Evening star., 1923-10-22
BY HAROLD NOICE.
Leader wrangeI Island Rescue Ex-
peditiOn.

Wrangel Island, in clear sailing
weather. is not more than four days
from Nome. But distance in the north
cannot be measured by dividers. The
ice pack permits no short cuts
We were sixteen days out Of Nome
time enough to traverse the distance
four times over-before we caught our
first rewarding glimpse of that rocky
promontory that was to yield up from
its forbiddinS reaches. the secrets OF
another arctic tragedy.
was at the masthead, high ABOVE
the ice level. searching the white
stretches for the zig-zag leads Of blue
that are the navigator's only means or
penetrating the great foes. 1t was ma
night when the fog suddenly lifted ana
there, stark black against the purphsn
sky. the cliffs of Wrangel rose ike
forbidding wall across the ships PAIN, TN,
We had been for ten days In the ice
pack. We had smashed our DOW ana
our engine had broken down. Only the
presence OF water-tight buikhead nad
prevented the ship from sinking. Inc
men, from First officer Olsen TO Bob
bic Clark, the cabin boy, had met the
emergencies with the best spirit OF the
north. and Jack Williams and Joseph
Earl. the engineers. had done super
human chore in keeping tnat Jumping
old engine going at all.
A sigh of relief went up from the
entire crew when we bucked through
the last cake of ice and entered the
stretch of clear water bordering the
Island
No Sleep for Any One.
Neither Olsen nor I had taken our
clothes off since we entered the ice
pack. That night there was no bed for
any one. A few of the Eskimos doZed
among the skin boats the thong-lashed
sledges and the twenty shaggy haired
dogs that ciuttered the deck. Most OF
the Esl limos were gloomy at sight OF
Wells. none of the white men were go
ing to remain on the island. To the
natives this first glimpse of their fu-
ture home did not prove alluring.
To an Eskimo life resolves Itself into
terms OF food and shelter, and the pros
poets of both seemed poor. The mo-
mentary elation on sighting the island
vanished as swiftly as it had come.
II was not until dawn. when herd
Of walrus appeared on the edge Of the
ice pack, that the native huntsmen be-
gan to smile again. To the rest of us
hope came Surging back with the ris-
ing sun, for new island lay revealed.
In the night we had passed the cliffs
and ahead lay low coast, luNuriant
in vegetation. From the seashore
broad, grassy plain climbed gently to
the snow-free mountainous interior.
All the forebodings l had entertained
for months seemed to melt as l
watched the sun splashing warmth upon
the growing things of this seemingly
genial island. After all. life here might
not be so bad. My mind leaped back
across the two years that Crawford and
his men had been marooned here. and
l began to think of the possible means
by which they might have kept them
selves alive. There was driftwood in
plenty. That was hopeful sign. They
could have built themselves warm and
bear tracks; we saw wairus and seals.
That meant fresh meat in plenty.
Olsen said to me. voicing the hope
that had been constantly in my mind:
''If only the ammunition has held out
they still may be alive.
Fog Settles Again. !
AS we steamed west. dense fog set
tied down again shutting out all view
of the island except a narrow strip of
beach. We went ahead at about three
knots an hour, stopping constantly to
examine every little mound we saw on
the shore. thinking il might be cairn
built by human hands.
At length a low cliff loomed on the
starboard side-the cliff which form ed
the northern boundary of Rogers har-
Dor. Here, we had been told, we would
find the boys. But, perceiving no signs
of human habitation, we concluded that
the party had not been landed there.
It was after we had sailed away again
that we discovered what was to prove
the forerunner of tragedy. Ten miles
farther on we came on an abandoned
camp and there found a bottle, half
buried in mud, containing a claim to
ownership of Wrangel Island in the
name Of King George, and signed by
the four men Of the party. This proc
lamation was dated September 16, 1921.
There was nothing to give a single clue
toward solving the mystery of what had
befallen the party since that date.
Then on again. through the fog,
until, in the early morning of August
90, as our boat was creeping along
the shore, a shout went up from our
Eskimos. They were pointing to a
figure dinlly visible on the beach. /
rang down full speed astern. to stop
the Donaldson, then put off in a
umiak "a walrus-hide boat) with a
crew of natives.
AS We drew near the island. I saw
the vague form was that of a woman.
She came wading through the shallow
water to meet us. l knew at once IL
was Ada Blackjack. Her face had the
look of hunter. When / shook her
hand I knew without any telling
that she had had hard time. It was
the hand of fighter. She was dressed
Wa'Va Earnad