Evening journal., 1915-09-09
New News Of Yesterday
How Alaska Was Trans
ferred TO the United States
nv Holland

The late Dr. Delavan Bloodgood,
who was for many years medical di.
rector in the United States navy. llv.
ed for a time after his retirement az
the Brooklyn navy yard. Or. Blood
good gained an enviable reputation
for his services. especially during the
civil war. He was regarded by the
Navy Department as an expert au-
thority upon the treatment of yellow
fever. and that was a plague which
constantly gave the Navy Department
concern. since Il was necessary to
send government ships to various
ports in which yellow fever annually
appeared and sometimes developed
into an epidemic
DR.. Bloodgood was an interesting
narrator OF anecdotes and his per
sonal appearance and vivacity of man
ner gave additional charm to his mar
ration. In conversation with the late
Frederick w. Seward. shortly after
his return in 1900 from a visit to
Alaska-which had been purchased by
his father, William H. Seward. Secre-
tary of State. from Russia for the
United States I'm iS67-Mr Seward
said that he was inclined to think that
DR.. Bloodgood was the only person
at that time living who witnessed the
ceremony Of the transfer of the sover-
eighty of Alaska to the United States.
Several weeks after Mr. Seward made
this statement 10 me I met Dr. Blood
good in the presidents room Of the
Lincoln National Bank of New York.
That gave me an opportunity to ask
him how IL happened that he was at
SitlEa when the United States receiv-
ed by formal ceremony the sover-
eighty of Alaska.
ut was due in part TO chance and IN
part to misfortune and also to great
good fortune that ! was there" said
Dr.. Bloodgood "In the early winter
of 1867 the Navy Department receiv-
ed information that yellow fever had
become epidemic at Panama and that
It had attacked the sailors and ma
rines who were on board the warship
jamestown at that port. The Navy
Department instructed me to 90 at
once TO Panama and do what / could
to suppress the scourge. / found a
terrible state of things on board the
jamestown. The fever was In it's most
virulent form. l thought that I was
immune, but / was mistaken I came
down with the fever and how I ever
recovered from It don't know.
ut became necessary thoroughly 10
disinfect the ship after the scourge
had been conquered, and the Navy De
partment was advised that the best
way to do that was to send the
jamestown TO the cold climate OF
Alaska. We sailed for gitka with
what remained of the crew who had
recovered from the scourge and we
arrived there about the time that the
official representatives. of the United
States and Russia met i'm th- little
capital of Alaska. I was invited tC
witness the ceremony of the transfer
of the sovereignty.
1T was a very simple affair. Th'
two or three representatives of th'
United States exchanged visits will
the two or three representatives O
Russia. Then the little battalions O
= soldiers from each nation marched q
p the parade ground of very crud
r Russian fort and then the Russial
/ flag was hauled down and the Amer
lean flag raised. while simultaneousl,
! T. soldiers of each nation saiuted tn
b flag. A few words were spoken b,
! the Russian officers and a few by tn
, officer who represented the United
States, and that was all there wal
to IT, Russia had by that act for
mally yielded her sovereignty owe
what used to be called Russian Amer
lea to the United States. Nobody
dreamed then how soon the wealth