The San Francisco call., 1898-04-12
Terrible Experience of the Schooner Arago's
 Crew.
For Weeks They Were in an Arctic Hurricane That
 Brought Death.
Considerable Anxiety Felt Over the NOn-A Arrival of the Alexander
 at kadiak.

The codfishng schooner Arago, which left here last October for Sand Point, had very hard time up north. For weeks at a time it was impossible to lower a dory, and during a heavy gale three of the crew were drowned. When a chance did come to work the vessel the running gear was found to be frozen and the windlass was set into solid mass so it was impossible to hoist the anchor until the ice was thawed away with hot water. From February to February 22 the schooner was one mass of iclcleS, and Captain Stensland says that when the suns rays struck her she was the most beautiful sight he ever saw. Long icy pendants hung from the bowsprit, the rigging, booms, and formed in a series of network on the vessels sides. It took the crew all their time to keep warm, and several of the boys were frost-bitten dur ing the cold spell.
 Tt is not true that my sailors were drunk when their dory capsized," said Captain Stensland yesterday, when talk ing about the drowning of the three men. "The weather up there had been very bad, and Captain Carlson of the schooner Mary and Ida, after trying in vain for six weeks to get to the westward, gave up the unequal fight and put into Eagle Harbor. When l put in there in the l while Carlson had gone into the inner harbor, about five miles away. I was very anxious to get news from San Fran cisco, and as Peter Jensen, O. Stevens and J. Jones were more than anxious to go to the Mary and Ida, I at last gave my consent for them to make the visit. They started at 8 a. m., and as the wind was blowing hard in the direction of the Mary and Ida they made the trip in two hours. -1.- see when they left on the return trip, but l kept lights burning until after mid night, and had men on the lookout all night.
 Next morning Captain Carlson of the Mary and Ida paid me visit, and 1 then learned that my men had started for their ship at 2:30 p. m. the day before. I sent the mate and two men out in one dory and l took two men and went in another and soon after we had begun our search we found the overturned dory, but could get no trace of the men. We kept the search up for five days, but never saw a sign of the three fishermen again.
 Now there was party on the Mary and Ida, but there was nobody drunk, as there was nothing to get drunk on. Who ever brought that story down simply told what was not true, as there was not an ounce of spirituous liquors on either schooner.
 After getting away from Eagle Harbor we made Sand Point, and there we lay until March 22, thinking every day we would be driven ashore, in spite of our two anchors. It blew gale the whole time from the southeast, and we could not see the ships length for the driving snow and sleet. When the weather did moderate little we finally got away for San Francisco. The fates were still against us, however, as during the run here we encountered nothing but north erly winds and snow squalls. Up in AL aska waters the weather. was the worst I have ever encountered, and it was simply an impossibilfty for Captain Carl son to make connections with the schooner Winchester"
 All the vessels have been having a hard time of it in the northern waters From Unalaska to Unga Island is only about 240 miles, and yet it took the steamer Bertha six days to cover that distance There were days at a time when she could barely hold her own. and again when the storm was at its height she was driven back. Consequently, ship owners who have vessels in Alaskan waters are anxious about them. The schooner Kadiak, which arrived from Kadiak Island yesterday, reports the non arrival of the schooner Alexander, which left here February 5 last. The run up is 1 frequently made under a fortnight. and