The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-06-06
4 FLIGHT: FOR LIFE
The Story of a Rescue Trip In the
Mountains of Alaska.
BRAVE MEN AND SPEEDY Dogs

| An Act of Heroisn That Saved Wo.
man and Her Sick Husband From
Death When Stranded on a Winter
Night Amid the Snow Clad Peaks.
The hardships to which people are
exposed In the far north give frequent
occasion for the display OF hero!sm.
In the pages of Trailing and Camp
Ing In Alaska" Mr.. Addison NJ. Powell
tells of the rescue of woman and her
husband who were stranded on the
mountains in an Alaskan winter.
A dog team galloped up and stopped
in front Of the only pretense of hotel
in Valdez. The night was dark, as the
northern winter nights always are
when the moon Is not shining. The
dogs Immediately lay down. almost ex
hausted from their long trip, and the
two men were soon surrounded by In
curing friends. One of the two said:
"What do you think. fellows? We
passed a woman just this side of Saw
mill Camp. She was pulling 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 1t 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 will be at the last timber
tonight. and II somebody doesn't go to
their, rescue they will be dead by this
time tomorrow"
A man stepped out from the crowd
and said:
"Ill go for one. Now, who else has
a good dog team to splice In with
| mineY'
"Tm your man.! answered another.
1t was o'clock in the morning be-
fore they had made their selection OF
dogs and were ready to start on that
hazardous trip.
"We'll 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, mush" And with a
yelp the dogs galloped away as If
aware Of the urgency Of their mission
"Haw, LEADER 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 earthv' 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 IL that
morning. and there 1t was seen that
the sharp peaks were curling fine snow
high in the air.
"They are beginning to smoke!" 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 1 o'clock they were
off the glacier and skipping over level
ground. In a short time they discov-
| erel the unfortunate couple whom they
| had started out to rescue. and when
they came up to them 1t was pitiable
| scene that presented itself.
The Door woman had become COM
pletely exhausted and had thrown her
self down beside her helpless husband.
She had evidently abandoned all hope
and was weeping bitterly when she
suddenly heard the yell Of Il 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 their
lolllng tongues Tapped the snow, while
the drivers ate some crackers and jok-
ingly encouraged the sick man and the
tired woman. They babe 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 recrossed the summit the
whole range was smoking" and the
wind was sending the fine snow along
the crust. 1t whipped their faces with
a warning Of what was coming, but
| the driver said:
Twenty miles to town. and 1t can
never catch us!'
In Valdez every one was anyiouSly
watching the trail. Many exclaimed.
"They can't possibly be here before
midnightw but they were. AS they
rushed up to the crowd with yell
and q chorus Of barks from the noble
dogs they were met by eager, helping
hands. The dogs acted as IL they had
understood why they were being pet
ted. and again the woman wept for
| Joy.