ARCTIC CIRCLE EDITION
8 Pages the nome nugget
The onlj' newspaper published o
Seward Peninsula.
Covers approximately 22,700
square miles of territory.
i;NCONTROLLED_A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTEREST OP THE PEOPLE—UNCONTROLLABLE. )
VOLUME 23.
NOME. ALASKA SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 2, 1222.
Delivered by Ci
Mailed..fl.00 per Month
POINT BARROW RELIEVED BY BEAR
AMUNDSEN TO FLY FROM WAINWRIGHT IN 1923
COAL MINED AT
WAIfflMHT SELLING
AT 7SCTS PER SACK
* J , According, to *1,3. Ward, Bureau
T ' r-* r * # teachf^ at Wainwright
\ Nome on the Bear,
u 'i ai.ghest grade is found
a quantaif-s. within six miles of
> flown the inlet.
£ v present time the coal is;
- mined by a native cooperative store,
which is under the supervision of
the Bureau of Education.
The Bt.lives supply sacks, mine
ami deliver coal to the village of
Wainwright at 75 cents per sack,
20 sacks to the ton. Three mines
are operated and mining has been in
progress for the last thirty years.
Most of the coal is mined from the
surface, as the veins outcrop all
along the inlet. As the upper strata
are removed the coal becomes of
higher grade and with scientific
methods employed there is no doubt
that this field will become one of
the largest producers on Seward
Peninsula.
This year 3000 sacks were mined.
1000 of which were used by the
Bureau for its local school. 200
tons ^re shipped to Point Barrow
on the schooner Holmes. As the
Boxer has been acquired by the
Bureau it is planned to take sup
plies North and return with coal
cargos for other points along the
coast. Nome can well take advan
tage of this field of high grade coal
and overcome the present high cost
The Wainwright inlet Is barred by
a sand bar which prevents boats of
more than 3 or 4 feet draft entering
Down the Inlet where the coal is
found within fifty ^feet from the
shore, skin boats load the fuel and
paddle to Jhe village.
According Co Mr. Ward as the de
mand for the eoal increases the pre
sent cost of 7 H cents per sack can
easily be reduced to 50 cents per
sack making \he commercial possi
bilities much more feasible.
sJuperfhtei.iienf'ridpp proposes to
supply all Bureau Schools on Seward
eninsula and adjoining islands with
coal mined from this field instead
of feeding the maw of the Pacific
coal barons, as is at resent done.
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE NUGGET
«f.00 PER MONTH.
ISKUM ARRIVES FROM
NORTH CAPE SIBERIA
The trading schooner Iskum, own
^ ed and operated by the Northern
Trading Company, of Tacoma, ar
• rived in Nome August 30th from a
trading trip to Siberian points.
Aboard were Captain Potter, Gen
eral Ashton, David Rutherford and
David Steel a former Nomeite, and
six other members of the crew.
General Ashton la the attorney
while Mr. Rutherford is President
of the company which consists oj
representative business men of Ta
coma. Mr. David Steele is the act
ing Stewart and came ashore to visit
his many friends who were glad to
welcome this highly respected for
mer resident of Nome. Mr. Steele
came here in 1900 and remained
until 1910 at which time he left for
the States.
Captain Potter assumed the office
of captain at this port, the former
captain A. M. Wennerlund having
resigned and who .will return to the
states on the Victoria.
The Iskum has been as Car North
ps North Cape, Siberijh, and left
there just a few hours before the
accident that wrecked the Eagle.
The boat came to Nome to pro
cure additional supplies and will
leave as soon as certain repairs are
made on the gas engine.
From Nome the Iskum wil pro
ceed to Whaling and Anadyr and
other Siberian points, prosecuting
the business of fur trading. At the
end of the season the Iskum will
make for the Outside via the Inside
passage.
John Harmon is chief engineer of
the boat which has been newly over
hauled and placed in fit condition to
buffet the northern ice. She is 68.6
feet long, of 17 feet beam, draws
9.2 ft. water and has a gross tonnage
of 70 with 42 tons net capacity. A
semi-dielel type engine of 75 horse
power is used in conjunction with a
full set of sails.
4 cts a day will bring tbs Weekly
Nugget t© your home.
0L6A ON WHALING TRIP
"The gas schooner Olga, owned
and operated by A. Allan and Geo.
