New-York tribune., 1896-05-05
COLD HUNTING IN ALASKA.
FOR THE swARMINo
PRosPECrORs.
OF GREAT AND UNTOUCHED
WEALTH IN THE REGIONS OF CooAo
1N1.Er-LArEsr NEWS FROM

1NLEr-1ArEsr NEWS FROM
THE NORTH
c.,..,. Wash Nav 4-The steamer Lakme. four.
osS o,,t reached Seattle yesterday from Cooks In.
10, after a fine passage both ways. On board wa
"Will" A. Steel, special correspondent OF ine o@"
Francisco Call" and secretary OF the Washihseo"
Press Association. who reports his observations u
follows:
"The rush this spring to the gold district OF Tura'
ARain-Bey Cooks Inlet, was unprecedented AZ
,,oryh comma unexplored numerous creeksou
tho bay have given UP gold dust and nuggets OF SUCH
value as to encourage the hopes OF prospectors'
herring into thousands. that wealth may Do rapioiy
amassed there During the last six weeks score OF
vessels have headed for Alaskan shores, but they
all started too early this year. for an unexceponaiy
severe winter has left its impression in huge cakes OF
ice that have not yet been blown out to sea, ana
snow that still remains tho grouD4 70 deptn OK
several feet A fleet OF vessels - lying on Coal
Point in Kachekinak Bay. awaitin1a favorable OPP
portunity to go 100 miles further up tho inlet.
'I spent two weeks cruising on the Inlet. and from
a careful examination OF the existing conditions and
authenticated reports Of developments ana nnds
along numerous creeks, am firmly Of the opinion that
the proper kind OF men hazard no chance In casting
their lines into the golden waters that now into the
inlet Every creek and river shows traces OK nne
gold which increases In coarseness as the streams
are ascendcd, while pieces Of gold-bearing quarts
are frequently found in placers demonstrating thae
further back toward the mountains mothee
lodges Auriferous deposits cover territory OF al
most unknown extent. while prospecting thus Tar haS
been comparatively slight
''At Sitka Fort Kenai. Kussilof Coal Point ane
other places on he Inlet met and talked with pros
pectors who have claims on the creeks and workee
rhem late last year. realizing from so to 80 day.
and in exceptional cases. as high as $50 a day.
probably 1000 men are now on the Inlet wait1nt
70 get into the creeks, and several hundred moN
are distributed at other ports Of entry waiting to-
spring to Open
.Represcntatives Of the Boston-Alaska Company
numbering sixty. have taken possession OF Coal
Point a strip five miles long. laid out streets ana
called the town Homer A petition for a postof1ce
for tbe place has been sent to Washington. A fine
quality of ignite coal is found in inexhaustble Quan.
rites in the hills. The company will build railroad
and bunkers. from which coal will be shipped -
San Francisco.
The schooner Lincoln, which left Seattle With
tvepty-one passengers on March for Cooks Inlet
had not been sighted up to April Is Grave fears ars
felt that she has been lost The Hope. smau
schooner that plies between the villages on Cooks
Inlet sailed from Kodiak April IA for Coal Point
with considerable mall for the Boston-Al Com
pany The distance is only 100 miles For twelve
days nothing was heard of her. and much anxiety
exists In consequence.
when the Iakme left Coal Point April 2. nothing
had been seen OF the steamer Hattie Cage the bark
Theoba;d. the barhentine Marion the schooner
Sutherland. which vessels left San Francisco on
April to for the Inlet. Neither had the Lzss b.
Berry. Prescott nor Candy from Seattle been
sighted. - v....
Island. died ct ct. Paul's on April u from stomaca
aro,zbe."