The record-union., 1899-08-25
Lieutenant Jarvis, Commander Of
the Revenue Cutter Bear,
Found an Awful State Of DeStItution When
He Visited There Last Summer.
Obtained a List of Forty-Eight
Deaths From Starvation, Scurvy
or Drowning, and This List Was
by N Means Complete.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24-Captain
| Shoemaker of the revenue cutter SER
| vice to-day received a report from
| Lieutenant d. II. Jarvis, the COM
mander of the revenue cutter Bear.
containing an account of the rescue of
the gold seekers who rushed into the
Kotzebue gold country. Alaska, in the
summer of 1898.
Lieutenant Jarvis was taking the
Bear north to Cape Barrow on her reg
ular trip At Cape Prince of Wales
he learned of the awful destitution
which had overtaken the gold seekers
at Kotzebue Sound. On arrival there
he found terrible condition of affairs.
Men had died of starvation, scurvy
and by drowning, and he obtained list
of forty-eight deaths. But the list is
| by no means complete. This list has
been published in the Associated Press
dispatches.
Over 1000 of the gold seekers had
wintered there. The Bear after re-
lieving as much of the distress as pos
sible, and leaving stores, lime juice,
etc, for the survivors. took eighty-two
of the survivors to st. Michael, where
they were turned over to the military
authorities
| Lieutenant Jarvis report is dated
| July Both at st. Michael. He reported
that he left between 225 and go sur
vivors at Kotzebue Sound. He inform
ed the department that he would pro-
ceed to Cape Barrow and upon his re-
turn would touch at Kotzebue Sound
and pick up any who desired to return
with him.
| Lieutenant Jarvis says: "The two
| brothers Pickering of Princeton, Ky.
were killed by native named Koka-
muk. on the Selawick River. These
men are given a bad character by the
other people, and are said to have
! themselves killed one Mardis of Santa
Rosa, Cal, for his money. Kokamuk
could not be found. but from native re-
ports, the killing was done in self de-
fense, as the Pickerings were shooting
at him at the time for some trivial Of
fense. 1 will investigate the affair fur
ther upon my return.
The schooner General Mcpherson
was met off Cape Espenberg, on the
I'D inst, and Second Lieutenant Ba-
longer and Seaman Rossig were placed
on board to take her to ST Michael,
Island ON the 26th and towed to Nome.
| but she was fallen in with off Sledge
Norton Sound and there turned over
| to Special Deputy United States Mar
shall Swift. The master, James Neil
| son, was arrested by Deputy Marshal
| Swift on a warrant for piracy, and was
| brought on board, together with his
| family, for transportation to this port
THE bark Alaska of San Francisco
was expected to arrive. and the steamer
| Townsend passed in as the Bear left
| The charterer of the Townsend, c. d.
Lane, assured me that he would take
out all who wished to go. Many, If
not all, will be able to leave by these
vessels, but upon my return from the
Arctic L will clean the beach of all who
remain.
1.-The rush of people. to Kotzebue
Sound was a sad. deplorable affair.
| Misled by false information and adj
vertisements, 1,200 people many to-
| tally untitled to stand the hard con-
dtions and climate. rushed to the coun-
| try during the open season of 1898.
During the winter no gold whatever
was found. and in the spring they
sought every means of escaping from
the region. Many were drowned in the
| swift currents of the rivers in the fall
of 1898: others lost their lives during
! the winter from the cold and, worst of
| all, in the spring scurVy broke out in
nearly all the camps"
Lieutenant Jarvis. who accomplished
the rescue of the gold seekers at KotZe-
| bue Sound is the revenue marine Off
Ger who distinguished himself in the
winter of 1S97-9S by leading a relief
expedition from Tunnuak, 200 miles be-
| low st. Michael. to Point Barrow. over
| 500 miles of snow and ice In the dead
of winter he pushed an expedition for
the relief of the ice imprisoned whalers
at Point Barrow. He arrived there
with nearly 500 reindeer after four
months of almost indescribable hard
ships. 1t was the only Arctic relief ex-
! pedition ever attempted in mid winter.
For his heroism on that occasion the
President recommended that Congress
give him vote of thanks and award
him gold medal.