Northwest History. Alaska. Famine.

Facing Famine, Eat Own Shoes: Uncle Sam Moves To Aid Starving Eskimos Along Rim Of Arctic. FACING FAMINE, EAT OWN SHOES Uncle Sam Moves to Aid Starving Eskimos Along Rim of Arctic. BARROW, Alaska, Aug. 11. OP)— Small launches were ready here today to rush emergency supplies eastward along the Arctic...

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Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1936
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Online Access:http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/91174
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Summary:Facing Famine, Eat Own Shoes: Uncle Sam Moves To Aid Starving Eskimos Along Rim Of Arctic. FACING FAMINE, EAT OWN SHOES Uncle Sam Moves to Aid Starving Eskimos Along Rim of Arctic. BARROW, Alaska, Aug. 11. OP)— Small launches were ready here today to rush emergency supplies eastward along the Arctic rim to starving Eskimos numbered at 500 or more, but a delay must ensue before supplies to carry them through the coming months arrive. The cutter Northland, with limited supplies aboard, was due today at Wainwright, go miles southwest of here, on a rush trip here from Nome on orders from Washington. Barring bad ice conditions the trip here would take only a few hours. With at least one Eskimo dead from starvation Dr. Henry W. Greist, Presbyterian medical missionary, had reports at least 500 were on the verge of actual starvation. The North Star sailed from Juneau, in southeastern Alaska, on Sunday, with orders to pick up additional supplies at Seward and Dutch Harbor and meet the liner Derblay, out of Seattle, at Nome. The Derblay does not leave Seattle until Saturday, carrying 25 tons of flour, canned meat and milk ordered rushed north by the government. The food situation is particularly serious, reports reaching here said, at Demarcation, Barter island and Herschel island, all along the coast east of here, with Herschel island 425 miles away. The natives are eating grass, tundra, skin coverings, their shoes and boots, and even animals which have been dead some time, reports reaching here said. Winter and spring ice conditions made seal hunting and fishing impossible and the wolves had made great inroads on the reindeer herds owned by the Eskimos.