The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-10
FROM COOK INLET.
The Diary Of One Of the Alaska
Gold Seekers.
HARD TRIP or LAkmG PEOPLE.
Wess Not Landed nc Their Destination,
but Put Ashore ~ Goa, Hsrbor,
Much % Their Disgust.


Alvin r. vsnnesxe. OF Seattle. who male
The voyage TO Cox inlet or the ste@fnsr
Lakms. kept q Diary sitting form saca
days events. II In su unbiased sfsf~-
nent CT facts. and each Part. written
when . day OF action mad passed. Feneess
day az no document prepars1 " The hsht
OF later Developments. could 40 ne
diary In given in fun seioa. 40 fc.io~s.
THURSDAY, ApriI %.
The we.:her - cold ana sanaIly. have
written two letters 70 You with view 20
going s.hore AZ sltks sE3 nasling them
We were In part doomed 20 dissDposnt-
ment. As we nssrcd the CITY ana were
almost within speaking distance, the cap
tain announced that he would not tie up
a. tie dock so we had to give oer letters
20 Mr. Wakefield agent Of the LakmeD.
vino mailed them for Us. Hs was rowed
ashore together with the captain, In one
OF the ships boats. while thesgreater por-
tion CT tho passengers had 70 be com
tented with viewing the esty from inc
ship's deck. anchored In the harbor about
cne-fourth OF a mile ae@y. We cast
anchor about haif-past 2 In the afternoon
and remained until half-past Z. Many
were rowed ashore In Indian canoes. pro-
eeiicd by the natives. uruaiiy win enc
paddle. A our ship hove around The
group Of little Islands that thickly dot
the beautiful hartsor OF sitks. the Usopia
vas sighted resting quietly on her an
chors. Lusfy cheers were exchanged. ana
when speaking distance was attained soi-
aeys Of Wit. strongly seasoned With ssr-
caAm. wego shot back and forth no
Utopia was not billed TO leave unfil the
following morning. 30 when we pulled cut
past her another cr5xs-hre OF sood-fla-
- 49, lftttlt
rood ship carefully felt her way out
among tho islands and pointed her PROV
due west, We encountered q herce gale.
heavily snow-iaden. which lasted well
into tho night. went 70 bed AT night
With tho ship rolling rugged lullaby.
Friday. April 10.
{ arose about o'clock. after poor
nfeht.s rest. On deck washed In ice-coid
alt water dipped up in bucket swung 10 .
rops from the ships side. The wind was
blowing from the northwest and was well
bssprfnkled with snow. The sun was OBJ
secured and the sky was overcast by duh,
Navy clouds well down to the horizon In al
directions. The ship was rolling and piung-
1ng ct = rate that caused recurrence OF
sickness with many. As the day advanced
che clouds scattered somewhat. irving us
occasional glimp~cs Of the sun. The wind
retained its friGidity. however. and nearly
al the passengers Rugged that portion OF
che deck nearest the smokestack. The hold
. not comfortable or desirable place TO
stay, hence when tho weather is Disagree
able which n nearly all the time now,
1ifs II not all pleasure on board the Lskme.
No Incident worthy Of record marked the
day, and We retired early. Our bed IL COM
Portable. In fact about the only comfortable
placs on board. and We sleep we'll
SATURDAY, April II.
~. - a. tA<x
cold and clear. The men were huddled in
compacs axeregations In the ~armest parts
OF the ship. the region about the smoke
stack being an easy favorite. Without any
deslre TO east invidious reflections on the
management OF this expedition. II Is only
fair to say that IL any one has any desire
90 add anything to the category OF human
experience. with all Its wealth of humor
and pathos, priyitations and Injuries. II 10
only necessary for one TO take steerags
passage on a freight steamer. Not neces-
sariiy to Cook inlet. but TO any part or to
any cline. II Is well calculated TO round
out the most varied aud romantic career.
In making this statement l am not unnind-
Rul OF the fact that Mr.. Wakefield and
Capt. Anderson each did all II was possi-
bic for the comfort of the passengers, The
best OF everything In the way OF eatahles
had been provided and competent cook
was aboard. but the facilities for preparing
and serving the meals were wholly tnade-
uuate TO the number OF men on board. IL
Seems 20 m@ that the authorities who clear
vessels so inhumaniy overcrowded are Sc
riously at fault, Here are over 30 men
crowded into q sleeping room thirty by
seventy feet. II IL an outrage on
common deoency. 10 say nothing OF the out
ragged laws OF hygiene. The tables from
which we eat are securely fastened he-
tween the rows OF hunks and in the GEN.
0Av S<f -.
about seventy-five men AT a sitting maxi
ing II necessary to set three tables each
meal II is n lucky man who secures a
seat at the first table. SO desirable a priv
fiexe Il II considered that many get up al
o'clock in the morning and after hastily
washing and dressing themselves. taks
up their position on one of the benches
and patiently wait for three solid hours
until tho welcome cali OF 'hot stun.' is
heard from above. That II the signal that
the walters have started from the cooks
galley with the steaming viands. Thence
forth until every man IL fed. silled up M
10 pop and looking like poisoned nun "a
he iahorionsly climbs the x,eer stairs n
reign OF pandemoninm exists which wcal,i
satisfy the most dslirious fancy Every one
IL good'natured. and the sparkling bits
or rerartee that are shot iIke intellectual
metecre across the otherwise starless and
gloomy surroundings. would do credit 70
les sweep the table with the same hreorr.
used 10 sweep tho iioor: and such A foor
IL has been our second day out from sitka
and out OF sight of land. unless A sham
point standing up against the northern no.
rfrcn Is enc OF the hieh mountains
which rise siors the coast 90 Prince Nul-
lam sound, We expect 20 enter t,,,sk inie,
TOMORROW. which is our seventh day cut
from Seattle
SUNDAY. April IL.
This has been the most nlenon,ti. ,,~
a. the voyage % 90 date We Nrrc 49,.
ened about the usual hour By A ver, M
usual rocking ana pitching o. ,hc sAir 1
eot Up aad AFTER several indiscr.r,Inat,
pi1ngcs about the htit succeeas,i In &c.
fnS and climbing 20 the erek 7,he -,
was blowing Furious gale fro,n The north
and large pcrtien of tha N.ean s,s.,.t -
be fying about with Sc. ecn,plrt,,, 49,
tnE everybody ana sverythin- IN 80
The cNok's Saliey VAS caf.iplef..;c .srs,,.,,,,,
ard deserted An the loose sr,.-,,f .,,, -
was nyinS about tn a seemingly tr,V-
tricssie eatargisuaeui. Here ard tns-,
fnshms sooat IN an effort - cave rey'Se.
aele frcigh; from serious eaY,s-, ,,,i,...
t'e seen the captain first mate a. s.re,,.-
sailor, I, WAS a w;ii scene. So >-. ,,.,,.-s
SHOULD amply satisfy auV ono wa, hass ~.
sifn - see ola Ncptsne d. MS fare t,..,t-
fest seemed remote osssssslrr, l-,,....,
orrd cook. VITA ali his assistant N~+ -
serted his Tcst ana rew ~ fre .-,,,..,.-
Grew ana = Few ~ IRE fstsss.-.... -,
fcrinr rsiapse ~ u'arire nsa-.s, fyess.
ao"'t ITO cioch. AFTER r1rcA rnrsuss ~, ara,
p7on1ise from Mr.. waksaela 81 i -,
NArioHsiv estimated 81 8 "a SIS e., -
~ Tho shfps crew were issa.ssl, >, :, -.
fhe forward galley. They Nft-.s -.
~Ster. fceiH which 81 tus sl-,, .,-... -.