The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-05
[lRG0 Of HUMAN C0RPS[S instead Of
| CARGO Of MAGNIFICENT SEAL 2%zz|NS

AOA tAS A0A - ~ W SAAo "AAA~ " -
in which dix sn was their only
hope Of safety>sThe unfortunate SUI
fering sealers could not stand still
against the gale. They were there
fore forced to walk before the biting,
freezing wind, and all night plodded
before the storm. During the night
some Of the men were frost bitten and
fell exhausted Their comrades
stood by them while life lasted. When
day light broke, the blizzard was still
raging and no ships were in sight
Realizing then that they were bat
Ting with death, the men held con-
ference and decided to divide up IN
companies, some going IN one direc-
ton and some another, in the hope
that one of the groups might sight a
ship. All day, benumbed with cold
and faint from hunger-they had not
eaten since Tuesday noon--the seal
hunters battled with the gale. The
weaker men began to fall. Some ex-
'pired Others were carried by COM
rades who risked their own lives
rather than abandon them while
chance of rescue remained. Darkness
fell on Wednesday and still there
was no sign Of ship.
BY this time the faces and hands
of practically all the men were frost
bitten The stoutest hearts quailed
in the face of another night on the
ice without food or warmth. They
knew 1t meant death to many of the
company but they kept together in
squads, Of fives, ten and twenties,
walking through the long night to
keep from freezing.
Every hour men fell exhausted.
never to rise again. Their compan-
ions huddled about them as protec-
ton from the biting winds. Not a
man suggested abandoning the fallen
until it was certain life was extinct.
Then the stronger men dragged the
bodies OF their dead comrades to,
gether. They tore4s away strips Of
clothing and .,oisted them TO mark the
sp0f where The dsad mig tt hs
found and Continued their tramp IN
the face OF the storm and cold and
death
! Thursday morning broke with
/ clearing sky. The gale, had abated
/, Hope was revived and as soon as II
was light enough to travel Intelligent
lily. the strongest men struck out IN
the hope Of sighting a steamer They
had not travelled far when a thin line
of smoke was seen across the ice some
distance to the eastward. It was the
Bellaventure. While three men press
ed on toward the Bellaventure, 9th
ers retraced their steps to tell the1l
/ comrades and dying that there was
still hope. New strength seemed ff
come to the stricken survivors an
they set about gathering up the
bodies of the dead, so that they might
be found by passing ships. The
three men who struggled toward the
Eellaventure, reached the ship al
: o'clock Thursday morning and re
ported the disaster. 1t was fifty-twe
hours since they had tasted food ant
two nights had been spent on the Ice
! after a days work on Tuescav. which
! would task the strength Of the hard
lest of men.
On hearing the story OF the three
survivors, Captain Rande'i immediate
lly ordered full steam ahead towart
the spot where the remain1er of the
New Foundland's crew was WATCHING
over the dead. The wireless of the
Bellaventure snapped out rsnorts O
the disaster to other ships and t.le1
came such work of rescue as seanc'
are seldom called upon to do. TIL
ice was packed tight and rated, fol
lowing the forty-eight hour storm
Other steel constructed ships tcrde'
Itow. I'd the scene but little heat!wa!
couId be made through the tci. PACKS
Finding his way was teT1Forarli.
blocked. Captain Randsll put out 1o
men with clothing, blankets. food
Ilfauor and other restoratives. Thes'
men hastened across the ice ahead
their ship AS they reached the spo'
they found many dying. Little nut
terins bits of clothing signalled tn
dead and little groups OF survivor
were found. Several were found dy
ing and the timely arrival OF tn
irescuers saved their lives.
<he entire steel feet Of seven yes
sells butted and hammered against tn
ice Jams under high pressure throug.
out Thursday and Thursday nigh
BY Friday noon the entire area tra'
ersed by the stricken crew had bee
covered The vessels then checke
up on the results of their rescl
work. When it was determined tina
III who were dead and 81 survivor
represented the full complement c
men caught on the ice. the feet steam
ed in the direction of the New Foun'
land. The vessel lay HELPLESS, grll
ped in the ice. Comparing the dea
and survivors with the ships list
was found that all had been accoun
ed for except eight. No trace OF tn
bodies of these poor fellows has ye
been reported
CONTINUED on page 2.}