Washington sentinel., 1899-04-15
TT, IL SENTINEL
Held Prisoners by RussIa

as slaves to 90 the Dldding oI heaTl-
less masters, has created hope that
this may solve the my sterY OF the
schooner L +. Webster's disap-
pearance in 1896. The Webster
was a sealing vessel, fitted out in
San Francisco for a cruise in Ber-
ing Sea. She had been unfortu-
nate from the outset OF her voyage
losing two sailors Just outside
the Golden Gate, on the Ist oil
February, encountering gale after
gale during the weeks that fol-
lowed, and reached Kadlak Island
with but three otter skins as the
only reward for the efforts OF a crew
OF over twenty men. With her
companion hunter the schooner
Herman, she left Lazy HaTbor on
April "a, during a blow, and was
never seen again. The Herman
rode out the storm, which was not
particularly severe, but no trace
was ever found OF the Webster;
no sign ofwreckage; oword from
her officers or men. She was given
up tor lost, and all but a few
abandoned hope that the Webster,
or the sailors and hunters aboard
u her. would ever again appear.
But there was one man whose
hope had never died-the aged
G-.f.~r vi I1unter ira whitney, the
best marksman of the feet. Whit
ney senior has firmly believed
from the first that the Webster had
outlived the gale Of April "a. 800,
and had sailed into the Northern
Bering.or along the Russian coast,
the men hoping to retrieve their
fortunes in the haunts oil the seal
and otter less frequented by adven-
turous hunters Of seasons past.
Driven to boldness by al luck,
they may have approached within
the Russian limit, giving up their
vessel and their liberty in payment
tor their folly.
"Nou won't hear from me until
l get back to San Francisco with
a good catch for I am going where
no@other vessel goes" were the
words of the Webster's Captain,
Johnson, as he was about to sail
Those words were prophetic OF a
long absence, but they constitute
lust one incident Of several that
have been the basis Of d. L. Whit
ney's belief that his son and others
Of the missing vessel were safe and
would return.
After the Webster's misfortune
outside San Francisco harbor
Capt. Johnson ran into brakes
Bay on February 9, and leaving
his schooner there, went back to
the city TO ship two men for the
places OF the drowned sailors.
Afraid that he would lose time if
he stopped to report his accident
to the coroner, he said nothing,
and it was several days before the
news became known. He was liable
to undergo an awkward inquiry,
and possibly punishment, upon his
return. and an absence OF two or
three years might be to his adyan-
tage.
The assertion Of sailor Morris
that Barney Fox, a seal hunter,
told him at Yokohama that a large
party oi Americans were prisoners
on Kamchatka peninsula is the
first information, direct or indirect,
as 70 the possible whereabouts Of
the Webster's crew. Barney Fox,
is well known at Santa Barbara,
the home Of the Whitneys
Fox had been with Ira Whitney
on former voyage in the Louisa
ID Capt. Burtis, and his statement,
if correctly reported, may be &C
cepted as reliable beyond a doubt.
Friends and relatives OF missing
seal hunters all over the coast are
opening an energetic campaign to
secure an official investigation OF
the reports. None are more active
than the elder Whitney, with
whom so much-the life OF an only
sons at stake. Whitney is al
ready forwarding documents and
petitions to Washington, asking
the authorities to take the steps
necessary to procure evidence Of
the truth or falsity the statement;
and, If true, TO liberate the men.
lie IS now siXty-five years old, but
sprightly Tor his age. and. like his
son, IS a noted marksman
1t is related OF his son that on
his FIRST voyage his agreement was
that he should receive S2.5o per
skin, unless he killed more than
the crack hunter Of the schooner,
George Ball in which case he
would be paid S.. At the end OF
the cruise he had over 100 more
skins than Ball, and his reputation
was established.
The last letter from Ira Whitney
to his father was from Lazy harbor,
Kadiak island, dated April 9, 1896. |
He says that the Webster left
brakes Bay February r.. and |
made land February zg- with
continual gale until harbor was
reached They had only three
coverings, getting one skin each
time. Hehad been over the island
some, and gave as his opinion that
this is a fine country for pros.
pecting, from v hat l hear from the
natives ~ Both himself and his
Santa Barbara companion on the
Antoine Cavalleri, had
gone prepared Tor prospe citing in
case the Webster should winter in
Northern waters. II it should be
found that they are not with the
captiYes on Kamchatka, there will
still be lingering hope that they
may have been among the first to
hear OF the gold discoveries within