Hllfrlch. returned Ang. 29th from
a trip to 8iberla. The boat went as
far as Cape Serge on a whaling ex
pedition and on other private mat
ters. The run from Bast Cape to
Nome was accomplished in 3* hours
time. On Aug. 30 the Olga left
for St. Michael from which point
idle will return 'to Safety and await
the arrival of the Victoria. After
obtaining certain freight from the
Victoria she will make preparations
to legye for the outbids.
At East Cape the Teddy Bear was
encountered and Capt. Allan sup
piled Captain Bernard with a quan
tity of gasoline. Bernard af -that
time had so shaped his course for
Wrangle Island that he no doubt
will be able to make the trip In
safety. Ice conditions along the
entire 'Siberian coast have' been us
ally adverse, ice floes were encoun
tered and many timet the boat was
In actual danger-of being crushed:
Keane Is the outfttJng beae for all
Ala** '■tfertec
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF POUT BARROW
PEOPLE BRCOGNT TO RONE BY CUTTER REAR
The Coast Guard Cutter Bear,
Lieut. Commander Cochran, arrived
in Nome from Point Barrow Aug.
29th with twelve passengers aooard
all but two having boarded the* ves
sel at Barrow, the otfier two were
from Wainwrigbt.
Thru the courtesy of Harry Bloom
field the Nugget Is able to give to
the people of Nome an interesting
account of conditions prevailing in
that far northern section of Seward
Peninsula.
Mr. Bloomfield has been in the
employ of H. Liebes Co. of San Fran
cisco and has filled his present posi
tion for the last three years. He
and Mrs. Bloomfield and little Miss
Jeannette Roper will leave on the
Victoria for California where they
will malic their home.
On Aug. 21st the Bear made her I
appearance about six miles off the
coast of Point Barrow and was seen
from the hill tops by the residents of
,the villagrf. were anxiously
awaiting her arrival. The ice was
solid from shore far out into the
({<•*« nc Ship Flitter jh’Hi1, Capi. S. fochriin, lu Arctic Ocean In* Fields
ocean and those who proposecf to
board the Bear made Immediate pre
parations to go aboard via dog
teams. This appearance of the
Roar heralded the first arrival of a
boat for the season V iV?2 aml'\/as
the first time since 1S9S that the
Bear was the first boat to arrive.
One entire week was taken to crawl
from Wainwright to Point Barrow.
Ice was encountered at every foot
and the Bear was forced to slip in
and out of leads that enabled her to
proceed to her destination.
At six miles from shore solid ice
was encountered and a party of
men and Miss Mueller, the nurse
bound for the Point Barrow hospital
left the Bear to come ashore and
notify the people to come aboard at
once before the ice closed in again
and forced the Bear to leave.
At the same time that the party
was leaving the Bear, the shore par
ty. unknown to the other party, had
employed four dog teams with three
men to each sled" and twelve men
sent ahead with axes to clear the
way. and were on their way to the
boat. Suddenly the trave^ert on
the ice heard a warning cry from the
natives on shore indicating that the
ice had parted and that the drift,
was out to sea tfni^yiVV back fit
was discovered that one half mile in
(Continued on Page Seven)
I
TRADING SCHOONER EAGLE WRECKED
AT NORTH CAPESIOERIA TOTAL LOSS
The trading schooner Eagle, own
ed and operated by Charles Nuess
ler, Lewis Hansen and Einer Olsen,
was wrecked Aug. 15th at 11 p. in.,
within fourteen miles from Cape
North, on the Siberian coast with a
total loss of cargo and vessel.
The Eagle left Nome June 31st,
1922 bound for the Kolyma river
and carried aboard a valuable cargq
of trading supplies.
Proceeding along the coast the
Eagle traveled within fourteen miles
of Cape Nofth where she encounter
ed heavy ice fields of ground and
floating ice. A heavy wind sprung
up on Aug. 15th and caught the boat
in open water which soon closed
catching the Eagle like a nut be
tween the teeth of a cracker and
crushed her to pieces. The acci
dent oticurred five miles off shore
and in a few minutes the deck was
awash. As soon as the ice caught
the vessel the crew hurriedly gather
ed together a few personal belong
ings and launched their small power
dory. Fortunately they had aboftrd
enough fuel to carry the boat to
East Cape if that had been neces
Anchored to the ground ice in the
immediate vicinity were the Chu
kotsk. Blue Sea. Alaska and Silver
Wave, other trading vessels.
