Evening star., 1933-11-16
BY S. CURRIE.

BY S. CURRIE.
CAMERON BAY, Northwest Terri
tory, November 15.-We left Franklin
on October 20 with barge in tow.
There were four of us on the Speed
Capt. Vic Ingraham, Jimmy Potts,
Harry Jebb and myself. There were
Joe Wallechie, william Parker, Stanley
Hooker and Neil Collins.
We started out with fair winds, but
soon struck head winds, and we
spent days bucking them. On the
evening of October IS, about miles
off Caribou Point and about so miles
from Cameron Bay. We ran into ter
rible.' heavy running sea. Both the
Speed and the scow were covered
with ice. It was impossible to fill our
motor boat fuel tanks on account of
the thick covering Of ice.
Then engine trouble developed and
We decided to cut the scow loose. We
drifted around all night. our compass
not working, and we tried desperately to
repair our engine. Toward morning We
managed to clear off some of the Ice
and I'LL one of the fuel tanks. All the
time we followed the shore-line and
fought heavy seas.
Fire In Engine Room.
Finally fate dealt us the cruelest
blow of all. Just as night was coming
on fire broke out in the engine room
The flames spread quickly, although all
the extinguishing fluid had been used.
Ingraham's clothes caught fire and were
burning freely as he and the rest of us
fought the flames. I obtained a pail
of water and threw 1t over Ingraham
We turned and made our way to the
pilot house. Potts and Jebb stayed in
the striken engine room. The place was
seething furnace. We could not help
them. We were forced to leave the ship
We made several attempts to get
them out; it was no use, the flames
we're quickly licking up everything. We
had to quit: had to take care of our
selves.
We located an air-iniated rubber
lifeboat and with great difficulty
launched 1t. After another struggle,
we managed to get clear Of the vessel.
It was am, and we were adrift on
Great Bear Lake, without any paddles,
food or warm clothing, with the gale
steadily increasing in intensity.
We we're adrift about half an hour
when terrific blast was heard. 1t was
the last ever seen Of the Speed. Waves
swept over the sides Of our rubber boat
and the water froze on US. By morning
we we're almost solid blocks of ice. We
drifted all night About 7:30 the next
morning we were blown on the shore
of an island 1t was lined by ice
feet high. On account of the frozen
condition we were in, it was with great
difficulty that we finally got over to the
lower ice bank and pulled ourselves up.
Attempting to walk, we both fell, on
account Of our frozen clothes. We kept
standing up, trying to walk and falling
down and finally did make about 200
yards before We were forced to stop
and thaw ourselves out.
Ingrahanl's matches were soaked.
After a struggle with my clothes, I
finally located a match-head, a candle
stub and pencil in one of my pockets.
With these things and few. small
twigs, managed fire. Ingraham's
hands and feet were badly frozen. The
| island was sparsely wooded so we were
unable to make very warm fire.
On October %, without food of any
kind we set out in a northerly direction
in an attempt to find the abandoned
barge. We walked all day, but made
slow progress on account of our frozen
condition. We had dried out Ingra
hams matches and when we made
camp that night we could light the fire.
Fortunately for us, the channel between
the island and the mainland was frozen
over and on the morning of October 80
we set out at daylight and after travel
ing for about two hours we saw some
footprints in the snow.
Find Barge Crew Members.
We followed these footprints all day
and just before dark when We were
giving up hope We saw the barge crew,
its members seeing us almost at the
same time and Immediately giving US
assistance. We were taken to a tent
located about mile inland, where
timber was available.
Both of us were exhausted, starved
and chilled to the bone The only food
available was dried potatoes and small
amount of mush. Two days later, how
ever, fate was more kind to us and one
of the men luckily killed caribou.
On the following day Stanley Hooker
and Bill Parker were sent out to Cam
eron Bay for assistance. 1t took them
six days, and on November 6 two air
planes were rushed to our assistance,
bringing DR.. T. o. Byrne. All of us
were loaded into the planes and rushed
back here to Cameron Bay. From here
Ingraham was taken to Fort Norman,
from which point he will later he trans
ferred to Aklavik for hospital treatment
| (Copyright. 1898. by North American News
paper Alliance. Inc. All rights reserved).
DESCRIBES BARGE FATE.