Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1913-11-28
A FLIGHT FOR LIFE
The Story Of a Rescue Trip In the
Mountains Of Alaska.
BRAVE MEN AND SPEEDY DOGS


An Act Of iieroisn That Saved a Wo.
mar and Her Sick Husband From
Death When Stranded on a Winter
Night Amid the Snow Clad Peaks.
The hardss'nS to which people are
exposed 10 lh far north give frequent
occasiHa for display Of heroism
In the lages % "TMning and Camp
ing In .slaska Mr. Addison NJ. Powell
tells Of the rescue Of woman and her
husband who we're stranded on the
mountains IN au Alaskan winter.
A dog tesar gaaoped up and stopped
in front st the CT pretense Of hotel
in Valdez. The ght was dark. as the
northern winter lights always are
when the moon IS not shining The
dogs immediately ny down, almost ex-
hausted from ih long trip. and the
two men were So % surrounded by In
qulrlng friends Of the two suld
"What do ycn think. fellowsf We
passed a woman Just this side Of Saw
mill Camp. She was pulling a sled. on
which was her sick husband We re
monstrated against her crossing the
glacier. but she replied that they
might as well die up there as any
where else. as It meant certain death
to stop. Our dogs could pull only our
outfit. and there wasn't grub enough
for all. so we were compelled to leave
them. They viii be at the last timber
tonight and II somebody doesn't 90 to
their rescue they will be dead By this
time tomorrow"
A man stepped out from the crowd
and said:
an go for one. Now. who else has
a good dog team to splice In With
miner
"Fm your mani" answered another
1t was O'clock in the morning be
fore they bad made their selection Of
dogs and were ready to start on tina,
hazardous trip
wen be on the first bench by day
light and have them here before mid
night" said one as he Strengthened out
the team for the sixty mile run.
"Yea, boysl Stand In there. Leader,
Mush, mush on. mushl" And with a
yelp the dogs galloped away as If
aware of the urgency OF their mission
''Haw, Leaderr' we heard as they
turned the corner. and then they were
gone. There goes the best dog team
in Alaska and driven by two of the
best men on earthF' exclaimed a man
as he re-entered the house.
The trail was easily followed. and
soon the nine miles OF level bench
were passed. The speed slackened
only when they were ascending the
ridge. which they crossed by II that
morning. and there It was seen that
tie sharp peaks were curling fine snow
high In the air.
They are beginning to smoker ex-
claimed one Of the men.
"Yes; we must get back before night
or it's all off," replied the other.
Down, down. the steep descent they
plunged. and by l O'Clock they were
Off the glacier and skipping over Level
ground. In short time they discov-
erel the unfortunate couple whom they
had started out to rescue, and when
they came up to them It was a pitiable
scene that presented itself.
The poor woman had become com
pletely exhausted and had thrown her.
self down beside her helpless husband
She bad evidently abandoned all hope
and was weeping bitterly when she
suddenly heard the yell Of driver
and the barking of dogs. In a mo
ment she passed from despair to hope
As the team galloped in circle and
stopped beside her with the dogs
heads pointed back toward the glacier
she clapped her hands with JOY.
The dogs lay down and with theii
lolling tongues tapped the snow, while
the drivers ate some crackers and jok
ingly encouraged the sick man and the
tired woman They bade her seat her
self comfortably while they fastened
the two sleds together Soon they
were bounding away again at the dogs
first speed.
When they reerossed the summit the
whole range was smoking and the
wind was sending the fine snow along
the crust 1t whipped their faces with
a warming Of what was coming, but
the driver said:
Twenty miles to town. and it can
never cntch usi'
In Valdez every one was anxiously
watching the trail Many exclaimed
They can't possibly be here before
midnightF' but they were. As they
rushed up co the crowd with yell
and a chorus Of barks from the noble
dogs they were met by eager. helping
hands. The dogs acted as If they had
understood why they were being pet
ted. and again the woman wept for
joy.