Tundra times., 1963-02-04
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
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 In inc great struggle of man to survive in extreme cold temperatures and unpredctabe treachery of inc Arc t he has had to learn to fake of himself when faced with unexpected emergencies The northern people have learned to expect these dangers and have figured out in most cases, how best 10 themselves when caught in life and death stUations
 Recently, the dramatic illustration of this Unfoded the chunng cefeds of the Boring Sea when two of three hunters from King Island survived in extremely cold weather for six days and nights
 This happened in January, one of the oodest months of inc year in Alaska Three hunters were carried away by ice that broke and difted from King Island and subjected them the sixday ordeal Two of the three survived but inc third unfortunately died of exhausion He the eldest of he three Being 55 years o his age against him.
 The men were subjected to great obstacles during the six days. Daylight very short and very cold They had to be on the move almost constantly 10 keep from freezing to death which meant that they had to be on the move during the nights of their ordeal
 Upon finding that if impossible to get back to King Island they made dash for St. Lawrence Island over hundred miles away. They knew inc general direction by day and they also knew the general direction by night As they had been trained to do, they consulted inc stars
 On the fifth day and after covering some hundred miles the aging energy of inc oldest man began 10 waver and he died of exhaustion.
 lis almost unbelievable that man his age lasted that long during inc terrible ordeal He few hours away from rescue at the time he ded Had he been younger, he, doubt, would have been saved along with his two intrepid companions.
 In inc dash to their lives they had 10 be on the constant alert along the way No doub the shftng ohUrn ing cefields presented of the major worries To fall into suddenly opening ohasm of frgd water meant cer- tain death They had to be constantly inc alert for this danger especially during the dark of night.
 Along with these formidable obstacles were, of course the terribly cold temperatures This forced them to snatch sleep for only fen minutes at lime was too dan- gerous o sleep any longer than that.
 There have been great many stirring and dramatic episodes of survival down through the ages in inc inter- for and northern coastal of Alaska and Canada. These have pot been accidents The naves through neces- sty have learned to cheat inc teacherous Arctic that gives no quarter in dealing out manysided, deahIy dangers
 Through necessity inc people have sharpened their aerness for danger high degree When caught in dan- gerous suaons they trained to fake stock of the M uaon allowing as Iie room possible, better yet, no room at a for panic to overcome them. To allow panic 10 fake over is asking for way ticket to tragedy
 There is great lesson most of can learn from the Arctic peoples ability survive under extreme conditions This fact should not be allowed to go unnotced with casual shrUg of inc shoulders
 Ii inevitable that more and more non-natives will come to Alaska in the future. They will be comparatively safe in inc confines of cities but if they find necessary to be in outlying will not hut to have system of sort to brief them ways of survival in the Arctic inc armed had not befor