Year: 1873

Floating on a Lake Superior Ice Island

 Without Food.

 A short time ago four Shebandowan gold explorers, named Thomas Watson, George Fisher, Edward Linder and Harry Zech, started from point on the Canadian shore, below Thunder Bay, to cross the lake to Isle Royal. The ice was supposed to be three or four feet in thickness, and they felt perfectly safe in undertaking the journey. Unfor- tunately they made little or no provision for the trip, each supposing that the other had plentiful supply of bread and pork in his pack.

 They leisurely walked along on their course until near night-fall, when 1t was proposed they should sup. On opening their sacks and spreading their blankets on the ice, it was discovered that but three of them had any food whatever, and these three had but about four pounds of bread and pound and half of boiled beef between them. However, they divided up their stock and made a tolerablp meal, expecting to reach their destination next morning.

 What was left of their repast, consist ing of slice of meat half an inch thick and about the size of mans hand and, two small loaves, was gathered up, and the four walked on their journey, the night being clear and the weather calm. Toward morning, however, one of them, George Fisher, gave out, and they con- cluded to take rest. So they lay down, and after conversing awhile fell asleep. When they awoke the sun was shining brightly, but there was considerable wind blowing and the air was piercingly cold.

 Fisher continuing to evince signs of illness the party resolved to retrace their steps, but on walking northward for some twenty miles, to their utter astonishment and dismay they diseon- al.ed that tho ioo-ouke on which they were was surrounded by open water on all sides in fact, that they were on an island of ice some ten miles in circum- ference, as nearly as they could judge Fears for their safety now took pos session of them, and in their agony they cried aloud for relief. But no one heard their voice.

 Night was fast approaching and with it came a swifter and colder wind than that which had been blowing all day Penned in as it were, and beyond the possibility of human aid, their mental sutferings were terrible, for they beheld death staring them in the face but, added to these, came the pinching an- guish of hunger.

 Fisher, who had once been "cast away" on the ocean, and who appeared to be suffering from raging fever, was the only one at this stage of their exist enee who appeared to realize the neces- sity of husbanding to the last what little they had in the way of eatables He suggested that, as there were four of them in bad scrape, it would be right and proper that the bread and meat on one hand should be divided into four equal parts, and that each man should subdivide his allowance into six DOT tions which, if they used but one DOT tion day, would sustain life for nearly a week.

 His argument told on his companions in distress and they acquiesced. The bread and meat was therefore cut up into four parts and then each separated his share into six moities. By mutual consent they resolved not to eat any thing until next morning; and sorrow fully they spread their blankets on the cold ice and laid down. Worn out with cold, hunger and fatigue, they soon fell intoa sound slumber, from which they were aroused about daylight by the thunder-like sound caused by the crack ing of the ice.

 About 8 o'clock @. m., this being the third day they were out, they ate their breakfast" in silence, the meal con- sisting of about mouthful of bread and a piece of beef about the size of @ ten cent piece and as thin as wafer. Their feelings, as they gazed at each other, can better be imagined than de- scribed. They observed, on close in. spection, that the mass of ice on which they were was being moved northwest wardly, and their hopes revived. II was likewise getting colder, and they began to feel assured the open space between them and the main body of the ice would soon freeze over.

 But these hopes were of short dura- tion, for, during the approach of night, the wind veered around and blew their island westward. They were strong hearted men, though, and Fisher, who had become rested and whose fever had left him, cheered them on and reused them up. Indeed, his courage was as- tonishing under the circumstances and stood in bold contrast with the others who, without him, would have laid down and died from sheer hopelessness.

 That day and the two following were spent in vain lamentations at the hard ness of their fate and wishes to be on shore, but no shore was within sight and the sun went down and darkness came upon them.

 On the morning of the sixth day, Fisher, who may be said to be the only one among them who had ever before been in real danger, suddenly threw his cap into the air, and astonished them by yelling out Land ho!" as he point. ed to the northward. They all looked with strained eyes, and, sure enough, there it was about eight or ten miles off.

 They immediately started for it on the double-quick, and in about three ol four hours stepped ashore at point about six miles below 0 small stream emptying into the lake some ten miles east of Pigeon river. Once safe on land the saved men became cheerful, and made their way down the lake to a hut occupied by half-breed trapper named Walla, who kindly furnished them with coffee and food.

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