The Nome nugget., 1941-07-21
Leaves Vivid
 Account Suffering Of Bering's Crew

y covery of Alaska On that Thurs day, in TAI just past noon. VltuS Boring. commander of the eXpedi tioT1 and of the flagship, St. Peter entered in the ships log. At 12:3O we sighted high snow-cov- cred mountains and among them a high volcano N by w (which he named St. Elias). Topsail wind, clear, with passing clouds; car rying top-sails, staysails, foresail and mainsail; sounded in 190 fathoms, no bottom"
 The much neglected history of the discovery of Alaska has been overshadowed in America by the development which was taking place at the same time on the eastern seaboard where thirteen colonies were struggling for a foothold. But for a narrowing tale of suffering, privation and death, one other tale of. voyage and discovery could surpass the pathos and misery of the 77 men and officers of the St. Peter who. in company with their sister ship the St. Paul commanded by AL exi Chirikof, sailed so confident ly out of Patropavlovsk, Avacha Bay on June 4, TAI in search of new lands for Russia.
 Chirikof, after sighting islands off the coast of Prince of Wales island and losing Is of his men to natives off Lisiaski Strait, re- turned to kamchatka on October 10, but gallant Boring, after his discovery of the mainland, ran into terrific storms on the north Pacific which delayed and buffet ed him until at last his ship, with its cargo of ridden, half starved sailors was tossed on the island which now bears his name and died there December 8. Lieut. enant Sven Waxel took command after Bering's death and from his report, submitted to the Admiral ty College in St. Petersburg on his return to Siberia in Novem- Der 17742 we have an eloquent record of the misfortunes which overlook them.
 Shortly after starting out on their expedition the two ships, on June 20, TAI, were separated by storm. Each went its way, as by encouragement and Waxel, af- ter describing the discovery of land and their decision to inn mediately set sail for Kamchat- ka as stores aboard ship were running low, tells of their trials among the Aleutian chain where, endeavoring to set "a straight course for Avacha Bay, they were continually forced south by raising land. At last, with most of the crew dead or dying, Cop per Island was sighted, but find ing no anchorage there they went on to Boring Island hoping they had at last reached the shores of Kamchatka. They were doomed to disappointment. Excerpts from Waxers report follow:
 Waxel's Report
 We and our men were great ly weakened from the severe at tack of the scurvy and at the end of our strength and in great danger, for it may be said at | that time the ship was without control. Of our men there were only eight who, with great pain, could look after themselves, and of these three, one of them be- ing the Captain Commanders man could come on deck. All the others were sick unto death. We had only six barrels of water on board. AS to provisions we had no sea biscuit or such like and only little flour, butter and meat. On top of this the shrouds on the mainsail above the cathar pings on the right side were all torn, and therefore we could not carry any sail on the mainmast and, as was noted above, there was no one to do any repairing. At the particular time of our misfortune the wind was con trary for getting around the cape seen by us. Therefore, on Nov enber 5, realizing that we were in a bad state to remain longer
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