Douglas Island news., 1921-06-10
WONDERFUL GRIT
 OF PROsPECTCR
William Hogan, Blind and Badly Injured, Makes His Way to Camp
 After Hard Struggle

IN N.N N.'N 'NlNlN. N"I ..N "I N' days The l0w-hangins. heavily aat- .uratcd clouds were giving mp on oc- ! eumu.auon of moisture such aa thoy . can only do in Alaska Whore Che ! drops Of rain had not yet failed Co reach tho penetrating dampucw ! preceded so chat no dry spot remaIn- ! ed in Che Prince William Sound country
 It was Che noon "chow" t.mc. July |t. 1906. and William Hogan. pros pcctor. being over a mile from his louo camp. decided chat ho might os we'll stop anywhere and grab a bite to c1t So Che location whore he happened Co bc at Che umo was a sort Of sheltered nook under a large rock on Che edge of a prcc.pico.
 From a tcw suntci and half dead pines growing In Che nearby rocka Hogan gathered a moaeer supply Of wator-soakcd wood and proceeded to .kudIc % nrc using somo shavings hc had vhitucd. Ho was heating water for the coGce In am old un butter can that had previously cone uucd gun powder However Che flames were rather stubborn in con- umue Che wood so now and then Co expedite matters Hogan would eet down on his hands and knees and blow on Che urc. lt was during ono of these actions chat a terrific explosion occurred. hmlug Hogan lover Che prcc.p.oc to Che rocks some l0 feet below Tho uiu0g.ycerin from Che powder had settled Iu Che bottom of Che un can and being too uhuy packed by tho uusolublo water grow too warm witch the in- ev.abio rault Hogan recovered enough from Che summing shock and Che blows received from Che lau to determine Chat hIs teeth were missing. his face. head and choai hadIy lacorated. But Che most erow- come discovery was made when he found out Chat ho could not sec. Inc .dcnuIy Hogan was f0 miles from Che nearest human After Httlc moro clearly rcraIu.ne hia senses he arosc and nopci idly around Iu Che druuur rau. If vas chen Chat he moro fully realized his prodicamont He knew hat he was seriously .u- urcd and was totally blind. Wip- u- uc moisture from his body Ho- ean would taste it to learn whether or not it uas blood or rain. as he .ad no, want ,o bleed to doath m- uov.ne'y
 Having chat manny feeling of direction and being somewhat amu- ar with Che topography of Che sur rounding country Hogan proceeded ,o feel and crawl hs way oyor thc ground to his tcnl Hc had only progressed a few feet whom hc fcu Unto large hole lt was during ha seemingly hopeless. yet dolormIu- ed attempts Go climb out as a beetle seeking freedom from a glazed dish containing water. chat large owl rerchcI ou Che limb of a nearby tree md tomcnted him with ia crie. Finally almost driven to Che point oi insanity by Che wa.lus Of Che blood seeking bird Chat bo knew was moro- .ly waiting -vulur -and hIs n- tense physical suffering only adding to Che torture. Hogan made a supor- human effort and succeeded In scal- ling thc wall of Che hole Chat had SO repeatedly let him slip back when the top was uoar
 Slowly creeping over cI1s logs and through bushes. witch bIs hands raw and bleeding from cuts of devil clubs and sharp rocks Hogan auc- cocdcd u crossing two streams end finally reached tbe proe.p.co on Che bay hc believed his tent was noar Gmsnue sap'us ho swung down ova Che ci0s But h.a feet did not roach bottom as tbcy had when he used tha method to hurrcliy roach camp For what seemed to bc. hours he hung Co h.s ran uoo too weak lo pun himself back After au his strength was exhausted Ho- gan released bH hold and lef che result to whatever fate had in store for him.
 Uo dropped e0 feet In tlo waters %. Prince WHUam Sound Prov dcucc ny3rod him Tho ule was high Had it been low Hogan would have dropped not into Che re- ceDuyc waves below. but on am ugly
 group Of pointed rocks Chat would have been Inevitable death
 Tho plunge into Che cold water for Che Umc being revived Hogan. Uo rvam as bost bo could. and with ono hand guided his course along |thc rocky cUN Tme after time he wont down. but his everlasting power ol win maintained tho ondoay- ors to ave his ufo. Ho later reached a high rock and perchci himself