Year: 1873

Four Men Float on Lake Superior Ice


Island for Nearly q Week.


About the 4th of January last, four
Shebandowan gold employers, named
Thomas Watson, George Fisher, Edward
Linder and Henry Zeck, started for a
point on the Canadian shore below Thun-
der 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 supposipg that the
other had plentiful supply of bread and
pork in his pack. They leisurely walked
along on their course until nearly night
fall, when it was proposed they should
sup. On opening their sacks and spread
ing their blankets on the ice, it was dis
covered 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 tolerable meal, expecting to reach
their destination next morning. What
was left of the repast, consisting of
slice of meat, half an inch thick and
about the size of mans hand, and two
small loaves, were gathered up and the
four walked on their journey, the night
being clear and the weather calm. To-
ward 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 i'll
ness, they partly resolved to retrace their
steps, but on walking northward for
about some twenty miles. to their utter
astoniskment and dismay, they discover
ed 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 circumference,
as near as they could judge. Fears of
their safety now took possession of them,
and in their agony they cried aloud for
relief. But no one heard their voices.
Night was fast approaching, and with it
came 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
sufferings we're terrible, for they beheld
death staring them in the face; but,
added to these, came the pinching au-
guish of hunger.


Fisher, who had once been least away"
On the ocean, and who appeared to be
suffering from raging fever, was the
only one at this stage of existence who
appeared to realize the necessity of hus-
banding 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 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 foI
nearly a week. His argument told on his
companions in distress, and they acqui.
esced. The bread and meat were there
fore cut up into four parts, and then
each separated his share into moieties.
By mutual consent they resolved not to
eat anything till next morning; and sor,
rowfully they spread their blankets on
the cold ice and lay down. Worn out
fell into a sound slumber, from which
they were aroused about daylight by the
thunder-like sound caused by the crack
ing of the ice.


About eight o'clock in the morning
this being the third day they were out
they ate their breakfast" in silence, the
meal consisting of about mouthful oi
bread and a piece of beef about the size
of ten cent piece, and as thin as wafer
Their feelings, as they gazed at eacf
other, can better be imagined than de
scribed. They observed on close inspec
tion that the mass of ice on which they
were was being moved north
westwardly, and their hopes revived
1t was likewise getting colder
and they begun to feel assured tha
the open space between them an(
the main body of the ice would soo1
freeze over But these hopes were O
short duration, for, during the approach
of night. the wind veered around an(
blew their island westward They wer,
strong hearted men, though, and Fisher
whose fever had left him, cheered then
on and reused them up. Indeed, hi
courage was astonishing under the cir
cumstances, and stood in bold contras
with the others who, without him, would
have lain down and died from sheer help
lessness.


That day and the two following wer,
spent in vain lamentations at the hard
ness of their fate and wishes to be OF
shore, but no shore was in sight, and tn,
sun went down and darkness came upor
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 hi
cap into the air and astonished them by
yelling "Land hop as he pointed to tn,
northward. They all looked with straipe(
eyes, and, sure enough, there it was
about eight or ten miles off. They imme
diately started for it on the double-quick
and in three or four hours stepped ashor
at a point about six miles below smal
stream emptying into the lake some tel
miles east of Pigeon River. Once saf
on land, the saved men became cheerful
and made their way down the lake to
hut occupied by a half-breed trapper
named Walla, who kindly furnished then
with coffee and food. After remainin,
with him for over a week to regain thei
exhausted strength, the party made thei
way eastward. Herald.