a fine
outfit sufficient for two years prospect
ing.
They didn't find any gold in the Cop
per River country, and about a month
ago decided to come out. John Hen
derson and wife and another man,
without experience in navigation suf-
ficient to steer a prairie schooner over
a smooth surface, attempted to go
through the fearful rapids of the Cop
per River Canyon in a small boat
where the water rears and plunges as
it does over the seal rocks at the Cliff
House on a stormy day.
Mrs. Henderson was kindly permit
ted by the two men to remain in the
boat while they went above on the edge
of the canyon with small rope to let
the boat down through the rapids as
they walked along. The line parted at
knot Then away as swift
as an arrow shot the boat and the good
wife Her farewell was a look of hor-
ror and a scream.
Who has not seen a kite, which has
dropped it's tail, whirl in circles and
swoop hither and thither in the SKYE.
In that same way rode the boat and
Mrs. Henderson through that water.
half dead and bent around a boulder
by the current. Her boots were gone,
her clothing almost torn from her body,
and she was bleeding.
Their boat and all their effects lost,
they stood at the rim of the raging tor
rent and tried to count the days be-
tween them and death by starvation.
But the weather was kind to them If
the water was not, and in three days
they were able TO make their way to an
Indian camp on the lower river. The
two men divided their clothing with
Mrs. Henderson one gave ner ms
shirt and trousers; the other his coat
and shoes They travelled with the In
dams and finally made their way to
point near Kanik, on Cooks Inlet,
where the Dora picked them up.
This is the last trip of the Dora for
the season, and she stopped at nearly
every place where smoke was seen on
the shore in order to pick up stragglers
and save them from a terrible winter.
Captain Johannson did what he could
to assist the Hendersons. The husband
was set to work as a deckhand and his
wife was permitted to make hersef
useful in the galley.
The unfortunate condition of Mrs.
Henderson became known to number
of ladies of Juneau through the me-
dunn of Martha White, a passenger
from Cooks Inlet. The latter said she
had been running nOl6l DIT SuIlTlSe
CITY, and after week in Seattle would
go to her home in Elmhurst, Alameda
County, to spend the winter. She ex-
hibited a bottle of fine gold which she
said was taken from several claims she
has acquired in the Resurrection River
district.
Mrs. Major Orion and Mrs. c. L.
Parish interested themselves in Mrs.
Henderson's behalf. In the few hours
before the Dora sailed to Seattle and
probably thence to San Francisco for
the winter they had secured for Mrs.
Henderson from generous merchants a
complete outfit of clothing, from shoes
to Jacket and hat, and raised by gen.
eral subscription and presented to her
the sum of $38.
These most unfortunate of Copper
River gold seekers are going to San
Francisco, where they have been told
there is Finnish Consul. whom they
will ask to help them get work. In her
complete costume Mrs. Henderson
looked a tall and attractive woman.
The Dora brought down the last of
the Copper Riverites. She is the last
ship from the westward, and there will
be no more communication with that
vast section of Alaska till next spring.
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