The Nome nugget., 1939-05-19
Pilot Jefford Tells Of Shipwreck At St. Lawrence Is.

JeffOrd, returned last nlSllt iioiil a flight to St. Lawrence Island, with a story of the ship-wreck- ing of six small boats filled with Russian Eskimos.
 Jefford reported that on May ' seven whale boats filled with Rus sian Eskimos, left Indian Point, Siberia on a whale and walrus hunt in Boring Sea. Shortly after putting to sea in the boats, which were equipped with outboard motors, a storm came up and they became separated. The storm ragged for the better part of two days, until the morning of the 10th when one boat having six of the Siberians aboard sighted a mountain on St. LaWrene ls- land They made for the island, and when still some distance off, were sighted by the American Eskimos at the village of Gam bell
 The Gambell natives put off in two of their skin boats, and pick ed up the derelict, towing it to shore. The motor on the Russian whale boat had failed during the storm, and they were continual ly in danger of being sWamped during the storm.
 Aboard the Russian boat which about 30 feet long, and made of wood, were Momatak, Itiah, Anaahuk, Kiluk, Unkihuk and Okcomalay. The boat is now on St. Lawrence Island, and Pilot Jefford reported that the Gam bell Eskimos were planning to take the shipwrecked Siberians back to Indan Point, Siberia.
 The day the storm came up, said Pilot Jefford, who obtained his story thru and interpreter on the island, the Russians had walruS aboard and were butch ering it. They sighted the mother and four young ones, and shot them. While working on them, the storm caught them, and they were unable to start their motor
 They hoisted a sail, but the wind ripped it apart. They then used the skin of a Walrus as a sea- anchor, but 1t too, was finally carried away. Finally they put the mast and the remnants of the sail overheard to hold the boats head into the wind, and managed to ride out the storm.
 When the storm and high Wa ter had quieted, they could see nothing of the other six boats, and believe the occupants dead. During the height of the storm. Momatuk fell overheard and in the excitement was not missed The water at this time registered only 15 degrees above zero. His shlpmates finally caught sight of him swimming toward them, and managed to throw him a line saving his life.
 The Boring Sea at this time was clear of ice, between St. Law renee and Indian Point. HoWev- er, the storm broke up giant ice fIoes which presented a danger during the three days, until they were picked up by the Gambell Eskimos, on May 10th.
 Pilot Jefford talked to the Si- berian Eskimos through an inter preter and they all wrote notes m the Russian language which Jefford agreed to drop at Indian Point on his return flight to Nome. Jefford flew over Indian Point but found it logged in, and could not drop the notes, which he now has with him.
 He took pictures of the boat and crew, including the hunting irons" they had, and in addi- tion shot fifty feet of movie film.
 Efforts are now being made by the Gambell natives to return the boatcrew to its home at h. dian point, which is nearly oppo- site St. Lawrence Island.
 Of the other six boats and their crews, nothing was seen by pilot Jefford, and nothing has been heard of them since.