The Nome nugget., 1924-10-25
U. $. NOT CONCERNED OVER FLAG ON VlRANGLE
JOHN JOHNSON IS
 FROZEN TO DEATH

Wha; probably of the terrible in ,idents occurring in this section in time ended n the freezing to death of John Johnson, 57 years 'f age and partner in the dredging concern of [verson & Johnson who operating a dredge Big Hurrah." tributary of Solomon River
 Several mining men including MT Johnson Pete Iverson and Fred Mebes, planning trip Nome start Tuesday morning. John son and Mebes, however, had dogs and each had some pups il decided by the pair to travel by sled by way of Safety Lagoon the pups would ne unable keep pace with the truck and there haul them in the vehicle.
 A, about II o'clock, when about three miles the pups started to give chase eulls which q short distance away, and realia- ing the presence of the birds meant open they started the sled in the opposite drec ton to get back solid footing. It while the of making the turn that the ice gave way both travellers crashed through. MT Mehes. who riding the sled the time only the hips but Johnson was pretty weii tucked, the latter, when both safely out on the ice again back make attempt release the dogs the sled which submerged As he along the line cutting them loose he thinner and he finally again preciptated into the icy water of the lagoon.
 Mebes called to Johnson to see if the latter could reach bottom and the reply ''there is bottom here' Mehes said that Johnson then got onto the sunken sled and able to stand there with the water his chin. Seeing that he could not hear his unfortunate companion Mebes says that he told Johnson tbat he would go for help and left inn mediately for the roadhouse. arriving there three hours in state exhaustion from the cold and the wettng he had experienced Pete Iverson and the rest of the men who were on the truck had ar rived and started out at once along the lagoon with Chas. Dalqust and his team of horses drawing boat but found that they could not get it to the scene of the accident from that direction they had turn back. They then started the trail and located the approximate location after dark, but believing Johnson to have been drowned returned to the roadhouse to await daylight to make an attempt to recover the body.
 The next day. Wednesday, they went back the scene and searching around and from distance what they thought to be seals the ice. They thought nothing of this seals had been seen on drifting cakes at different times during the search. However. getting to this spot the third day they discovered that the form the ice was the form of and upon investigation it was found be the body of the supposedly drowned Johnson
 Mr. Iverson advances the theory that after Mebes left for aid Johnson decided to put up fight for his life and commenced to swim for solid ice which to climb out upon. Having reached the ice and managed to drag himself out. he commenced to crawl around aimlessly in exhausted condition and managed to get about hundred feet from the place where he fell into the water. He had been crawling in the wrong direction. however and finally getting back to thin ice again foot broke through and his strength was not sufficient to enable him to drag it out and continue onward. With one hand he had been carrying snow-shoe and it was ly- ing near at hand when he found.
 It is said that Johnson and Mebes warned against travelling along the center of thes lagoon before they started with the dogs and 1t is