The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-09
Ada Blackjack, Lone SurUiOor
 Of Crawford Party, Tells Her
 Story Of Winters In Arctic

until the season was well advanced,
 however, that hope of succor was en-
 tlrcly abandoned, then 1t was realized
 that a second winter must be passed
 on Wrangle Island.
 The first had been an interesting
 adventure, the hardship had not been particularly great and all Woulu
 nave teen speedily forgotten hao oter re- lisf come when expected. Anothr
 winter under less favorable circum- stances was an entirely different matter. Eut there was no alterna- tive.
 Moved To Doubtful HarbOr.
 They laid in what meat they could and husbRnded their resources as much ss possible. On November To- 1922, they moved their camp to Doubtful Harbor, where there was plentiful supply of driftwooo anu they would thus not need to use thelr fat for fuel. But as the winter
 dragged on its weary length, the food supply got less and less ana they saw 1t would not be sufficient until spring. Furthermore, lack or sufficient food of the proper klna was having it's effect and hnight particularly was beginning to snow signs of what Ada called scurvy, put which mig.t have been some other result of malnutrition, something had to be done.
 On January [, 1928, in the depth of the winters darkness, CraWIoro and Knight set off for the siberian coast, little more than 100 miles dls tant. If they could once reach It they could probably bring back sue cor for their comrades, but the ice
 was badly broken and travel was very rough They made brave at- tempt, but Crawford froze his mn gers and Knights weakened conoi- tion compelled them to return to Wrangle Island after two weeks on the ice in their futile epdeavor.
 After allowing a week for CraW- ford to recuperate, another attempt
 was made to reach Siberia. rms time Crawford was accompanied py Maurier and Gale. Knight was un- able to travel and he was left in care of Ada Blackjack, with all the food which could be spared from the shore party. Crawford and his com panions carried their food, consist, ing principally of pilot bread ana seal oil, on a sIedge drawn by tlVe dogs. They intended to continue their efforts to reach Siberia at all costs as there was little use III is turning to the island. They had ieft Ada and Knight with sufficient 1000 to last them until spring with care and their return would only jeopard- ize the safety of the entire party. Knight Died June 22.
 Ada nursed Knight until he died on June 22, his condition had become so grave by spring that the oppor- tt nifty to secure fresh food with the break up of the ice came too late. .
 Knight was the only member or the party whom l had known preW- ously I was particularly affected as I looked upon his emaciated form laid out in the tent where Ada had left his body since his death. Before returning we dug grave and gave the remains of my poor pal a decent burial 1 shall not dwell upon the details of this scene.
 Of course, Ada had no more idea of the fate of Crawford and his coni- panions than I had. she had hoped that they reached Siberia safely and she was still inclined to think that perhaps some day they would turn up, but 1 must confess that l could not share her belief. The boys were undoubtedly in very weakened con dition when they set out, and tn- doubtedly none of them had any pre- vious experience of ice travelling eX- cepting Maurier, and his experience was confined principally to one trip from the wrecked Karluk In 1914 to Wrangle Island. Then he was a member of a large party commanded by Capt. R. A. Bartlett, an experi- enced Arctic traveller and fuliy equipped with everything required.
 Therefore, I am afraid that their chance of reaching Siberia was very slim. Furthermore, have since heard that Castel, former member T of the Canadian Arctic expedition of 1913-1S, who has been living Tor some years in Siberia, traveled all along the north coast of Siberia in June of this year, camping in native houses every night. without hearing anything from the Eskimos of the missing men. Many ships have also travelled along that coast since the opening of navigation but they. too have nothing to report. Allen Craw- ford, Frederick Maurier and Miltor Galle seem to have joined their pal Lorne Knight. in that land from which no traveller returns.