The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-25
IN STARVING CONDITION
sCURVY, DROWNING AND STAR
WALTON CAUSE DEATHS.
Lieutenant Jarvis of the Revenue
Cutter Bear Heard of the Awful
Condition, and Went to the Res
cue-Eighty-three Persons Were
Brought Out-Many Deaths.


revenue cutter Bear. containing an ac-
count of the rescue of the goldseekers
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 restitution which had
oVertaken the goldseekerse at Kotze-
bue sound. On arrival there he found
terrible condition of affairs. Men
had died of starvation. scurvy and by
I'drowning, and he obtained a list of
forty-eight deaths. But the list is by
no means complete. This list has been
published in the Associated Press dis
patches.
over 1000 of the goldseekers had win
tered there. The Bear, after relieving
as much or the distress as possible, and
| leaving stores at Lime Juice, ETC., for
the survivors, took eighty-two of the
survivors to st. Michael, where they
| were turned over TO the military au-
tnoflties. Lieutenant Jarvis report is
dated July 80, at St. Michael He re-
| ported that he left between 225 and $50
survivors at KotZebue sound. He in
formed the department that he would
proceed TO Cape Barrow, and upon his
return would touch at Kotzebue sound
with him. Lieutenant Jarvis says:
First Lieutenant Bertholf and Sur
geon Hawley were sent to the camp at
f1otnam inlet. They returned with thir-
/ ty-tWo SICK and convaIescent all af-
1ected with scurvy. Some of these were
III very low condition, and the chances
are that some of them would have nor
survived many days without medicine.
FROM 20 to 250 people were still in the
N ra1n
means or paying their way out Re-
turning to the camp, Lieutenant Rer-
tholI ana the surgeon brought off all
those IN a destitute condition or with
out means; forty-eight men. two wo-
men ana an infant, making eiehty-
three persons in all, taken from the
camp. IL was not possible to take any
more al that time, but assurance was
given the people ashore that if they did
not succeed in getting away before the
VesseIs return, they would be taken
out by the Bear. There were plenty of
PioNlslonS Tor the use of those remain
Iils' many OF them having a years out
III, ana the only sick person remaining
was Mrs. Smith, whose case was so
serious that she could not be moved.
Inc bark Alaska of San Francisco
was expected to arrive and the steamer
townsend passed in as the Bear left
Inc charterer of the Townsend. Mr.. c.
u Lane, assured me that he would take |
out all VINO wished to go. Many if not |
ar VIII De able to leave by these yes |
sels. out upon my return from the Arc |
TIC L VIII clean the beach of all who re-
main. ~
The rush of people to Kotzebue !
sound was sad, deplorable affair
Allsled by false information and adver-
llsements. 1,200 people, many totally I'M
ntten TO stand hard conditions ad eli
mate, rushed to the country during the
open season of 1898. During the winter
30 goid Whatever was found. and in
the spring they sought every means of
escaping from the region
Many were drowned in the swift
COZ Sao. eI.s OF the rivers in the fall of
1898; others lost their lives durinp the
winter from the cold. and worst of ali
II the spring scurvy broke ont in
learly all the camps l enclose a LIST
u forty-eight deaths. These are ali
nat could be gathered from the peopIe
u Hotham inlet, but 1 have no doubt
nat many others occurred that were
iot iGcor9ed or could not be learned. l
tPpfehend also that many of those
Who started coasting along the sbore
or cape Nome may have lost their
ives IN the ice and bad weather Tbo |
Wo brothers, Pickering of Princeton
W. were Killed by native named !
Nohamuk, on the Selawik river These
neIi are given bad character by the .
thef people, and are said to have |
,ltHa Killed one Mardis of Santa
go 80 81, LOT ms money. Kokamuk
ouid not be found. but from native re-
orts the killing was done in self-de-
enSe, as the chickering's were sbootino
l MN at the time for some trivial OF 7.
ense. 1 will investigate the affair fnr- I
her upon my return.
The schooner General Mcpherson
as met OFF Cane Espenberg on the
-nu INST, ana Second Lieutenant Ba- r
niger ana Seaman Rossig were placed
n board to take her TO st. Michael :
Ut she was fallen in with off SIedge
sand on the 26th and towed to Name :
'orton sound and there turned over to =
peclaI Deputy United States Marshal =
: >, swift; the master Janz B. Neil !,
IN, was arrested by Deputy Marshal ~
VII on warrant for piracy and was
rought on board, together with his
imily, for transportation 10 this mort
A stop was made at Point Rodney t
q tne nlght of the 18th, and IL was -
armed that NubarlOo. the native who ~
al Killed the boy at Point Spencer on ;,
lie 10TH instant, had passed that point n
re same morning, A native camp was I,
una a little further on. on the 2eth | +
40 Nubarloo was found in the camp \,
I'D arrested N
Upon arriving at this port on the ~
IN, the United States steamers Cor ~
IN. Ah and Nunivak were found in 70
)rt. 40 TT
Arrangements were immediately =,
ade with Captain Walker. United ..
2Ies army, commanding Fort st.
ichael and the sick and wounded 9,
ON kotzebue were landed and turned -
FER To him
The stores of the United States shin
uniVak were delivered to her on the
tn, and on the 18th the prisoners We're tc
ken before the United States com p,
lssioner. Sablok (Captain Jack) was m
ntenced TO six months confinement in
ID Aseruk Nubarloo and Frank 4. III
ample were bound over for trial he III
re the United States district court at
tka, Alaska.
Surgeon Calls condition is such that
, was landed on the 18th inst. and or
e Alaska Commercial company has la
molly provided quarters and the at Ia
ndance of their medical officer" ne
Lieutenant Jarvis, who accomplished ~
e rescue of the gold-seekers atKot 70
bue sound. is the revenue marine Of
er who distinguished himself in the
inter OF 1898 by leading a relief ex-
dition from Tunnuak. 200 miles be- 4,
W st. Michaels, to Point Barrow. -
'er 1,500 miles of snow and ice in the 10 10
ad of winter he pushed an expedition of
r the relief of the ice-imprisoned
nalers at Point Barrow. He arrived
ere with nearly 500 reindeer after ,
ur months almost indescribei HE
rdships. 1t was the only Arctic re- III
T expedition ever attempted in mid W
inter-. For his heroism on that occa- so
N the president recommended that
ngreSS give him vote of thanks ana