The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-19
STEAMER ALPHA TURNS BACK
WAS UNABLE TO PIERCE THE WALL.
OF BERiNG SEA ICE.
She Was Compelled to Put Back 10
Dutch Harbor for Coal-Her Pas
sengers Are All Well and Com
tented-Rigid Winter in the North

VICTORIA. b. c.. May 1s.-Leaving
Dutch harbor May 10. the tramp steam
ship Hero, now carrying coal to Ounalaka
from ComoX, arrived at Esquimalt this
morning and entered the dock for clean
ing prior to making another trip north.
She brings news that us miles north
ward of Dutch harbor there is a sea Of
ice, which no vessel could break through.
The steamer Alpha, on her way 10 Nome
from Victoria and Vancouver. has been
prevented from completing her N~%age,
and on May 7 put back to Dutch harbor
to replenish her bunker coal after laying
OF the ice for twenty days. She sailed
again on May and will await her first
opportunity of making Roadway through
the ice. Those aboard are said to be
'contented and happy" TO use the words
Of the steward of the Hero. and only
one passenger had not the inclination to
see the voyage through. He, Victorian
named H. Stadthagen, arrived home on
the Hero.
The Alpha had been thrty-four days
out from Vancouver on arrival at Dutch
harbor and had contended against bad
weather, such as prevailed at the time
OF the Hero's departure south.
The whalers Alexander, William Bail
laiss. Belvedere. Beloga and the bsrken-
tine Pitcairn. bound for Nome with
freight and passengers, were at Unalas-
ka when the Hero sailed, and the OFF,
Alpha will not reach Nome till toward
the last OF June.
The officers on the Hero deny the re-
port that there had been mutiny aboard
that ship, and say that the only trouble
they experienced with the men was set
tied with little difficulty.
According TO officers of the Hero the lit
tie mail steamer between Sitka and Una
laska Is missing, being a month overdue
at the latter port when the Hero was
there
"rhe only boat we met since leaving
Vancouver was the steam whaler Karluk.
In 10 degrees longitude west" said one of
the officers THE skipper told us it was
the severest winter he had ever expert
enced in the north, and that il was impos-
sibie for the Alpha to reach Cape Nome
before the end of June. May was a Bit
terly cold day, the worst / ever expert
enced. On this day man named MeCul-
Tough and young girl about IS years of
ship"
On May the captain abandoned the
hope of reaching Nome for the present
and headed for Unalaska. The passengers
were suffering very much for want of
water. and on May Z, TO the delight Of all,
Dutch harbor was reached.
There are several ships in Dutch harbor
waiting to proceed later to Cape Nome.
The steam side-wheeler Eliza Anderson
lies a wreck on the beach. The brig Pit
cairn was forty-four days coming from
San Francisco. and had a very dissatisfied
crowd on board. They complained that
they had not anything but salt pork TO eat
for some time, and il was said that the
captain was afraid to come ashore for fear
OF violence.
The tugboat Mary d. Hume from Seat
tie. bound for Nome, lies also in Dutch
harbo~. The Alpha again left on May 3
for St. Michael, where she will have to
build scows TO transport passengers and
freight ashore.