The survivers from the Eagle
walked over the ice to the Chukotsk.
a distance of about 100 yards and
they with their dory were landed on
the Beach Aug. 10th. 14 miles from
Cape North.
Prom East Cape the wrecked mar
iners proceeded in their dory as far
as Cape Vankaren and there found
the. Duxbury find went, aboard on
Aug. 19th. at the invitation of R. S.
Pollster one of the owners of the
boat, coming to Nome and arriving
Aug. 2flth in the morning. V With all]
hteir experiences these intrepid trad1
ers suffered no hard ships that they j
will admit and all seem well pleased I
that they escaped so fortunately. j
Financially the blow is a hard one. I
but the boys come up smiling. deem-J
ing that the powers that sway the
destinies of man know best and that
to lament is not only foolish hut ;
When they left, the Chukotsk the
Captain supplied them with suffic
ient provisions to enable them to
live comfortably until they reached
safety. As they encountered the'
Duxbury they were amply provided
with the necessities of life. As soon
as the Duxbury sighted the dory they
rendered all possible assistance, ex
pressing the true Northern spirit,
the spirit that lays aside self and
lends assistance to fellows in danger.
The loss of the vessel and cargo
will aggregate $30,000. only the
cargo was insured by the Hudson’s
Bay Company of Vancouver, who
outfitted the boat.
Mr. Nuessler stated that he sight
ed the Teddy Bear on \ug. 24th
about 10 miles East from Cape
Serge and as the Teddy Bear was
inside the main ice her position was
While on the Duxbury the Silver
Wave was met but the Eagle party
was asleep and did not see the pen
pie who came aboard to pay theii
Nome and their future plans an
uncertain. It is possible that Mr
Nuessler may go outside on the nex
sailing of the Victoria.
And so is finished another chapte
in the book o( Northern tragedies.
StBM'RlBE FOR THE KTFGGET
EXPLORER AMUNDSEN AT WAINWRKHT
PILAR FUSHT ABANDONED FDR THIS VEAf
Of ptaic Roald Amundsen was un
able to get Into Point Barrow and
begin his contemplated trans polar4
flight to Spitsbergen. He transfer
red from the exploring ship Maud
to the Bureau schooner Holmes,
taking aboard his planes, fuel and
entire equipment for flight purposes
The ice was so thick that to land
with the Holmes at Barrow was out
of the question and he therefore
wtas forced to go ashore at Wain
wright, where he will remain for the
winter.
At Walnwright there is no Ice and
as he Intends to equip his flight
plane with aki runners, to facilitate
polar landings and also to land at.
Spitsbergen, he was forced to abau- /
don his flight for this season. 1
Aiuundsen took with him a knock*
ed down house and will erect It on
the spit at Wain wright, close to the
Inlet. Here he will be able to ob
tain a supply of native coal for his
winter’s supply. He has supplies
from the Maud and what ever else
he may need can be procured at the
village, so there is no reason why
he cannot pass a comfortable winter.
With him landed Lieutenant Omdal
an\l photographer Lund. Omdal
and Amundson will remain while
Lund will return to the Stateg'on the
Holmes, if she is able to negotiate
the trip.
According to conversations held
with CapV Aiuundsen he has fully
abandoned his aerial trip for this
year and will wait until early In1
May of next year for his hop off. At
that time of the year ice condition*
are favorable and the days are all
sunshine, while at the present time
the days are dark, the nights long
and the ice impossible.
Much speculation is rife regard
ing his successful mccomplishmen
of the polar flight. According to in
formation received his plane will
carry only enough gasoline for 25
hours flying. When it is remember
ed that he intends to stop at the
pole to make observations; when it
is considered that accidents may oc
cur force a landing or landings and
thereby consume large quantities of
fuel, it seems strange that a plane
of a larger type ahd greater gasoline
rapacity was not selected. At the
trip is scheduled to take 24 hou
from Alaska to Spitsbergen, the o
hour gasoline factor of safety is t
too small and only a man who fos
neither death nor the devil woi
venture upon so perilous a venti
so poorly prepared for emergenc:
The Nome Radio station has be
able at various times to pick up t
Maud, but within the past few ds
the wireless has not clearly deci)
ered the ship’s sendings. Presu
ably the atmospheric conditions j
such that the limited radius of
Maud has been reached. Prom 1
reports the exploring vessel was
the ice In the neighborhood
Wrangel Island, and in now lilt
In the Polar drift.