Came Here in a Schooner Via the Straits of Magellan.
Captain Blackburn’s Terrible Experience in an Open Boat at Sea.
His Hands and Feet Were Frozen So His Fingers and Toes Had to Be Amputated.
February 24, 1898 – A party of Klondikers arrived from Gloucester, Mass., on the schooner Hattie I. Phillips yesterday. The voyage was made in 129 days, but a stop of five days was made at Sandy Point. A very heavy storm was encountered in the Gulf stream, and the vessel was hove-to for thirty-seven hours. Six stops were made in the Straits of Magellan, and on each occasion the prospectors landed, but they never caught a glimpse of a Patagonian.
Those who came out on the Phillips are Howard Blackburn, captain; John L. Harris, mate; Peter Rice, James Nelson, Charles E. Clark, Leslie A. Cavanaugh, Charles J. Strauberg, Fred H. Story, Eldridge Wolfe, Fred E. Head, William Murray, Otis E. Rowell, L. L. Berry, Clement L. Pelly, Clarence Dowle and Stephen Sponagle. The following will come overland and join the vessel here: W. W. Grant, Jethro A. Heard, George Lee, John H. “Winneberg and Charles O. Swinson.
The Hattie I. Phillips is not much larger than the pilot, boat Gracie S., but she brought her passengers in comfort from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and in all the heavy weather not one of the six dories lashed en her decks was damaged. The men are nearly all artisans, among them being engineers, machinists, boatbuilders, painters, etc., so they will have no labor to hire when it comes to putting their river boat together. The latter is 50 feet long, 18 feet broad and 5 feet 8 inches deep, and is now in sections along with the engines in the hold of the schooner. Only provisions for the voyage here were brought along, and the schooner will be sold, and the party will buy their Klondike supplies here and go to St. Michael by steamer.
Howard Blackburn, the leader of the expedition, is a man who has had considerable experience as a Gloucester fisherman on the Atlantic coast. Some time ago while out in a dory fishing for halibut he and his companion got lust. “While fixing a drag Blackburn lost his mittens overboard, and knowing that his hands would freeze he grasped the oars so that when it came to the worst his hands would be frozen to the oars and he could row anyhow. Thomas Welch, his companion, went crazy after thirty-six hours of the exposure and finally died. But Blackburn kept on rowing, and finally he sighted the coast of Newfoundland. When rescued it was found necessary to amputate the fingers on both hands and the thumbs at the first joint. He also lost three toes and. the heel of the right foot and two toes from the left foot.
The British ship Lancing, which left here for London on October 2, has had a rough time of it. On the 21st inst. she was spoken ten miles east of Eddystone lighthouse, with her fore and main topgallant masts and upper yards gone.
The British ship Royal Forth is taking away the largest cargo of grain that has left port this year. She has on board 150,860 centals, or 5293 short tons, of wheat, valued at $160,114. Captain Cooper is one of the most courtious and popular masters that visits this port, and his host of friends are all wishing that he make a record passage with his valuable cargo.
The steamer President has at last arrived at Yaquina Bay in safety. She was five days out from here, but was kept outside by a breaking bar.
CAPTAIN HOWARD BLACKBURN,
Who will lead a party of Gloucester (Mass.) men to the Klondike in search of gold. They came here, via the Straits of Magellan, in the schooner Hattie I. Phillips and, after outfitting at this point, will proceed to St. Michael, where they will build their river boat for use on the Yukon.
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