The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-03
OKLAH(|hAN
N ALASKA
Priest Buried There Some
Fifty Years Ago.
HIS BODY WAS EXHUMED
Was as Fresh as the Day He
Was Buried.
HIS BODY WAS EXHUMED

Jefferson. o. T., August 2.-Dr. J. F.
O'Rear, who is In the United States Gus
tom service, writes to his father OF this
city from St. AIichaels, Alaska His
letter is dated June IS. and is as follows:
Il am ashore tonight for the first even
ing since my arrival here. I say night
because it is the time that night should
be here. but it IS as broad daylight now.
Y midnight. as it is at Y noon. II
seems very peculiar that It should be
SO, but Il is, consequently it is dif1icult
for me TO get ready for bed, 1t seems
awkward and out of time.
II have just come ashore from the
steamship Conemaugh, which is here dis
charging and have been engaged aboard
since Monday morning checking up her
bonded cargo. 1 go back in the morn
ing and will be detained there perhaps
most of this week.
SO far the weather has been very nice,
today being an exceptionally fine. sun
shiny day. l was out today examining
the old Russian port OF St Michael, or
rather what is left OF II. which IS
block house and few of we olden time
cannon. Il is, however, q great exam
pie Of how things were here when this
belonged TO Russia forty years ago.
Below the surface. in the tundra. at
depth OF two feet or less, you strike
the frozen ground, which remains frozen
at that depth all summer. The tundra
is a moss-covered surface. which is DIFF
ficult TO get over, owing TO the fact that
it gives way under foot and you go down
TO the knees when you least suspect
it, not being able TO tell by the looks
OF the surface of the ground. AS one in
travelling over it takes these plunges
every step or two it is very little trav-
eled. But in telling you Of this tundra
and the frozen earth beneath il. 1 had
in view the narration OF the burial of
a Russian priest here fifty years ago.
This Russian priest was buried here
on the hill of st. Michael and his grave
duly tabled fifty years ago. This last
spring by order OF the Russian govern
ment,' his remains were disinterred and
sent back to his native lands. The place
which marked his grave was dug out
and he was taken from his casket look
ing just as natural as the day he was
put away The features had not decayed
a particle, and 70 look upon him you
would think he had died but yesterday.
Immediately after he was buried his
remains froze and stayed so until he
was taken UP. 1t beats all modern cold
storage for meats. as you Will see for
the foregoing.
1.-The steamship jeanne and Portland
have not shown up vet and 1 presume the
ice has carried them into the Arctic.
They may get out but the chances
are against them. The Thetis. which
went to look for them and which Is a
government rsrenue cutter. has not re-
turned yet She was last seen in Bering
s=%it. going rapidly into the Arctic.
with no chance TO get out at least until
the ice melts in the Arctic. which will
not be until the last Of July or August
The jeanne has never been heard from
since she left Seattle early in May. The
jeanne and Portland are passenger and
freight steamships bound for this place.
The jeanne belonged to the Pactc Steam
Whaling company and the Portland 70
the American Commercial company, each
having about 100 passengers or more.
we experienced no ice during our
trip. tho ice having gone out a week
prior TO our arrived It passes into the
Arctic through the Behring strait