The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-08
w. w. Hays and Son Arrive
at Destination in June,
HAVE WRITTEN RELATIVES
Concerning Cape Nome and
Stormy Voyage of 90 Days.

Iney were Sixty Gays on the ocean ana
We're in some very close places on ac-
count Of the ice. Uaey have both writ
Ten letters TO their relatives in the city
and Haysville, where Mr.. Hays owns an
extensive property, Mr.. Hays was sheriff
Of this county for several years and is
one of the best knoi vn men in the coun-
~, having resided here since the early
days He and his on expect TO remain
at Cape Nome until next fall, when they
viii be forced to stop their work on ac-
count Of the cold We ather which comes
on then. At the present time they can
work both day and night, as the sun
chimes practically all Of the time.
The many friends Of both parties viii
be glad to know that they have arrived
safely at the Cape. Their letters were
written last June and were only received
here recently.
I'll letter written by Mr.. Hays is to
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Knorr Of 1913 South
Lawrence. Will Hays has written to his
people both here and in Haysville. The
letters are as follows:
On board the Nellie J. Thurston,
Cape Nome, June Is, 1900
Dear Charley and Amy- Just received
your letters and was aNffully glad TO
hear from you all. We arrived here yes
terday after voyage Of sixty days, apd
fourteen days of that time in the ice
fields Of the Bering sea. l must say that
We have had a very hard time and thar
what ] might say won't half express it.
We just got out Of the ice on the night
Or the 18th at midnight and We were the
happiest little band of gold hunters that
ever sailed this far on this sea Up TO
date there are three or four vessels lost
The revenue cutter started today after
wreck in the ice. The passengers who
were on the wreck are on an island They
are expected here tonight. I am afraid
that these are not all who have been
wrecked, as there are 100 people to hear
from yet. There are twenty-five steamers
around the ship this morning and also
eleven sealing vessels. Three vessels have
just come n,
Our ship was reported lost, but it was
California schooner instead Of the Nellie
j. Thurston. We are all we'll and very
glad that we are alive L have not been
on shore yet, as we are anchored about
q mile from the beach. VIII has been
helping to unload the cargo and I have
been helping the men on the boat The
sun shines all the time except when it
cnows. as it has 9ll day today. This is
the land Of the midnight sun and ice
bergs, but I have seen no gold paved
streets.
There are now on the ground @,O9O
human beings and probably as many
more five or six miles out of town. This
+ city Of tents and there are many
hundred thousand dollars worth of mer-
chandise and machinery piled for miles
along the beach. Seems as though the
whole world has gone crazy and I am
sure that we win have to go at least
three miles to find room to put up our
tents. The country is over-estimated in
my opinion and the whole tract fer miles
is taken up, but has not been worked 10
any extent on account OF the cold wealth
er.
We can only expect to work here ABOUT
ninety days at best. 1t is still frozen and
only thaws out about three to four feet
in what is known as the summer season.
The prices are high in all kinds of
business here and flour sells at s. per
sack butter 81 per pound canned goods
80 cents per can, beef 81 per pound. eggs
81 cents per dozen, oranges and lemons. ,
for p cents, cigars % cents each and
meals from 81 to s.. believe that there
is enough food here to last two years I
will write 20 you after we settle down
and get to house keeping.
/ have just been out on the deck and
have counted all Of the different kinds
of boats IN sight and have reached
eighty-three Il is just in the morning
and I have been up all night on watch
stu il is not night, as we have no such
things here. We have supper at 6 o'clock
and the sun goes down al 1880 and comes
up at 1:So. We can read papers at all
times Of the night without the use Of
lamps
People work all night Just the same as
they do in the day time and only go TO
bed when they get sleepy. I am going TO
bed at o'clock and viii sleep until s.
WIN get breakfast then and expect to
Sleep until y
You have no idea how glad we were to
hear from you all 1t put new life into
Us, for we have been knocked around in
these waters and ice so much that it
seemed that we had no home or friends
L seems almost like a dream 10 think Of
sixty days on tSe water with ice and
snow and seeing the same faces Of our
little band twenty-four hours every day.
Il was always the same except some
times it SGT roUgher or larger fields Of
ice. One night about ten days ago we
were within thirty-four miles Of Cane
Nome but We're driven back by the ice
almost TO the Arctic ocean
Wheu We get back we can tell vor
much better Of our experiences than Il
is possible to write now. Win and arc
going TO make every effort to secu-e
paying claim and Il we fau II won, te
our fault but We certainly deserve s7re-
thing Tor this trip. Write 10 rs often
a ever, w. W. HAYS.
Nome. Alaska, June ID. lao1.
Mrs. w. w Hays and Family. HAYS
Vile and Wichita, kan:
Dear Folks: Wen. after sixty davs on
the sea We are az LAST in Nome. hut vs.
were not the drst in by long shot