Year: 1873

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AAoas ON An Ice Island.


From the Duluth He-ald.


About the 4th Of January, four
Shcbandowan gold employers, nam
ed Thomas Watson, George Fisher,
Edward Linder and Henry Zeok,
started for 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
Unfortunately they made little or no
provision for the trip, each suppos-
ing that the other had plentiful
supply Of bread and pork in his pack.
They leisurely walked along ON their
course until nearly nighttall, when
1t was proposed they should SUP
On opening their sacks and spread
ing 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 Il half of
boiled beef between them. Howev
err, they divided up their stock and
made a tolerable meal, expecting to
reach their destination next morn-
ing. What was left Of the repast,
consisting Of slice Of meat, half
an inch thick and about the size Of
u mans hand, and two small loaves,
were 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 concluded to take rest. SO
they laid 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 cps, but on walk
ing northward for some twenty
miles, to their utter astonishment
and dismay, they discovered that
the ice-cake 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 cir
cumterence, as near as they could
judge. Night was fast approaching,
and with it came a switter and cold
er wind than that which had been
blowing ali day. Penned in beyond
the possibility Of human aid, their
mental sutterlngs were terrible, for
they beheld death staring them in
the face; but, added to these, came
the pinching anguish of hunger.
Fisher, who had once been "cast
away" ON the ocean, and who ap-
peared to be suffering from raging
fever, was the only one at this stage
Of affairs who appeared to realize
the necessity Of outstanding to the
last what little they had in the way
Of eatables. He suggested that, as
there were four of them in a bad
scrape, it would be right and prop
er that the bread and meat should
be divided into four equal parts, and
that then each man should subdivide
his allowance into six portions,
which, if they used but one portion
a day, would sustain life for nearly
week. His argument told on his
companions in distress, and they ac-
quiesced. The bread and meat were
therefore cut up into four parts and
then each separated his share into
moities. BY mutual consent they
resolved not to eat anything until
next morning; and sorrowfully they
spread their blanket on the cold ice
and laid down. Worn ont with
cold, hunger and fatigue, they soon
fell into sound slumber. from
which they were aroused about day
light by the thunder-like sound caus-
ed by the cracking Of the ice.


About 8 o'clock u. m, this being
the third day they were ont, they
ate their "breaktast" in silence, the
meal consisting Of about a mouthiul
Of bread and y piece Of beef about
the size Of ten cent piece and as
thin as wafer. Their feelings, as
they gazed at each other, can be
better imagined than described
They observed, OH close inspection,
that the mass Of ice on which they
were was being moved northwest
wardly, and their hopes revived. 1t
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 shor;
duration; for, during the approach
Of night, the wind vcered around
and blew their island Westward
They wre strong hearted men,
though, and Fisher, who had become
rested and whose fever had left him,
cheered them on and reused them up.


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


On the morning Of the sixth day,
Fisher suddenly threw his cap into
the air and astonished them yelling
"Land, ho!" as he pointed to the
northward. They all locked with
strained eyes, and sure enough,
there it was, about eight or ten miles
of. They Immediately started for
it ON the double-quick and in three
or four hours stepped ashore at a
point about six miles below 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 a half
breed trappcr, named Walla, who
kindly furnished them with coffee
and food. After remaining with
him for over week to gain their
exhausted strength, the party made
their way eastward.