The San Francisco call., 1896-04-02
Drainage Tunnel to Be Built
and the Yellow Sediment
Uncovered.
NATIVES WATCH FOR ANDRE
Will Aid the Aerial Navigator in His
Search for the Pole-The Rush
10 the Yukon.

SEATTLE, WASH, April Alaska ad-
vices received by the steamer Willapa
which arrived in port from the north to-
day say that enterprising Sitkans intend
to drain lake back of that staid old town
and gather by the wagon-load gold bullion
and dust that for centuries has been
brought down and accumulated in the
bed of the lake by glaciers. The project is
grand one and commendatory of the
worthy spirits behind it. The outside
world will watch with as much interest
their progress as some Christian folk have
done for the ead of the world. The tun-
mel will not be an extraordinarily long
one-only about 1000 feet-and il will run
water from the lake, whose bottom is be-
lieved to be paved with gold to a great
depth. The feeders for the lake are be-
Iieved to have been ancient glaciers which,
In their slow process of travel, have ground
up the mountains into debris and depos-
tied precious metal along with sediment
In the lake bottom. Claims have already
been taken up and preparations for un-
locking the secrets of glacier and lake are
to be pushed forward.
Another bit of sensational news from
Alaska is that the great ice bound region
is being made aware of Professor Andrie's
proposed aerial trip to the North Pole, and
that the natives from Point Barrow to
Greenland, are looking forward with keen
interest to his appearance. The Pacific
Geographical Society has in hand the dis
semmlnatlng OF the news, and letters have
been sent out by the commercial compa-
MES doing business in Arctic Alaska, with
the request that the .informa ton be i'm
parted to all accessible natives, in order
that they may render assistance when
Professor Andrie and his balloon comes
their way.
Andrie, according to this society, which
claims to have been so notified by the
Minister from Norway and Sweden at
Washington City, will start from Spltz-
bergen some time in July. This news will
be spread broadcast at Wrangel Land, off
the coast of Siberia, among the Tchutchis
tribe, which was so literally rewarded
some years ago by this Government for as
sistance to American shipwrecked sailors,
by the steam whaler Orca, Captain Nc
Gregor. The Orca, which is now en- route,
will also go far east in the Arctic.
There is no abatement in the rush to
Alaska; on the contrary, the exodus is on
the increase, and by Saturday no less than
fifteen vessels, big and little, with pas
senger list of fully 1000 men and freight
and supplies in proportion will have sailed
from this port for the golden field to the
north.
The Indian mail-carrier. Jimmy Jack
son, who left Seattle early in the winter
with mail for the Yukon, has, it is re-
ported by Robert Insley, who has just
made his way out of that country, proba-
bly, met the fate of the two newspaper
men-Hodge and McNelis-whom he de-
serted and left to perish. When last seen
he was off the trail, and cold and hunger
had apparently unbalanced his mind. His
two Indian companions he had also left
behind, and he had thrown away much
mail matter.
A disease similar to hydrophobia is rap
idly carrying off the dogs taken to Alaska.
Many CANNES have been shot and the loss
falls heavily upon their owners, owing TO
the difficulty in replacing them.