New-York tribune., 1868-04-08
VINTER IN ALASKA.
MATTERS ABOUT TOWN.

sITKA, A. r, Feb. %, 1893.
Current events at Sitha, since New Years,
have not been storiliEs. We s have heavy snOv-ias
upon the mountains and n ght OF four inches upon
Man-st, 10 days ago. the opportunity OF sleigh
ride the which ever happened at Sitka. While but
little has fallen in the town, ON the lofty nights few
miles distant there lies depth, not alone Of the
perennial drifts, but OF this Winters crop. Some
ttes the accumulation Is great the nights above
that huge OF dry snow tunlbes down tho precip
tous side Of the mountain, filling the gorge below to the
depth OF several hundred feet Of these occurred Ia
sight OF town last Sundaynoselc5s, but hling the ar
with dense mist Of m0wnakes.
Usually, these Slides do happen till Ioy, when the
often immense and Their movement y NOT rolns ag
glomerauon. accumutiag as b dcscends, after the man
ner OF the ayaanches among ne Alps Dutls tOWnT1Iu
In direct line Pathways OF these slldcs are Ni'le on
OIL the accllvcs through TINS region Sohelhss .ls j
Of land with huge powders are detached ana I'D @ te'a
rapid descent sGTcp ytAing before llcn imueis E
trees are snapped OIL IKE TtNs am ctc 2 ~ %iicb
made down tgroash the dense forest traces 'l "i'H
TRADE AND BUSINESS. -.
During the Winter lc Indians have picked M many
Bat the silver does uot long adhere 20 the palms OF er
hands Tie army sutler iOm San Francisco arrived mere
month with full stock. He opcneI Win Ienpt-
ing display ol cheap wOocn pants and slrtS. cacoes
knives aud rrkes BY the giit OF some lriiS @ Dau3e @
6erc is n & Inconvenience the present Winter
from tho want OF dry wood for fud The Indians could
In part have supplied MS by brngng IN canoes fom he
opposo side Of the bay but they the outset told Gen.
Davis they would not do That sort OF work money
goods. 10 degrading service for which nothing put
eonrsc. he could not furnish though he believes that
small amounts Of ammunition and limited ratlohs OF
liquor might have been supplied TO mutual advantase
As is. tire military have been compelled to use green
wood; and ne indians nave lht ONDe OF iong % & W
meet the hudson bay company SlhusST,IIs Wno riPd WI
ply them with whisky and powder at H6HHn, prOVldeu
the Indians have the specie or fVrS 10 bny WITH .,.
There about score OF miners passing the n%lnte Winter
here whhins away the time by occasionally e11ns iI
Tor the pOSr. They will migrate to Stkeen Ver te IsI
OF May. The best field however opens Tor th9se shI @
In the fur trade. Several traders here nave uole
and the field FOR operations VIII be indefinitely eNpanuSu
In the sprugreachng to Behrng Straits ana the Aroc
shores. - ..,,-.,,
As military commander here; Gen j. G. Davis Is SEC con
% 'O sv o and 5IapsibIe he ia taciturn and aus
tere but frank, honest, and straigltforwaTd Nhen
bow in lSl6 he volunteered private for the Mexican
war; entering the famous Jim Lane regiment from ihul-
ana the ability and aptitude he exhibited gave MN OH
the return of peace commission OF Second Leuenant
i'm tbe regular nrmy. He was with Major Anderson
during terrible bombar rdmeut OF Fort sumter ~ e
Spring of ls5l His difficulty with Gen Nelson ana my
result are familiar TO the public He won his highest
reputation while commander OF HiSlon utep 20 |Gm. ,
late war-the march through Georgia.
