The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-11-15
Adrift on an Ice Cake.

Il tlillS tuIIitu Oul vi Ait lNt Va
V Bluff City, has kindly con
sented to give her impres
sions of the terrible experience 70
1.-THE Gold Digger" She Is n frail lii
tie woman, who looks incapable Of on
during such priyations and hardship
ns she was called upon 10 endure, bu
like the rest of the party, she faced
the danger with the utmost coolness
and courage.
1T was four nights before Christmas
Eve that Audrey Bell, Charles Hage
lin, Eric Johnston and myself rounded
the point AT Bluff City and found open
water barring the trail. Miss Bell and
I were tied 10 the sleds, for the way
was rough, and we did not pay much
attention 10 the water. the men telling
us there was often a crack at that
point Eric Johnston jumped across
aud ran uptown for ropes, and then
we realized that we were gradually
drifting away from the shore.
people at Nome seem TO think that
we were carried away on little patch
many miles in extent
"As the crack grew wider Eric John
ston and w. Il. Austin, the man he
had asked to assist at Bluff City,
rowcd out TO us in a boat. They sue
eeeded In scrambling on the Ice, but
Austin was drenched, for 1t was a wild
and stormy night. We had n robe
and two or three pieces Of canvas, and
we wrapped him In one OF the sleds
and let the dogs lie around him TO
keep him from freezing. He had no
hat, and his muclucs were wet
through. so l opened my trunk and
got out an eiderdown matinee for his
hend and tore up n flannel skirt for
his feet; the rest OF the things I'm the
trunk we used to keep ourselves
warm.
Every orc Ia the party seemed
anxious to pretend that there was no
danger; the boys made light OF every
thing, and Mr.. Austin was full OF fun
I did not realize TIL the next morning
that we might drift out on the Ice till
We were starved or frozen, and then
did rot see any use in making n fuss
about It,
THAT day we kept travelling 10 keep
land In sight, rs the position Of the Ice
was continually shifting. All the time
we were afoat we must nave gone
over twenty or thirty miles. I had
been i'll. and could not walk fast
enough to keep warm, so they let me
lie in one of the sleds with the dogs
around me. Miss Bell, Johnston and
Hageln kept walking all the time to
prevent them from freezing. AS the
days went on they sometimes fell
asleep on their feet
All our provisions consisted OF some
fish for dog feed, and a little corn
meal. but we had no salt. On the sec
cnd day. when we began to travel. n
strange thing happened. We found
some wood that Austin had thrown
from his sled few days before. with
this the boys were able to light n fire
and cook, but II was not till the third
day out that l could eat n little corn
meal. mush, and 1t revived me wonder
fully.
I'VE saw n bonfire on the coast the
third night, one of those, we afterward
heard, that were lighted as signals To
us The fourth night 1t showed, and
we were soaked through If we had
been forced to stay on the ice another
night we should probably have been
frozen, for we were very wet and ex.
hausted.
But on the morning of the fourth
day our icefield drifted inshnre, and
we were only separated from the
beach by six miles of rubb..' ice. This
was our one chance, and we determ-
ined tO risk IL. The sleds were put
EIdc by side, and with rush we start.
ed the ice cracking and breaking all
the way. The fourteen dogs dashed
On, urged by the men. | did not dare
IN look, but covered my head, expect
ing every moment to go through. tin
fome one called cut, we are on the
bcachp anl then | threw off the wrap
and saw onc of the boys break down
snd sob with joy, and Mr.. Chlsman
the roadhouse keeper at Chookook, |
with an Indian, was standing on the |
fhorc welcoming us."-None Gold
Iig-er