The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-16
MAKING THEIR WAY.
Reports Coming Back Of the
Gold Seekers Adventures.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Portage Bay. Alaska. April :. lses.-Spe-
ciaI observation-disclosures Bertha. of
the Alaska Cosnrercia5 Company. Capt ].
NJ Hays in command, arrived at the head
OF Portage bay. the extreme southwest
point Of Prince William sound. Alaska on
the evening OF April ,
Departure was made from Sitka Friday
morning March q. and when outside of ne
harbor a southwest gale prevented pro-
gress for the first night On the following
day a fierce southeast gale picked up The
sea and for four days the steamer was hove
to and was driven seaward for fully 100
miles. OF the ninety-two passengers there
were but few who escaped NAL de mer.
and AZ the table the captain and officers
frequently had their meals almost to them
selves.
The head OF Portage bay ia about seven
ty-fiye miles from the Alaska Commercial
Company's post. called Nucheck. the route
lying between snow crested buttes and
wal.-slded banks fully 1900 feet high. The
glacier in the pass lies az the head Of the
channel. and after winding to the south
ward. turns and bears westward into Turn
again arm. The summit Is about 200 feet
high There Is a fringe of timber on the
shore. so that camp can be easily made. and
with Yukon stove and tent. comfortable
quarters ca1 be attained even on bank
OF snow.
The snow lies on the ground to depth
OF about four feet, and on account of the
recent cold weather has crust which will
bear up sled for the conveyance of the
servation. and judging from the interviews
given by several of the Juneau party
aboard who crossed the pass last year. the
task OF erossing on the snow is not so diff
ficult as one would naturally suppose.
The distance across from tide water to
tide water is about fifteen miles, and to
make the distance down the arm of Cook
inlet TO Sunset City al Six-Mtle creek a
boat will have TO be used for twenty miles.
1t would be well for people coming in via
the portage to bring lumber for a skin.
is the timber Is very small TO whipsaw
lumber for such purposes.
The steamer had much difficulty TO find
anchorage grounds, as 1t is very deep water
TO within a short distance Of the moraine
OF the glacier.
The miners OF the initial party have de-
cided 10 call the first landing Camp Hays.
In honor of he captain of the steamer
Bertha. and beside the monument enun-
ciating such fact your correspondent
planted March is copy of the Post-In-
telligencer as an evidence that the press
travels nowadays with all Argonaut par
ties in search of the golden dust. instead
OF the fleece as sought by Jason and crew
in We olden times.
At Nucheck Agent Charles Swanson
boarded to act as pilot. and from him 1t
was learned that during the winter the
steamers Klingkit and Wildcat, in service
for the Pacific Steam Whaling Company
at Orca station, on Prince William sound.
were wrecked by the surf, while moored
along the shore. No lives were lost. II
has been the coolest for years this past
winter hereabouts. the thermometer reg
istering at Nucheck in February % de-
grees below zero The schooner Stella
Erland. which sailed from Seattle in
March. chartered by Pace. of MacDougall
& Southwick. and others, had not been
sighted at Prince William sound nor at
Sltka when the Bertha left.
Sam bennington. who wintered at Orca,
crossed over the portage In February,
headed for SixtAdile creek. and as he went
alone in the middle of winter, his hardi-
hood was spoken of by the nardy frontiers
men OF this section as seldom equaled by
the most venturesome.
The steamer Bertha returns 10 Sitka and
Is scheduled to sail from there on April 8.
connecting with the Topeka from the
Sound. Before landing, the passengers
drew up resolutions complimentary to
Capt. j. NJ. Hays and Purser f. L. Gould
for the kind treatment they had received
at their hands. The passengers signed
and presented 1t with their best wishes.
After meeting the fury of five days gale
on the staunch Bertha. 1t was the consen-
sus of opinion that river steamers and
small and unseaworthy craft would have
but a poor show to live out such a gale:
and hence it would be wise for those start
ing out from Seattle to await settled
weather. In April, before embarkiny on a
perfious voyage on a rock-ribbed and