Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-07
DEATH IN THE SNOW
THE STORY or HOW A POCAHONrAs
I MAN DIED IN THE kLONDIkE.
KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS IN 4 GALE.
lie IL Thought to Have Died Before
Rccovering-Hc Leaves "a Wife and
Four Little Children In POcn-
IiOntas.


I Below Is printed the first account OF
the death. In the Klondike of Mr. w. W.
French. Of Pocahontas
| Mr.. French was prominent lawyer
and a son OF Colonel French. for many
| years Treasurer Of Giles county. He was
a brother OF Mr. Robert French. who
came near being elected by the last Gene
| raj Assembly TO the tudgeship Of the
| Wytheville Circuit. sIr. French leaves
wife and four small children.
| The letter Is from Mr.. j. NJ. Hoagland'
who left Pocahontas with Mr.. French
last spring to seek fortune in the Klon-
! dixie The letter folows:l
| port Valdes. March "a. 1899
| my Dear Mr. - have terrible ca
! lamity 10 write to you about. MI. W.
w. French accidentally met his death IN
attempting to cross the Naldes Glacier
March Sth. Kindly tell Mr.. Baach al
once. so he can break the sad news 10
Mrs. French. | enclose a letter To her,
which please give 10 Mr. Bach eNpitSs-
ing my profound grief at the sad AFFAIR
and my deepest sympathy for her and
| children.
"In order that everything may be clear
| IN ,ou all flor | want YOU to show this
letter TO his people,, | will try and give
you "A detailed and accurate account oi
the sad affair. When We crossed the
glacier TO the interior last fall we TOOK
but very little of our outfit with us ana
bought UP another in there. as so many
people were selling off and leaving the
country. Goods sold very low there. and
we laid i'm a good supply, expecting 10
| sell this spring TO the newcomers al Il
| good profit. and saving them the labor
and expense Of hauling their goods over
the glacier when spring commenced 10
be near We decided that we would nave
some Of our outfit from the klu'ind
! Lake. which is about seventy miles from
here. i'm northeast direction. over 10
| the Tiekel river country. about seventy
or eighty miles from the foot of the lake
i'm "A southeast direction. After talking
our plans over we concluded that one OF
us should come to Naldes 10 dispose OF
our outfits. while the other was 10 go
ahead i'm company with a friend naineu
Otto Messy. to take the outfit into the
| Tiekel. we both agreed that 1t would be
best that / should go on with the .outnt
and French should come and attend 10
| the business here, and then come INTO
the Tiekel "light"-that is. without any
| load We decided on time 10 start for
| the Tiekel and French was 10 help us on
our start for about half Of the distance
and was then TO take our dog return 10
the foot of the lake, rest up well, ana
then start over here Eight" taking the
dog with him so as TO make 1t quick,
safe. and comparatively easy trip.
at the time we had set TO start 'he
weather became intensely cold. register
ing between 30 degrees and 30 degrees DE-
low zero every night for quite long
time and we decided To wait till 1t
moderated as II was toe sever TO piich
tent every day or so and sleep with no
lire. except from q little sheet-iron COOK
stove. heated ty wood. which woula not
last more than half an hour at a time
The weather was beautiful. except the
cold-being clear. bright. and crisp. ana
no wind at ALL Several parties had cross
ed the glacier and reported the trall III
excellent condition. and the weather just
fit and suitable for rapid travelling. 30
we concluded that as French would not
have TO take any camp or camping out
fit he ought TO take advantage OF inc
favorable conditions, and the company
he was bound 10 fall i'm with on the tran'
and come over here without whHnS 10
help us with our stuff towards Inc 1leKel'
We all thought this wisest ana best anu,
accordingly. he took the dog ana Sleu
and started. with no load at all. except
|
paulin. which did not begin To De loau
for the dog. weighing. at the most, not
ove- fifty to seventy pounds. All french
had ia do was to keep up with the doS'
and as he was an excellent Traveller, none
OF us anticipated that he would nave any
trouble whatever. and would simply De
little tired when he arrived at Naldes. 80
on the 9th iAlonday) he left the cablh al
tie hest Of spirits and health and conil-
nd Tor
the Tiekol on Wednesday.
I'VE thought the cold snap over al
though IL was still cod the morning he
left. As the day was beautiful, though
crisp. he made good time up the klutina
Lake and stayed all night at Barrett :
| restaurant at the head OF the lake. DIS
lance Of about twenty miles. The next
day he pushed on 10 the foot of the GA
cier. and stayed all night at Thompson,
Kendall x Soules restaurant. The next
morning there were several parties going
over. and the day being fine, though stu
crisp he too. struck out. and having the
dog and "A light load. ana seeing that ne
could make better time than any OF them.
he started on ahead about th,rty minutes
before the other parties, who stayed at
the same restaurant, though behind some
others who had campcd nearby during
the night. From the foot Of the glacier -
nine miles. and there are several very
; steep places, but the dog took the sled
right along. and French easily passed
/, those ahead of him, ara got TO the top
of the summit. where he was last seen
alive Although il was so still and quiet
and bright and warm going up the sum-
init the parties who came behind en-
countered terrific wind when they
reached the top. The gale increased, and
\ .rlIl
HOW HE MET DEATH.
THE summit on this side t. very steep
As degree pitch. about mile long. The
wind blowing so hard made the crust OF
the snow almost as slippery as glass
French evidently unlocked the dog and
| attempted to take the sled down himself
which was the only way of doing 1T. The
most reasonable theory is that he slip
ped and fell and struck either against
his sled or on the hard crust, and was
rendered unconscious and froze before ht
| came to- the wind having swept him away
from his trail and separated him from
his sled and dog At any rate, the dog
got lost and was found the next day seve-
| raj miles down the glacier towards Naldes