The Nome nugget., 1928-01-14
LOCAL NEWS
AI4ECk HOLMsEN DROPS DEAD

The many friends of Aleck Holm sen were pained Monday after noon when telephone messa ge from Biuf conveyed the news of his sudden death at that place. Leaving Nome last Friday with Marshal Chas. D. Jones, enroute to orthern Alaska points on ofiicial business, Aleck was driving a big string of dogs for the marshal. In negotiating the distance between Solomon and Bluff it appears that Mr. Holmsen over-exerted himself climbing the Topkok hill. and when on the other side he remark ed that he was prespiring freely and seemed dazed. On reaching the roadhouse Marshal Jones told him to change his clothing before feed ing the dogs, which he did. After going and attending to the dols Mir. Holmsen did not return and the marshal went out to see what had become of him. and on enter ing the dog barn found him .,i"g dead, evidently from a heart at tack. The remains were brought to Nome by Chas. Olsen. of Bluff, who is a personal friend of 're de- ceased
 Later it was learned that while enroute from Nome to solomon, and while rounding Cape Nome on the ice, the team became unman- ageable and Marshal Jones was thrown out of the sled, and Mr. Holmsen losing his feet. was drag ged for q considera ble distance over the ice of Bering Sea before he finally lost his hold upon the handlebars of the sled. The team was later found in the vicinity of the Cape Nome roadhouse on the other side of the Cape, where the party stayed for the night.
 The next day they mushed to Solomon and stopped at Peter Cur rams roadhouse where they receiv- ed the best in the land. Mir. Cur ran is reported as saying that AL eek Holmsen did not seem to feel just right when he was at the roadhouse. probably due to being dragged by the dog team.
 The following morning they left Solomon enroute to Rluff along the coast. The mail carrier was met and also another dog musher. and everything seemed to be going fine, but when they came to the five mile detour over Topkok hill. in stead of going around the Boring Sea shore ice which is naturally dangerous, they went over the hill. It is very difficult climb up this mountain side which is very pre- cipitous on the water side. MT. Jones and MT. Hclmsen both walk ed and let the dog team draw the empty sled up the incline. After reaching the summit of the noun
  Jones that he wanted to tell him something but he could not remem- Der what it was. He said: '1 can't seem to remember. I'll tell you later when we get to B1uff,'
 After reaching Bluff MT. Holmsen wanted to feed his dogs the first thsno hut xpac porcua dod fo chanpa his clothing first. after which he passed around the cigars to those present in the roadhouse. MT. Holmsen then said he would like 10 get the dried salmon to feed he dogs and went out with Olson to get it. He then went to the dog barn and fed the 16 dogs separate ly. which took some little time to do. When MT. Olsen came into the roadhouse Marshal Jones inquired as to the whereabouts of MT. Holm sen. and he was told that he was feeding the dogs. After waiting reasonable time Marshal Jones went into the dog barn and found Mir. Holmsen lying across the dog sled. He went back into the road house and asked for help to bring AIeck in. He was found to he stone dead and his nose was a lit- tie bruised from the fatal fall. The following day he was brought to