The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-05
THEY ALL COMPLAIN.
Letters From Lakme and Tito.
pia ProspectorA
SHOW 4 STATE OF AFFAIRS.
The Toed 6evo Out, Thsy Gould Noe
0se Isto the InIce, and the Cap
tain Could stand ssCuau1n'."

Several Of the voyagers to Cook inlet
have sent back letters by the steam
schooner Lakme which picture a woeful
state Of Affairs. Their principal complaint
Is that the steamers Utopia and Lakme
did not land them within 10 miles OF their
destination. and As . secondary issue they
say the grub has not been dealt out
literally enough TO sustain life in ca
nary. and lastly they say they have been
treated Ike dogs The denunciasions
heaped on Agent Wakefield and Capt
Anderson. Of the Lakme. are most bit
ter, and IL Il evident that the writers are
mad
The Lakme left sftka for Cook inlet
Thursday evening. April 8. the TRIP OF
eight days being with fair weather and
smooth sea. only one day OF rough wealth
er being encountered. On arriving AT Coal
harbor. the Lakme tied up over night and
on Monday morning. April IS. attempted
to run up the Inlet. When East Foreland
was reached slush and ice made Capt.
Anderson turn back That night was
spent at anchor In Coal harbor. and the
next morning the Utopia. which had left
S.tka April 10. hove In sight.
The voyage on the latter boat had been
rough one, the passengers at one time
having their shoes united. ready to jump
overheard The scene on the Utopia dur
Ing the storm Of Sunday and Monday fol-
lowing their departure from Sitka Is de-
scrioed as . wild one, Strong men were
weeping like children. and others prayed
for succor. On reaching the inlet the at
tempt to go up was made. the Lakme fol-
lowing the Utopia, but IS in the first
trial. only East Foreland could be reached
and then both boats TURNED back to Coal
bay.
Lying anchored IN Coal bay. the food
supply began to run short, and the pas
sengers. whose tempers had been sorely
tried by the long voyage, began to COM
plain John Riley. formerly an employe
Of J. E. Williams & Co. Of this city. In
writing to friend OF the state Of affairs
on the Lakme. says:
We have been on short rations since
the second day out, getting only two
meals day. poor service for such large
crowd. and bad cooks. The men are rap
Idly losing all confidence in Wakefie.ds
ability TO land US at Six-Mile creek. The
feeling against him is very bitter. and 1t
l were he l should fear for my personal
safety"
Several attempts were made to get up
the inlet, but 1t was found impossible
The passengers on the Lakme refused
Wakefield's proposition to go ashore, and
the cry was, .Six-Mile creek or sinkv'
Capt. Anderson insisted that his orders
were to return to Seattle at once as the
vessel was under orders and could not
wait for the clearing of the ice. which,
according to the natives. would be at
least a month.
At this stage Capt. OBrien, of the
Utopia was taken seriously i'll. and the
command of that steamer devolved on
the pilot. Capt Chester. Capt OBrien
was placed under the care Of one of the
doctors taken up by the Excelsior.
graphic account of the situation Is
given by Capt. B. b. Whitney, Of tho
schooner w. J. Bryant. which arrived
about this time In letter to Z. G. SUIT
ton. dated Coal Harbor, Cook inlet, Alas
ka. August 3. he says:
THE Lakme Is here She went IN the
inlet, met ice and returned here and land
ed her passengers on the sand spit 1t
looks ike soldiers camping ground
You never saw a sickeE set OF men than
Is here on the beach. $50 miles from the
mines. Wakefield told them that all they
could do was to hang him. They are
jumping side ways. but are taking their
medicine like little men. The Utopia is
here and things are not much better on
her. Their captain is sick and her pas
sengers the most disgusted lot of men
that you can imagine. Both the Lakme
and Utopia half starved their men on tha
way up Only two meals at any time.
yesterday the Lakme served for dinner
one raw onion. one bareback and one
spooh,ui OF canned tomatoes. The Uto-
pas Dill OF fare was one biscuit one
spoonful OF beans, and that was all. No
tea or coffee on either boat, nor has there
been for a week. There is no hope to ret
to the mines for two weeks on account Of
Ice. The Utopia appointed a committee
OF TWO each for passengers and crew to
allowance out the grub. The Lakme is
stiil worse. Her Passengers are grubbing
themselves. although their contracts cali
for meals and berths. and to be landed al
Six Mile creek. Yet the I.akme is TO re-
turn These things / tell you are cold
facts and you can give them to any one
who asks about 1t. only I can't tell YOU
nan what Wakefield has imposed on them.
He says he can take a whole 10, az c,,ss-
ing for 5000. I haven't time 10 write
any more. My boys are all O. X. entirely
satisfied. plenty TO eat and nothing to do,