The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-23
IN FAR ALASKA'S
QUAINT CAPITAL
The Picturesque Yet Exceedingly Peril.
Gus Approach to Sitka.
THROUGH RAPIDS THAT APPALLED,
Once in the HarbOr, However, the
View is One Of Exceptional Tran.
guilty and Charm, and is Broken by
sharp but Interesting Contrasts.
What the Alaskan Capital is Like.
Written for the Tribune.

Written for the Tribune. -.-....
We last parted with our readers
rather abruptly, while wandering on
the summit of Muir glacier among
scenes which cap the climax of sublim-
ity and grandeur. However indulgent
our captain may be. our experiences on
this frozen mountain" come to an
end at last for the whistle sounds. CIV
ing us timely warning to return 10 the
ship. The day spent here ends only too
quickly. But we must travel yet l30
miles further to reach Sitka. the termi-
nus of our trip, on favorable tides py
early morning.
Instead of being surfeited with too
much grandeur and sightseeing we
leave reluctantly these glorious views
and thread our way slowly and cauti-
ously back to the Queen, which we
board again simply to behold a still
greater display of Gods power at al
ternoon than we witnessed In the morn
ing. No words can paint the glories or
this wall Of ice, this sea of glaciers
when illumined by the radiance OF the
setting sun. Here appears the birth
place of innumerable rainbows or a
mountain of prisms too glorious and
dazzling for description. AS the tide
sparkling bergs one after another with
such headlong recklessness and giant
crushing force as to call forth eXcla-
nations of wonder. amazement and al
most fear from the enthusiastic pas
sengers. Even Captain Carroll and
Chief Engineer Alison are led to express
their surprise as the marvellous blocks
of falling pinnacles enter the bay. The
noise of this mighty avalanche, cover
ing four or five acres, falls upon the ear
like the terrific booming of cannon.
Think of It.! From 10000 to $4,000 tors
of ice crumble off this glacier and fall
into the bay every minute. / repeat:
"Man becomes dwarfed and dumb amid
these subli'7> scenes. while nature eX-
hibits the p,..-T. the possesses"
ON TO sITKA.
From these marvellous ice fields to
quaint Sitka, there are two routes. One
is west through Cross Sound. out upon
the Pacific and down the coast. This is
called the ouside passage. The other
is to return through Icy straits and
south through Chatham Sound to Kill
lisnoo, westward through Peril strait
to Salisbury Sound and southward
through Nova and Olga Straits into
Sitka Sound. We chose the latter
route. This gives one an abrupt tran
sition from q day at Muir glacier to
night voyage through tortuOus chan
nels and perilous straits.
1t was toward evening as the Queen
drew close to the great ice wall and
finally headed southwark down the
bay. the sun shining in full glory. As
we looked back from the deck Of the
steamer. the deep-toned artillery kept
up its solemn salutation as the vast
min c1eS tnnnlp1 "a nd haca
born icebergs, while all about were the
floating pinnacles of crystal. The gran
deur of the scene may be imagined.
but hardly described. Soon the view
becomes more inspiring as we behold
again rising above all the St. Elias
Alps, clothed In everlasting white. but
now touched with the crimson glow anu
glory of the setting sun. Let me re-
count a few of the sayings of our fel
low passengers here assembled on
hurricane deck.
Says Rev. DR.. Brown, of Tacoma:
ut was a scene which touched every
heart with awe: which spoke Of God
and the glories Of heaven: which lives
henceforth and forever in the memory
Of every one who beheld It," Another
says: I'VE came, We saw, and we are
conquered. We shall never speak Of thee,
ye everlasting mountains. but with rev.
erence." Another (Rev. DIR. Day.: "The
power and majesty Of the Almighty are
perhaps more awfully exhibited and
more fully realized in these .stupendons
frozen mountains than in any other
scene on earth" Another veteran trav-
6ler says: II have been all over the
world; but you are here looking at q
scene that has not its parallel elsewhere
on the globe. You can. take just what
we see here and put 1t down on SwitZ-
erland and 1t will hide all there is Of
mountain scenery in Europe" And still
another, nearer and dearer, standing
by the side of the writer with gentle
voice, says: II acknowledge with graf
titude q kind Providence for bringing
us here to behold the glories of this
wonder of wonders" But the writer's
words Of o. D. Wheeler. "Those noun
tains, those glaciers: what mighty hand
hath wrought that which now looms up
in such colossal grandeur? Upon
whichever side we gaze the same pic
ture Of stupendous heights. gigantic
domes, lofty precipices, all carved and
fiuted with ravines and canons. 1t Is
a vision Of terrestrial magnificence
bursting forth unexpectedly, and with
awe and reverence the spectator un-
consciously feels, even though he may
not utter it, Great and marvellous are
thy works, Lord God Almighty.
CATCHING A HALIBUT.
According to the steamer bulletin, We
arrived at the famous KOotznahoo
Fishing Banks at 7.S0 p. m, to engage
In the sport of catching halibut for a
couple Of hours. This Is the finest
halibut grounds in the Archipelago.
Arriving on schedule time most Of us.
men, women and children, were on deck
ready to cast line from the steamer.
Catching halibut by the ton Is more
exciting than hauling in salmon by
the ton. Lest jeoparidze my reputa-
tion for veracity by telling you some
wonderful fish stories UP here, will
quote some Of Rev. Mr.. Myers eXI,er-
fences. II stand on deck."' said he.
least off line from side of the steamer.
the heavy leader goes overheard with q
plunge, down fifteen fathoms 1t sinks;
] hold the line for a feeler; I stand in
an alert attitude when my arm Is rude
ly jerked over the balustrade. I re-
spond with a vigorous pull, assured
have got something at the other end
worth pulling for. draw in, and draw
in, then rest awhile. There is fighter
on that line: keep 1t taut. AT last the
captive shines through the water and
covers a tremendous surface. The
boatmen on duty ply to and drive the
lifting hook into his side and land him
into their craft below. He measures
three feet. ten inches in length, seven
teen inches across the fins and weighs
forty-three pounds. the second largest
catch out Of two and half tons in two
hours"
In halibut fishing they use the cru
dest tackle with bit of salmon or a
herring for bait. to decoy Chicken
halibut" from 30 to go pounds each The
halibut hooks, lines and clubs used, are
made by the Kootznahoo Indians. The
hooks are foot long and are cut from
the heart of spruce or cedar roots-.for
the halibut can detect the taste Of resin.
This. as well as the club. is carved with
the owners totem, and other significant