The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1900-07-20
9{ooa River @lacier.
Perlls OF a Trin to Nome.
FRIDAY. IULY 90. 1900.

We are in the Bering Sea, about $50
miles from Nome, and yet can not get to
our destination on account OF the ice.
| have seen great icebergs in my time
hut had to come TO this northern lat
itude 10 see whole fields. OF them. Our
vessel goes forward O few miles, then
backward to get out OF the mass Of ice
that would crush the hulk only too
quick il once in its meshes. One day we
made miles in our course, another day
3 miles, Ia miles, IL miles, and 70 on.
1t is slow and dangerous navigation. AT
times the cold and wind are 80 severe
that one can not stand it TO move about
the deck The poor officers on the
bridge and the man who occasionally
goes up in the lookout at the top OF the
mast with the glasses, continually warm
up with hot coffee. Their positions are
awe-inspiring, and passengers comment
on their bravery.
The days grow longer as the season
advances and we get farther north. One
day, as il neared 10 p. m, dusk was set
fling and our captain, G. i. Hall, saw a
great iceberg ahead, five or six times
larger than the ship. He prepared TO
anchor to it for the night, and slowly we
dangerously moved towards it. The
rope ladder was put over the bow, and
D sailor made ready to jump off onto the
frozen ice. Just as the boat struck the
mass he leaped, and down onto the
broken mass he fell, steadying himself
10 keep from slipping into the cold
ocean. The great 'hawser was thrown
TO him, and he ran with it TO a large
projection to circle it round. But the
wind was high and the angry waves
dashed the ship far out Of reach Of the
anchorage. The man was left standing
on the iceberg. Women shouted, "Can
we save himY' and men looked up, with
fear in their eyes, at the fast approach
ing night. 1t was an hour later that we
managed TO bring up to the windward
of the ice, and then, with a great crash,
We were against it. The sailor, catching
the second line thrown from the ship,
fastened it securely around projection
and Immediately climbed on board. All
around us was the ice, and even our
passage southwark was blocked. We
then kept moving in order to keep out
Of the crushing ice drifting towards US
from all sides.
A week ago we spoke a big vessel on
our starboard which had been in our
present position, trying to get to Nome.
They we're running short OF coal and
turned back for the 900 mile run to
Dutch Harbor. A boat belonging to the
saine company as the South Portland
arrived q day after we landed at Dutch
Harbor The manager OF the company
was on board, and it was decided TO
travel together to destination. We went
out OF port steaming side by side, and
the eight or nine vessels in the harbor
blew their whistles in farewell saluta-
tion. We we're out from Dutch harbor
only a few days when we got lost from
the Alliance; they presumably going to
the westward of Bering Sea, to get
around the ice, and our captain going
directly north.
Later our provisions began getting
low. When we started from Seattle we
had in the cabin six or seven kinds of
meat, vegetables galore, delicacies, and
even fresh milk-which, by the way, we
had all the way to Nome, as Phil Will
Jams was on board, taking seven COWS.
Fresh meat first ran out and we we're
eating picked beef and pork, and then
sugar gave ont, and finally we were re-
huced in everything. Ten days out Of
Dutch Harbor we awoke one morning
and found our boat surrounded in an in
extricable field Of ice. We could get
neither forward nor backward, There
was never any fear Of the passengers on
the score OF running entirely out OF pro-
visions, for our matches only had to be
opened TO allow us to get TO the freight.
Here indeed was enough TO keep reg
iment, consisting OF several restaurant
outfits, individual stores, ship supplies,
etc. Our trip to Nome, which was prom
ised to last but 8 to 10 days, was being
stretched to over q month.
We had our diversions ON the trip.
On leaving Seattle two stowaways were
found, and our boat pulled in at Port
Angeles to put them on the lighthouse
beach. Another, u young boy, popped
his head out OF the cabbages in one of
the life boats on the deck when two days
out, much to the captains and passen-
gers surprise. He was put to work
sweeping the deck and scrubbing out the
pilot house, We called him cabbage" !
on the trip, and much sport did the more
frivolous Of the passengers have in max
ing him dance for their amusement. |
Gard games were ever the diversion. |
Games started from the wake-up bell |
and continued till late at night. Then
smokers would get together and fill the |
little smoking room, putting away with
All their might in order to run the other |
fellows out. 4 passenger with gram
ophone gave evening concerts. An old |
man fiddler gave selections. The ladies |
gathered in the dining saloon after the
three sittings Mt the tables were over,
md singing, accompanied by the strong
voices OF the men, passed many q gay |
hour. The ladies also formed sewing |
circle and offered TO patch and sew on |
buttons, One OF the engineers asked |
them TO sew on pair OF pants to four
buttons he had. He got back pair of
trousers that would fita monkey
One morning we awoke with ice |
jammed on all sides, and in this posi- |
sion we lay for nearly week, the ice
humping on the iron sides, threatening
obstruction at any minute. Finally the |
mass moved, drawn by the great cur
rent northward, and we were free. Our
captain drove the propellors as fast as
steam would take us. 1t was nearing
dusk when we felt n crash that shook |
the vessel from bow to stern. We had |
run into y gigantic iceberg! The loud |
orders OF the captain, the screaming OF |
the passengers, the hurrying to and fro
OF the sailors, caused the utmost con- |
hternation. The news was circulated /
that We were going down. The captain
sent his officers forward to Investigate
the hole in the bow. The pumps Wer,
started also. The officers soon returned
pnd reported holes ON both sides OF the
bow large enough for man to crawl
through, but that the tear occurred
where one of the fresh water tanks was
located, which saved us from sinkin.
1t was doubtful whether
the water tank would Withstand tho
outside pressure. Two days after this
accident We sighted steamer and slow