Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-25
kOTZEBUE A LAND OF DEATH
Lieutenant Jarvis Describes Rescue Of Ill
Advised Gold Seekers,
HUNGER AND ScURvY ATTACK PRoSPECToR
Revenue Cutter Bear Takes on Bonrd
Eigbty-Threc Persons. Leaving on
shore More Than Two Hum
dred Jnfortunntcs.

WASHINGTON, Aug 24.-Captain Shoe
maker of the revenue cutter service today
received report from Lieutenant ID. H..
Jarvis, the commander OF the revenue cutter
Bear containing an account OF the rescue OF
the gold seekers who rushed into the Kotze-
bue country in Alaska in the summer OF
1898. Lieutenant Jarvis was taking the
Bear north to Cape Barrow on its regular
trip.
At Cape Prince OF Wales he learned Of the
awful destitution which had overtaken the
gold seekers at Kotzebue sound. On ar
rival there he found a 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 win
tered there. The Bear, after relieving as
much of the distress as possible and leaving
stores lime Juice, etc, for the survivors,
took eighty-three OF the survivors to st.
Michael. where they were turned over to
the military authorities. Lieutenant Jarvis
report is dated July 30. at St. Michael. He
reported that he left between 225 and 25O
survivors at Kotzebue sound. He informed
the department that he would proceed to
Cape Barrow and upon his return would
touch at Kotzebue sound and pick up any
who desired to return with him.
Lieutenant Jarvis says:
First Lieutenant Bertholf and Surgeon
Hawley were sent to the camp at Hotham
inlet. They returned with thirty-two sick
and convalescent, all affected with scurvy.
Some of these were in very low condition
and the chances are would not have survived
many days without medical attendance
From 225 to $50 people were still in the
camp. Some had plenty OF food and means
of paying their way out. Returning to the
camp Lieutenant Bertholf and the surgeon
brought off all those in destitute condition
or without means-forty- eight men, two
women and an infant, making eighty three
persons in all taken from the camp. 1t was
not possible to take any more at that time,
but assurance was given the people ashore
that il they did not succeed in getting away
before the vessels return they would be
taken out by the Bear. There were plenty or
provisions for the. use of those remaining,
many Of them having years outfit and the
only sick person remaining was Mrs.
Smith, whose condition was so serious that
she could not be moved.
"The bark Alaska of San Francisco was
expected to arrive and the steamer Town
send passed in. The captain Of the Town
send. C. D. Lane, assured me that he would
take out all who desired to go. Many, IL not
all, will be able to leave hy these two ves-
sells, but upon my return from Barrow will
clear the beach of all who remain.
Mistake of Prospectors.
1.-THE rush of people to Kotzebue sound was
a sad deporable affair. Misguided by mis-
statements and Justification, 1900 people,
many totally untitled to stand hard condi-
tions and climate, rushed to the country in
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 lest their lives during the
winter from the cold, and, worst than all, in
the spring scurvy broke out in nearly all
the camps. / enclose list Of forty eight
deaths These are all that could be gathered
from the people at Hotham inlet, but have
no doubt that many others occurred that
were not recorded could not be learned.
1 apprehend, also, that many of those who
started coastng alCng the shore of the
Cape Nome may have lost their lives in the
ice and bad weather. The two brothers
Pickering Of Princeton, KY. were killed by
a native named Kokamuk on the Selawik
river. These men are given bad charac-
ter by the other people and are SAID to nave
themselves killed one Mardis OF Santa Rosa,
Cal, for his money. Kokamuk could not be
found, but from native reports the killing
was done in self-defense, as the Pckerings
were shooting at him at the time Of the Of
fense. l will investigate the affair further
upon my return"
Lieutenant Jarvis, who accomplished the
rescue of the goldseekers at Kotzebue sound,
is the revenue marine officer who dis
tinguished himself in the winter of 1S971S9S
by leading a relief expedition from Tunnuak,
200 miles below st. Michael, to Point Bar
row. over 1900 miles OF snow and ice in
the dead OF winter he pushed an expedition
for the relief of the ice e-imprisoned whalers
at Point Barrow. He arrived there with
nearly 500 reindeer after four months of
almost indescribable hardships. 1t was the
onfy Arctic relief expedition ever attempted
in midwinter. For his herosm on that oc-
casion the president recommended that con-
gress give him vote of thanks and award
him gold medal.
FEDERAL QUARANTINE MUST RULE.