The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-19
TALE OF THE ELK'S PARTY.
Victims Patiently Waiting for Death
When Rescued

Authentic information OF the trip made
to rescue the unfortunate Elk party. who
were dying OF scurvy on the Selawick riv-
er, In the Kotzebue country, reached Sc
attic yesterday In letter written by Maj
c. s. 1ngraham. the leader Of the relief
party, to his wife here. The letter was
written May Is, on board the Elk. in the
Selaw.ck river. He says he had just re-
turned from Cape Nome. and on May /
two men. Whitney and Shaw. arrived at
the kotzebue mission. bringing news Of
the awful condition OF the Elk party
He says the Elk party was at a point
on the Selawick river about l75 miles from
the mission, and were all in a dead or dy-
ing condition from the terrible effects Of
scurvy. The opinion given by Whitney
and Shaw was that unless relief We're sent
to the survivors Of the party none could
be saved at all. So Mai Ingraham went TO
work to get up a relief party.
The story Of the success OF the expedi-
ton is told In the majors own words as
follows:
The l75-n1ile Journey up to the Elk was
not thing TO he lightly thought of, be-
cause II was the middle OF MAY. a time
when the rivers break up and the ice on
the lakes is covered with water. II was
humani'y's call so I determined to start
and lead The party. A meeting Of the
miners a. the mission was held TO consid-
er the plan. They were all willing to give
supplies. but no one cared TO undertake
the terrible trip Ralph sheaffe. Seattle
boy, was the first TO volunteer his serv-
ices. hut no one followed suit until r b.
Samms. the missionary here. said he would
go. No one else followed. so had 10 have
Whitney and Shaw abandon their trip 10
Nome. and take them and their dogs with
me. They responded cheerfully.
I'VE secured a native with three more
dogs 10 come along, ard on Sunday May
II. started with twelve dogs. two sieds
and the men. Everyone We met before we
started told Us We would never get there:
but human life was AT stake and we felt
that must succeed at all hazards The
fst1 a W rhay
have twenty-four hours of daylight and
could travel rs long as on. strength last
ed will not go into the details of the
terrible Journey, except to say that from
beginning 10 end We waded in from four
inches TO two feet OF ice-cold water all
the time. By the time we got to the foot
OF Se!awick lake. three dogs had gwen on,
and the native could hardly walk. We
reached the head Of the lake and hired two
more natives. and from the lake started
across the country. We struck several
small takes but the ice was too weak 10
BE crossed safely. and we had 20 go
around them.
After our arrival al Selawick river we
had good ice to travel on for three days,
bat when Il started breaking UP We had to
make for shore. The next day we learned!
that two more % the Elk party J J.
Rinehart and Capt Charles Smith. had
died about MAY 8
-Four days later we arrived in sight
~ the scrryystrscken schooner after q
hard TRIP through water and tsrgled Hn-
derbrush. now wading wa st deep in the ice
coid river. now cutting our path W the
river.
'Tae scene which met our eyes when We
boarded the schooner 5eggars description.
The men were IN tn cabin. waiting for
death. because they never hoped 10 see the
outside world again. We erected A tent
on deck and took them up from the cabin
ard applied the best remedies We
knew 10 ease tasi. su-eyings. TIE men We
found were Dr. ]. II. Tet;er. Of scranton.
Pa; J =. Morrison. % Hil1uth, MINI. 4
J Hutton. 81 Fay city Mich. and Earle
Fiufnrl@r Of Port Townsend.
On May = we started down the r.rer
with them and On June arrived al the
head Of Selawfck lake. The sick men Gre
ali fotnS well. except Piumusr ami / am
doubtful whs<aer ne can POSSIBLY recover"
Mai. IDzrahams pred ctso1 in regard 70
p.anlnltr turns out 20 be wFons. as Plum
rssr arrived IN Seattle on the Alliance On
Wednesday and - much improved