The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-23
. lie Knik River. as a glance
at the map will show, is Il
I'll ~ cfl. M in

southwestern AldShI WHICH,
empties into the Knik Arm, shallow
indentation from the head of Cook S
Inlet When the ice in this river
breaks up in the spring it collects in
the arm. which is really q wide estu-
ary where for days, and sometimes a
week, the foe formed surges back and
forth with the tide. until finally it all
works it's way out to sea.
AS the tide of the arm comes in with
a small bore the floating ice is swept
back up stream with great force, and
the waters OF the estuary being thicll}y
studded with bars. the tide driven foe
often jams on them and piles up to a
great height 1t was in one of these
jams that John uardman, young
naturalist, who had come to Alaska in
the interests of Il geological society in
one OF our Eastern cities, had an eX
trcmely perilous experience in the
spring of 1901. while vOyaging up the
arm OH his way inland.
Hardman was bound for the head
waters of the river, for the purpose of
capturing alive some of the mountain
sheep so plentiful there. Owing to
the fact that the lambs must be taken,
if at all, when very young, he was in a
hurry to reach the mountains.
SO when the ice broke up lie did not
wait for it to go out to sea, but started
abodt the first of May from the head
of Cooks Inlet With his party OF four
Cne white man named CaulHins and
three Knik IndianS-in q large river
boat or scow. He intended to fight his
way through the vast foe that filed
the arm.
AS ut ihis time it was possible to
travel only when the tide was setting
in. Tie method of proceeding was to
wait until the bore passed and then
launch the boat among the ice fields
behind, rowing when the water was
open enough and drifting with the cur
rent when the cakes closed in around.
To prevent tho boatfrom heing crushed
when the ice damned Oh the numerous
bars required untiring vigilance and
prompt action. but Cau!lins handled
the scow so skiifully that for four
hours the first run with The tide had all
gone well.
Then suddenly wide area Of the foe
began TO pile up on bar directly in
front OF tho voyagers. Fortunately for
their lives they were near shore. BY
quick work they succeeded in getting
the boat to land before the ice could
close up and catch them. TO drag the
clumsy scow With its cargo of 500
pounds of provisions out on the ice
heapcd bank was no small feat, yet
they did it.
Here in safety they watched the foe
make itself into miniature mountains
of blocks on the chain of bars across
the arm, until at last the tide spent its
force and began 10 receGc. carrying
back all the ice not iammed fast on
the shadows. Left OH the largest bar
about half Il mile out was a huge, IT,
regular heap OF big cakes, most of
them fully three feet thick which COW
cred about two acres and was nearly
forty feet high On the smaller bars
beyond. with open channels between
We're several ether mounds not so
large. and in the broad channel be-
tween the shore and the big mound
was an uneven field OF tightly packed
ice. AS they could not get any further
ut present camp was made. to wait for
the tide of the next morning in the
hope that by then tho Jam would be
broken
But in the mornin" it was found that
the tide which had come in during the
night instead of breaking the barrier
had only added more ice to it and
somewhat changed it's shape 1t was
e., ~,
channels now: the only thing to do was
to wait until the insetting current
should clear passage for them. Per
haps the next tide would do this.
At about o o'clock Hardman. taking
his camera. left camp alone 10 get a
closer view Of the jam and some pic
lures of the mounds. Going along the
shore about 4 mile he came to the
portion of the foe stuck in the wide
channel. 1t made Il perfectly safe
bridge clear across to the main bar.
and over this he made his way TO the
base of the great white pile of Jagged
blocks.
After taking two or three photo
graphs at favorable points he was
seized with desire to get view from
the summit. Climbing up by way of
the front sioDe, which was long and
quite easy ascent. he was a third of
the distance 10 the top when he
reached a giant cake. broken in two in
the centre. The lower half lay ut an
angle Of forty-tive degrees, the upper
half at not more than thirty. Between
the two was n crack three feet wide.
and beneath it an opening several feet
deep.
Resting for a moment on the upper
edge of the under cake, Hardman
stepped upon the one above, not notic-