Gen Davis thinks that four additional companies OF IN
fantry could be adyantageously employed ~ te LSr I
tory. Posts soon to be established NJ INC NOUN % VI
OF Cooks Inlet At koddc no force Is needen ~ is lo
ulatOn OF remarkable for It's eaceaOle character
Last Monday joined excursion for Genbok0 Lake;
Is mleadistau by all Of oar as well as SAIL we lanGed
at o'clock TIE surface Of tho lake Is Is IeeI ABOVE
high tide. ledge OF compact slate lj0 yards Wide pre-
vents foU suking TO the ocean level IL lies netNfen
two sCen, brsflug ranges, having length OF ~ mles
and a width OF The average depth Is 500 feet AZ
the FAIL where its waters empty into the Ba Is noten
salmOn fishing depot occupied FOR 40 years by the knsan
Fur Company Last Summer they sold their interest M
Guiding the StOrehOuses, TO the American COihmcrcu
Company san Francisco. for $4,000 The new owners
preparing greatly enlarge the present operations
sleeping AT might on the plank floor of the s9rehonSe
awOke early enough witness the gOries of the coming
day In this high latitude, twilight IS twice as long rs ot
starlight to watch the coming dawn Not cloud Srted
the horizon FIRST appeared the faint gray haze theh 9
dull streak then the bright Hush aud crimson hHg' u
at length the full disc OF the orb which brings lie ana
light above the sharp crest OF the mountain.
amid dense archipelago Of sets toa beautiful cove at
the head Of which. 100 yards above the beach, arose
the thick vapors from the " gcysers or not sprlnSs
Here the Russian Fur Company had bnit TWO spacious
hher ntracabe rheumatic and cutaneOus cases, which
were usually cured, least mtigated There are one
in the air TRrasting It into the spOutng current
largest the mercury went up to lS Inc Inc fotks ehd
iron. The adjacent SUBMITS bear the marks Oh recet as
well a. powerful volcanic action Several nave wen de-
fined eraters dislay them sides the deep radiang
gorges of the laya's track. -,
In Territory from niueenths Of the surface OF which
perpetual is always will be readily inferred
BY the readers OF THE TRIBUNE that glaciers are hume
rous. When entering sitka Sound last September, one
distinctly visible to the northeast, hanging on the
mountanside ike glove with Widespread nngefs gr5 b
mouth Of the Slikeen many hundred miles north and
which laid my hand while exploring trip with
Prof Davidson of the Lincoln, last OctOOer. ~ was
at the mouth OF the ChcSht 70 miles northeast OF Stka
With base of five miles NJ to the snowy apex Of
bluff 500 feet high Heavy bubous masses Of transu-
from the ocean being less than 200 yards wide The ice
has blue alpine color, and number OF streams isSue
from its base II exhibits In ITS texture every variety OF
contOrtiOn. COasng uOrthward 100 miles, the mariner
in sight OF Nit St. Elias. 40 miles inland, and the
highest known summit OF Alaska 1t Is surrounded by
atmosphere too cold for the production OF glacial
phenomena. The white loose in midsummer covers
its northern side with everlasting mantle down to It's
very base. It's hight Is unknown, and It's summit Will
be trOd by human foot But on the coast directly
opposite Mt ST. Elias Ia 0verhanging eched, having
width OF 80 miles and bathing It's crystal base in the
tide OF the Pacific Those who have cOasted along
say that in the clear sunshine OF Summer It's
cleaning surface and rich prisniatc cOlOring exhibit
magnncence which into silence every intelligent
behoider On Winter day, that " dreaTy gran
deur" peculiar TO the scenery Of high latitudes.
GENERAL NEWS
Among the 400 Americans who came here nearly hve
months ago, only two deaths occurred Both were sol
dieTs who died Of luDgfever DR.. HOf the Army Sur
geOn admrer Of this climate but regards as very
healthy except for persons OF weak lungs.
sitka will be anything above amiltary!and small
commercial post. The mining region lies 10 the east
The FISHING regiOn-mOre important than all other-ies
BCOmIes 10 the west Farming ever carried OH In the
Territory, will no equally remote. The army Chaplain
has organized Sunday School Of 10 American and 70
Russian pupils priest from Victoria is establishing
Catholic church, the Greek Church maintains Its usual
services