SOME ADVENTURES OF DR. GRENFELL.

Shannon News, 1 July 1927, Page 2

SOME ADVENTURES OF DR. GRENFELL.

“KING OF LABRADOR.” Dr. W. T. Grenfell, C.M.G., “Uncrowned King of Labrador,” as he is called, tells in this article of some of Ills adventures. , ' Of all the many thrilling incidents in my life, the most exciting started one, aftc rnooit some 18 years ago, when an emergency call for medical' help from a place-60 miles south of St. Anthony, Northern Newfoundland, where I was staying at the time. I started off immediately with a team of fine dogs, and all went well until I had to break through some pack-ice while crossing an inlet —a common experience.

To cut a long story short, I found myself on a piece of ice which broke loose from the main part. In an instant I cut loose the dogs from the sleigh, otherwise they would have been drawn into the vortex and I should haw been left alone. Then the “pan” of ice broke into two, ami I was plunged into further trouble, the only escape from which was to dive into the icy water, and, with my. invaluable dogs, swim to another.

This “pan” was about the size of a dining-table, and on it I spent a night and a day, clad only in a light sweater and vest, without hat, coat or gloves. I had been three times in the water :,nd I should have frozen to death but for the. dogs. I was forced to kill three of uiy faithful companions during the night, and used their skins for coverlets, their bodies for windshields, their harness for putters and their frozen legs as a flagpole, on which I attached my shirt as daylight came, in the hope pf attracting the attention of someone on the shore or some passing craft. In this way J drifted some 20 miles, when, fortunately, seme men engaged in seal-hunting observed the “pan” with its peculiar burden and reported my plight to the nearest village. The wind was in my favour and was drifting me in towards the shore, although no boat could be launched, as the ice along the coast was breaking up.' Before daybreak, however, a fine volunteer crew had. been got together and thev effected a rescue

When at last I stepped ashore, tied up in rags stuffed with oakum, and wrapped in the bloody skins of my dogs, my night on the inhospitable ice seemed like a ghastly nightmare. 0 he founding of our oiphar-.age here was the result of a grim accident in my life amongst these sturdy fishermen of Northern Labrador and Newfoundland. I had bee 1 summoned to a lonely headlaud. to see a very sick family. Among the spruce trees in a small hut lived a Scottish salmon fisherman, his wife and five little children.

When we anchored off the promontory we were surprised to see no signs o ’ welcome. When we landed and entered the nouse, we fcluud the mother dead oir the floor and. the father lyingon the floor, dying. Next; morning, we improvised two coffins, contributed from the wardrobes of all hands enough black material for a “seemly’’ funeral, and later, steaming up the bay to a sandy stretch of land, buried the * two parents—-and found ourselves left with five little mortals in black sitting on the grave mound. There and then we founded our first orphanage, *