Valdez daily prospector., 1917-01-04
IN QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND
Thrilling Rescue of Crew Through Boiling Surf by the Crew of the Steamer Humboldt-Two Remain on Island.


 into the boiling surf, surrounding the island, in order to be rescued, is the experience of the members If the crew of the Canadian Survey boat Stadia, who were rescued from Storm Island in Queen Charlotte sound by the crew of the steamer Humboldt last Wednesday. The men had been On the island for seven days when rescued, and although they had not suffered greatly they all showed plainly the effects of the exposure to which they had been subjected.
 Early this morning when the Hur. boldt landed at Juneau Captain Bau- phman gave a graphic account of the rescue of the shipwrecked men by the members of his gallant crew. "Wednesday morning at 2 o'clock, while passing Storm island" said Capt. Baughman, i've saw a red light burning as a distress signal. It was too dark to make out whether the | light was on an island or on a ship ashore, so we cruised around until daylight. We made several attempts to get in during the night but on ac- count of the heavy seas running and he numerous reefs in the vicinity of the island we were unable to do sc. "We waited until after o'cloc': when It was light enough for us .o get in close to the land. We then saw that the light was on top of the bluff end that there were six men on the island. The work boat with the first mate and three men was put over | he side and cruised around trying to find landing placeon the sout l side of the island but they were un- able to do so.
 We then shifted to the north side of the island and tried again without any results. I then asked the mate if he could get line ashore and he said I can with large boat.
 "The seas were so rough here that we were forced to pour quantities of oil on the water before were were able to lower one of the big life boats.
 "This boat with the mate and five men in it then went in close to the island and managed to get a line ashore which was made fast to the top of a tree on the bluff The shore st this point was almost perpendicu- lar and the surf was breaking heav- lily and dashing up the side. A ring buoy was placed on the main line and two running lines made fast, one being held in the boat and the other by the men on the shore. |
 "As soon a; this line had been. made secure, the men one by tOne on the island would place the buoy around their waists and slide over the bluff into the boiling surf be- low. They were in constant danger of being dashed back against the rocks, but the fellows in the boat managed to pull each of them free and to the boat before any accident of that kind happened.
 "One of the men had heart trouble. 50 he claimed and as there was weeks provisions on the island he el- ected to stay behind rather than to risk the surf. Another man decidrl to stay with him. We finished the work of getting the men off the is- land by noon and proceeded north. The men were landed at Ketchikan and will leave there for the south on the Prince Rupert"
 First mate Olaf H. Hanson was very reticent about the affair. we didn't do anything wonderful" he said. What we did was all in days work and there was no danger about 1t. We had to be careful to keep from being dashed on a reef by the undertow of the surges. but we came through all right. There was a bad reef on each side of us and it was rather ticklish work for a short tima but there was nothing wonderful about 1t: But I will admit that if the Humboldt had crew of China men, as some of the American boats have, the men would still have been on the island" -. ....
 The men on the island were wreck ed on December 18th when their boat, the Stadia, was driven on the rocks of the island by a strong ground swell. The Stadia had been anchored near the spot of the wreck for sever al days previous, and on Wednesday tried to cross Queen Charlotte Sound |northbound. The boat was driven back by the heavy seas and again sought for anchorage, but in somc m annar missed tha Snot and crashad