Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-17
"A DEAD CITY IN ALASKA
A/MlNER's STORY or A DESERTED
AND ICE COVERED TOWN.


He Claims to Have Seen tho Original Of
the Muir Glacier NIirage--It Is So Far
North That Months Are Required to
Reach the P1sce-An Unsupported Yarn.
Since the story of the Muir glacier
mirage first became known your CORE
spondent has made every effort to get
substantial news concerning 1t, but be-
yond the statements of Professor Will
loughby, and the word of one or two
who had seen the mirage, nothing tangi-
BILE could be obtained. By the steamer
Elder, which arrived recently at Victo-
ria from the north came miner, who
left the vessel at that port, and did not
go on to San Francisco. 40 he at first in
tended. From this miner, who is very
intelligent man, most remarkable story
was obtained, and the first description
Of the Silent City is here given.
George Fl. Kershon is the name given
by the narrator of the tale
Kershon is hardy looking man, with
O well knit frame, indicative of an abil-
ity to Withstand physical hardship, while
his clear, blue eyes are surety that
whatever he undertakes he will carry
through.
Eyes" he said, "I think am the first
white man who ever gazed on the frozen
city of the north. In the summer Of
1883 was one Of party Of six who left
here 10 go north prospecting. OF the
other five know not where they are.
We took the steamer to juneau, where
we left her, buying a.smml sloop to take
our kits up to Yukon. After several
weeks Of awful toll we reached fork.
II was for going up this fork and
prospecting, but the other five were
against it; but as was determined to
go left the party, engaged an Indian
canoe, with two bucks, and started up
off this unknown fork We had terri
ble time. The stream narrowed in be-
tween high cliffs and shot with dizzy
swiftness down the gulches, making it
necessary to tow the canoe by means Of
a line from the banks, two doing this,
while the third man rested.
WOODS AND ICE.
After that it was bit easier. The
river broadened out and the country was
more level. The banks were well wood
ed and game was plentiful. We kept on
like this, always going north, when after
six weeks range of mountains were
sighted. At length we reached the wild
country again, and the stream, which
had been subdividing itself into lesser
ones, soon became too difficult to navi-
gate. This was almost at the foot of
the mountain range spoken of. Here ]
determined to camp for the winter, and
good quarters were found.
Before long the cold came, and at
times it was impossible to stir from
cover. Especially was this the case
when the wind blew. At other times it
was fairly comfortable, although the
Lack Of sun made it gloomy enough.
/ Zone day determined to try to scale
ono Of the mountains near us, as got
20 tired and weary with being penned
up in such a confined place. Thissidea ]
put before the Indians. One of them
said he would go with me; the other
would not risk it, so he was left in camp
1--WE went right up the line of the fro
zen river, which, being solid mass of
ice, made good roadway. Following
this for about twenty miles, at pretty
steep rise, we reached a plateau between
the foothills and high range. Here the
stream ended and we started to climb
one Of the big hills. After lot of hard
work we reached point near the sum-
NIT. A wonderful view was had from
here, but the strangest thing was a city
in one Of the valleys.
"You may bet I was surprised to see
It. At first thought it was some fan
tastic arrangement of the ice and spow
which had assumed the form of city,
hut examination with a glass showed
that such was not the case, it being too
regular in appearance.
SILENT CITY.
ut was city, sure enough.
Determined to see more of it, Loom
snenced to work downward, although the
AfQlSk-W IsbtuSI Ax1SuUC1Oe&, A0 OsAucAtAy
not considering it good medicine AZ
ter,seReral hours Of hard work reached
the outslcirts Of this mysterious city, and
found that this place was laid out in
streets, with blocks of strange looking
buildings, what appeared to be mosques,
towers, ports, etc., and every evidenceo Of
having been built by art.
1.-THE whole-wasof solid ice, or seemed
to be, butblows from a hatchet.on, one Of
the walls disclosed the fact that beneath
this barrier of ice wassome sort Of build
ing material It looked to be wood, but
OF stonelike hardness, and apparently
pet1ifed.
.aI.he silence around the place was
something ghostly. Not the slightest
sound broke the awful stiffness of the
place, which, added to the weird look Of
the empty streets, made it grewsome
enough. soon got tired Of investigat-
ing the.city, as the streets were blocked
in4many places with huge masses Of ice,
rendering passage almostsim impossible. The
buck, too, became uneasy, and we start
ed On thereturn trip, reaching camp the
naxtday, tired .buhsatisfed that we had
been the first men to gaze ON that silent
city for centuries.
'.After spring had broke made some
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