The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-02-06

Sea had other plans and ere long the foreground was in dreadful con ! fusion, with the prospect that it would be wilder still before winter had finished. One year the ice for ! got to stop when it came moving in the direction of Nome so the first street and everything along it was moved down and known no more-probably an improvement for Nome-anyway, there was noth- ing that could be dene to head off that irresistible ice.
 Nomeites are greatly relieved when they get rid of that last boat in the fall. Everyone works at top speed during the summer, as it seems necessary and unavoidable, but when finally they see the road stead free from boats, and know that no others will be there to 1 make them trouble until the follow ing June, they heave one concerted and unanimous sigh of joy and feel
 
 One queer thing at Nome is the water running away in the fall; the winds blow it to the South Sea Islands as far as anybody seems to know. In order to load and dis charge the barges between ship and shore, the lighterage company is obliged each year to build an emergency pier reaching farther out into the bay than the previous I dock. Even then the water is often so far out that for days no lighter ing can go forward, the ship just has to lie out there helpless. Then when it gets good and ready the water "comes back" Its running away is quite independent of the tides. The piling, lumber and labor for this extra dock run into several thousand dollars, and all that comes of it is that each winter the ice carries the structure away. The evidenced by splintered piles which can be seen in the water in sum- mer, and it looks as if a new site will have to be chosen before many years, as there isn't room among the old stubs where much more pill ing can be driven.
 There's a spirit about Nome which isn't to be found elsewhere-you don't know what it's all about or what it's nature is but it's feelable Folks seem to enjoy living and one does not hear complaints about win tering there. If ever there was a time when people felt tshut in" or out of the world, it was in the days before airplane service It seems but day or two from the departure of the boats till the coming of Christmas.
 Although there has not been any winter weather thus far [December] ] there has been abundance of snow and citizens of Nome walk in sort of a roller coaster effect when they go the length of Front street; the drifts have been tramped solid by the traffic and are so high that pe- destrians look down into the win dows of houses. The climate puts up such a dramatic and spectacular front that it gets over the effect of being truly Arctic. The wind whistles and howls and shrieks and makes one know the emotion gratitude for a roof overhead. It whips the Eskimos' parkas about them and satisfies early ideas of storm-driven beings in the "desoIate" north. It also slaps snow everywhere with such force that all Nome is blanket ed with white, which is a blessing, since it makes the town appear quite festive and Christmas-caTdie.
 Mail leaves Nome once a week by dog team, but residents don't pay much attention to that, preferring to wait and take chance on mail by plane. The weather has not been flying weather and Nomeites hope in vain that a change will make it better for the men hunting for Eielson. Lower temperatures would have been a blessing for that cause. The winds have kept the air full of snow, whether any was falling or not, and visibility has been nil, or little more. It is terrible having all these planes stormbound and idle and knowing that every day lessen's Eielson's chances. Everyone is be- coming pessimistic as time goes on, although there are some who can't give up hope that he is just down somewhere-b not injured-just unable to take off. The flight is not considered as hazardous, from Tel