The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-05-27
A FLIGHT FOR LIFE
The Story Of a Rescue Trip IN the
! Mountains OF Alaska.
Brave MEN AND SPEEDY DOGS

An Act u Hsreism Thst savsd We
man aWd Her eiek NustaWd From
ossth When Stranded on Q Winter
Night Amid the Snow Glad Peaks.
The hardships to which people are
exposed In the far north give frequent
occasion for the display Of heroism.
In the pages Of Trailing and Camp
Ing In Alaska" Mr.. Addison N. Powell
tells Of the rescue Of a 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 a hotel
N 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
| quiring friends. One Of the two said
"What do you think. fellows? We
passed woman just this side Of Saw.
mill Camp. she was pulling q sled. on
which was her sick husband. We re.
nonstrated against her crossing the
glacier, but she replied that they
might a. we'll die up there a. 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. 20 we were compelled to leave
them. They will be at the last timber
tonight, and IL somebody doesn't 60 to
their rescue they will be dead by this
time tomorrow"
A man stepped out from the crowd
and said:
"ITl go for one. Now, who else has
good dog team to splice in with
| miner
"Tm your mani" answered another.
Il was 3 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 frst 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, boys! Stand In there, Leader.
Mush, mush on. mush" And with a
yelp the dogs gailoped away az II
aware Of the urgency Of their mission.
"Haw. Leaderi" We heard a. they
turned the corner, and then they were
gone. '.Thers goes the best dog team
In Alaska and driven By two Of the
best men on earthr' exclaimed q man
- he re-eutered the house.
The trail was easily followed, and
soou 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 hne snow
high In the air. tr
They are beginning to smoke!" ex-
claimed one of. the men.
"Yes; we must get back before night
or It's all on" replied the other
Down, down, the steep descent they
plunged, and by o'clock they were
on 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 II 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 had evidently abandoned all hope
ana was weeping bitterly when she
suddenly heard the yell Of a driver
and the barking OF dogs. In q 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 capped her hands with Joy.
The dogs lay down aud with their
iolling 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 W At.s g
When they recrossed the summit the
whole range was smoking" and the
wind was sending the fine snow along
the crust. II whipped their faces with
a warning Of what was coming, but
the driver said.
Twenty miles to town, and It can
never catch us!"
In Valdez every one was anxiously
| watching the trail. Many exclaimed.
'"rhey cant possibly DO here before
midnight!" but they were, As they
rushed up to the crowd with n yell
and chorus Of barks from the noble
dogs they were met by eager. helping
hands. The dogs acted as II they had
understood why they were being pet
I'd. and again tho woman wept for
i iov