The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-19
IN A GREAT ICE FL0E.
Perilous Trip Of the Excelsior
Through Boring Sea.
popetNo THE TOWERING BERos
Sailing Through Ice for Hundreds of
MiIes-Good Mines on the \ u
kon- Seattleites There.

j.
r. Higgins, arrived in port yesterday with
the hrse news direct from the Yukon this
summer, after having had a perihou. expe-
rienee IN a great ice foe in Boring sea The
Excelsior left this port on June for 81.
Michaels, Alaska with $4,000 worth CT
freight for the North American Trading
and transportation Company's post at
ern police and the lone representative OF
the American government, in the person
OF Deputy Collector McNair. 10 be station
ed al the boundary on the Yukon
The Excelsior was delayed fourteen days
on the way north by a huge blockade OF
tee. one mass OF Il being fully 400 miles
long and 100 miles wide. In the opinion OF
Capt. Higgins. Bering sea was entirely
frozen over last winter and the ice was
broken up in the spring by winds Great
quantities OF ice came down the Yukon
river in the spring. too. and this may be
the source OF this great floating field.
G. A. Weare, president OF the North
American Trading and Transportation
Company, was a passenger on the round
trip. He said last evening 70 Poet-lnts.-
Egencer reporter: '"The great mass of ice
new moon. We passed into the concave the
evening OF June II and thought we had
passage through. but after lying there
quietly at night, in the morning We found
ourselves in a most perilous position, the
ice having surrounded us entirely. We
tried TO go ahead, but found no blue water.
We turned back and found ourselves in
narrow passes picking our way and dodg-
ing icebergs. We had no accident, how
ever, and after reaching 81. Lawrence ISL
and stayed there three days. We tried TO
pass the island on the Siberia side, but
failed. We tried Il the other way AMI
failed We then went on north and finally
tes and Of +ha M
ed 81. Michaefs safely July s. TIE steam
er p. 3. weare from Fort Cudahy was
awaiting US with the passengers, and We
discharged in two days and started ba TX
July in the evening. The +. 3. Weare
left at the same time for the mouth Of the
Yukon. eighty miles down the coast"
On the way down no ice was encoun-
tered, as il had left the coast. and the
steamer took advantage of that, Both
coming and going she stopped at Una
laska. reaching there on the return trip
after four days. The revenue cutters Rich
ard Rush and T.. S. Grant and the British
guifboat Pheasant were there. also the
American wha.er William Hicks with two
fine whales. and the American whaling
bark Triton was coming In as the Excel
sior left Revenue cutter Bear had left
for her northern cruise. Further down the
sealer Oscar and Hattie was sighted, sew
enty-five miles from UIsimak pass and 200
miles east OF the pass the small sealing
schooner Henrietta was sighted, they both
being on their way north Capt. Higgins
reports a most peasant trip. the water be-
ing very quiet.
The trading company has only a ware
house at ST. Miehaers. its trading post be-
ing at Fort Cudahy. 1900 miles up the Yu-
kon. ST. Michae,'s is in SO degrees 80 min
utes north latitude and 163 west longitude.
Capt. Higgins reports that at this season
the sun sets at II p. m. and rises at a. m,
leaving two hours of twilight which is not
an approach TO darkness. the sun seeming
10 rise and set at the same spot. The tenn
perature on July 3 was go degrees, July 4,
s. degrees, and July ), the same.
The Excelsior has begun taking another
s., 600 cargo and will sail again next Mon
day. Her passenger list coming down was
as follows: Joseph Mother. Or. Ernest 0.
Crewe DR. and Mrs. ]. l.. Tam, Peter
Ger;d. John Miller. William Stewart, Mrs.
c. r. Hamilton. Rem Treca, Joseph God
smith. of Seattle: c. A. Moore. Miss indie
Anderson. Norman Waah.
The P B. Weare will require three trips
to carry the cargoes Of two trips for the
Excelsior. and the latter has been char
tered by the trading company TO make
three trips q year from this port.
Speaking OF the prospects for the Yukon
country. Mr. Weare said: The report
that there are too many people there is
untrue The Yukon country and the Tan
anaw are each as large as the Mississippi
valley. and have greater possibilities be-
fore them. In every creek flowing into the
Yukon. as Joe Goldsmith will tell you,
YOU can hardly get a pan of earth from
any place without show OF color. No
one should go there without plenty of
money to winter If necessary. and any
practical miner or half miner or sober
man can do well. | saw them coming out
with their heavy gripsacks. all that two
could carry for any distance. and any
man who has ever been in a mining camp
knows what that means. Some Of those
very people who have travelled on free
passes and are kicking the worst carried
out the heaviest loads. | can assure you
that they are richer than when they went
i'm. The great trouble is that some go there
expecting. 10 find the nuggets without
work and on the top OF the ground. but
in The Yukon hard work Is what tells, and
these persons who haven't dollar invest
ed and consequently nothing at stake. are
coming here with weary faces. but I'm fact
anxious TO return and bring out another
load
The rathole mining IL proving very
feasible, and gives the men employment
winter and summer. They dig through
the ice and snow and frozen ground. and
when they reach the pay rock the fires are
built and the earth falling in dur:rr the
long nights crumbles 10 pieces. This is
kept up all winter. In the spring he pam
ming is done. and nuggets OF $40 to $50 have
been found.
The company has very satsfac tory
trade The short supply OF last winter
was not serious. but the cause was simply
larger number OF arrivals than was ex-
pected Fort Cudahy is only a trading
post where miners get their supplies |
think 1900 miners and prospectors viii
winter there Our business is only trading
and transportation. and we do no mining.
Or, Ernest .. Crewe who spent the
winter al St Nichaers came down on
the Excelsior and left last evening on
the Sehome for Victoria He IS a jovial
laxative and a very intelligent gentle
man. He made the trip from s.. M'chaefs
u Forty Nile and return on the steamer
Arctic his spring. and brought down
some very fine nuggets. as much as so
IN each. The doctor is a sen-tourist,
not having gone FOR pleasure or wealth
especially. but for the experience with
something az an eve 20 business He
dii not speak IN the Se.t terms OF the
country. hut some OF the specimens
which he brought back ala not look a;
all iisrouraging.
Dr. J. l.. Tam went from Butte Mont.
Two years ago. accompanied by MS wife.
Who is very estinahle lady. - practice
medicine IN circle City. They both saw
and became well acquainted with c. X
X.flv Mort Atkinson and r l. Haw'ey
Who RS from this city ari have reached
there safely by the way % Chilkat pass.
from Juneau. Zi,'y lost his mosquito veil.
and ha1 a great time lodging he IN
sec,s Mrs Tam said last evening: Mr.
Zuly Mr. Atkinson and some others Of
the party are song 20 return on The next