Ridge, J.B.

Ridge, J.B.

1898-1899

Bayard Taylor met in Seattle; Ridge arrived in Valdez a week before Taylor. Ridge had intended to go to Yukon, but heard this was all right. B. Taylor letter (n.d.), Danbury News, 5//18/98; August 1898, Pearson, Tripp, & Judge Ridge prospected head of valley near sawmill on Klutina, Pearson Journal Extracts, CS1; p. 185; 1899. On glacier at time of storm; identified Schultz and Ellerkamp. Sworn testimony concerning rescue attempt on Valdez Glacier and identification of body of Rudolph Ellerkamp correspondent for Louisville Post, 2/27/1899. Jury Finding on Logan Party. CS1; Summary of Taylor letter 3/5/98: Describes the heroic death of Dr. Edwin Logan of Louisville KY, trying to bring scurvy victims over the glacier. Two members of the Scientific Prospecting Co. of New York were desperately ill with scurvy; Logan, Ellerkamp, and two others tried to take them to the coast. They set out in good weather, not knowing of the blizzard raging on the glacier. The party was last seen at the fifth bench, about 7 miles from the relief station and 12 miles from the foot of the glacier. J.B. Ridge and party were among the last to see them alive. A search party of seven, found them three days later. Taylor, Ed. Erickson and Jim Acker, arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Ellerkamp and Ellerman had been blown or fallen into a shallow crevice [sic]; Logan was tracked to a deep crevice and no one knows how far beneath the surface his body lies. The bodies were buried in Valdes two days later in one long grave. Danbury News 4/19/99; Location notice with W.T. Soule, Jr. and Phil Blumauer, Glacier Island, PWSMDR, Book 2, p. 174;