The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-12-05
IN AN OLD RUSSIAN FORT.
HOW THE MUscovITE FORTIFIED
IN ALASKA.
At Present a Military Post in Name
OnIy-Mode of Defcnsc-Curios
for Sale by Natives.


OnIy-Mode of Dercnsc-Curios
for Sale by Natives.
Names of places IN this Territory which
have military designations, says a letter
from Sitka, Alaska, to the New York
Times, may inspire a sense of security TO
outsiders unacquainted with the country.
For instance upon hearing Of Fort
Wrangell one would naturally conclude
that such post would furnish ample
secuity for a reasonable scope Of coun-
try. Yet the nearest troops are at Port
Townsend, nearly one thousand miles
distant by water, if we except a small
company of marines at Sitka. Fort
Wrangell is military post only in name.
1t is about $50 miles southeast Of Stka
by the waters Of the inlets, but by the
bi-monthly steamers in a northeast course
its distance is more than five hundred
miles.
1t is one of the old Russian settlements,
and was one of their most prosperous
trading posts. The main part of the vii
lage is on a moderate slope, with lofty
chain of mountains close behind. There
are not more than five hundred inhabit
able acres there, and upon them was
GIONuGl ull lutIC tNCl was VI w lhhSSiA
in its most prosperous days. On the
north side of the village is higher
knoll, and on this stand the old de
fences of Fort Wrangell. A high
wooden palisade or stockadc sur
rounded the area set apart for mill
airy purposes; the blockade is gone, but
the buildings all remain in fair state of
preservation. The fort proper where
were the officers quarters and the bar
racks for the men stands on the north
side of the quadrangle, and is n solid
log building boarded over and made i'm
penetrable to bullets. The Government
house stands on the west side of the
square, is built of the same material, and
is now occupied by United States Com
missioner Sheaklcy, who was member
of Congress several years ago from Penn
sylvania, and by the Deputy Collector of
the Port, q Mr.. Flemming from Wiscon-
sin. This building on the east side is
adapted for defensive purposes. On the
east side Of the quadrangle is large
log and boarded building which was
used in the old Russian days as store
house, and its outer front was adapted to
protective anl defensive purposes. At
the southeast corner of this square stands
the most peculiar structure of all, and one
more suggestive of the necessities of de-
fense than ali the rest 1t is the block house
or bastion, and upon its safety and Sc
curity depended the safety aud security
of the entire post 1t is solidly built of
logs, and Is about twelve feet square at
the ground. 1t rises in these dimensions
to about twelve feet, the height of the
ol;r,,l,o -, gnnNpl or f,f
wider dimensions, extending entirely
over the margin of the first Its walls
are not parallel with those of the first,
but it is placed diagonallY across the
first, so that its corners do not conform
to the corners of the first, In thus being
wider than the first story, and extending
over it on all sides, riilemen could de-
fend it, not only by aiming outward,
but downward on the outside of the
palisades. Such dcfenses were common
in Pennsylvania, New ork, aud Ohio
100 years ago, but they are now only h s.
toric memories, while the Russian block
house at Fort Wrangell still exists as
memento of their occupation, and Is
rapidly going to ruin.
There are only few Russians left at
WIangell, not more than dozen of pure
bloods. There are quite number of the
mixed race Indian and Russian, still
there, but the bulk of the denizens of
the place are natives. These relics OF
Russian peasantry and the half-breeds
are, as rule, more worthless than the
native or Indian. The houses of the old
Russian settlement are rapidly disap-
pearing from lack of care and through
the wet climate, which is destructive of
timber. About 500 Indians have their
Winter home there. During the can
ming season they go out q long distance
up the inlets and take salmon and other
fish for the canncries. When that sea-
son is over they return to Wrangcll,
spending the Winter months in hunting
the mule deer, sometimes attacking the
great brown bear of the al dining noun
tains, but giving over most of their
leisure time to gambling. There are
twelve or fifteen Americans in the vii
lage, some in public employment, some in
mission work teaching the Indians, some
in saloon keeping, and the rest in
traders stores. This is the second point
touched by the Pacific steamers on the
way up after leaving Naimo, the last
caaling station far down on Nanoouver's
Island. only few supplies are taken
of, aud some cases Of Cauucd salmon
and peltries taken on.
A remnant of the old Russian town
stands below the fort along what was
once perhaps a street. A relic OF arough
wooden sidewalk and some hOardcd-up
Old-fashioned narrow windows suggest
traffic. On this broken and dilupidatcd
walk score or two old sluaws and de-
crepit men squat and expose for sale the
curios with which they hope TO tempt
the tourist. The e natives are adopts at
construction, aud offer for sale nicely.
formed bracelets and rings manufactured
from coin silver obtained at the canncries
for fsh. They also have wooden spoons
and bowls for sale made from the beau
tiful yellow cedar of this coast, orna.
mouted with carved gritlins of curious
design. In trading with the Athabascan
Indians of the interior, in the British
dominions, they procure % white coarse
wool from sort of mountain goat or
sheep, and this is woven into blankets
variously colored, mostly gray and
white, aud figured over with griIiius aud
nodescript figures of a like nature.
Alaska for a thousand miles and more
is only a stip of coast about thirty
miles wide on the mainland. The In
diaus OF the interior are never permitted
by the coast natives 20 come to tide
water The coast natives have from