The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-23

weighing 80 or 10 pounds. are the choice.
and 70-pounders the average. II Is oth-
cially stated that Captain Beardsiee
and one other angler caught forty
seven halibut averaging forty pounds
each In one hour In July after the regu-
lar halibut season, which IL three
THE CANDLE FISH.
Among the oddities which we chanced
upon was a candle fish," so-called be-
cause they contain enough oil to give
q good light when burning. The ma
tives use them as our forefathers used
the tallow candle. One OF these was
caught by our next room neighbor. Vice
President W. G. Purdy. Of the Chicago
Rock Island and Pacific railway. He
also caught a dog fish that weighed
eighteen pounds plump. The latter are
Of not much value. The ''ulican" or
| "cu. die fish," however Is one OF the
most remarkable fish found In Alaska
waters, and Is s'about six inches long, an
| inch in diameter and nearly round. II
! is a most delicate and tender fish and Is
so full of oil that 1t will fry In its own
| fat and is considered a dish of rare
delicacy. The oil of the ulikan when
purified is thought to be as palatable
as olive oil. while possessed Of all the
medicinal properties of cod liver oil.
At Killisnoo we found great schools
| Of herring, the waters being silvered
with them as far as the eye could
| reach. Whales and sea gulls are at
| tracted by these schools. The natives
| rake them from the water with bit
of lath set with nails. and family can
fill a canoe in an hour Often three
hundred barrels are caught at single
no n thOllS-
and barrels are seined, and once In
Sitka harbor $500 barrels were taken
by one cast Of the seine.
The Killisnoo oil factories, their ma
chinery and processes, are the same as
are used at the Menhaden factories in
Connecticut and on the Long Island
coast. OIL is obtained from fish which.
| when pressed. yield from three quarts
to a barrel each, the oil selling at thirty
cents a gallon. The refuse Of the fish
Is made into guano worth $50 per ton.
Fifty barrels OF fish dried and pow
dered furnish q ton of guano and
four hundred thousand gallons
Of herring oil are produced from one
factory alone. Eight hundred thousand
cases of packed salmon go out from the
fisheries here annually.
IN PERIL STRAIT.
1t Is 5 o'clock In the morning OH our
seventh day that we arise to find our
noble Queen entering Peril Strait for a
run of thirty miles to Sltka. This
stretch of water Is, as Its name implies,
a difficult and dangerous passage-late-
" explored by Captain Carroll, and
only navigated in pleasant weather and
favorable tides. This "cut-off" is a
great saving of time and distance, also
sea-sickneSs, which the outside pas
sage incurs. TwO-thirds of the dis
tance the strait Is several miles wide,
but ii ultimately narrows down to less
than a half mile to form both Neva
and Olga straits. In Peril Strait are
two narrows where are strong tidAl
rapids. The second Of these rapids Is
scarcely 300 yards wide and the tide
rushes through 1t with the sound Of
roaring cataract. often at ten knots an
hour. and like Seymour Narrows. 1t Is
only run on high tide. For eight miles
the navigation is the most dangerous
| on the coast and requires the skill and
keen vigilance of the officers and pilots
without relaxation. At low time a
bore" four feet high, similar to what
we see at Moncton, on the Bay of Fun
day. rushes through it. sucking down
and carrying everything before 1t in
the current. In Neva and Olga Straits,
| which lead into Sitka Sound. are a sue
cession of beautiful waterways. stud
ded with charming greenwooded ISL
ands. presenting striking contrast to
the desolate looking shores of Glacier
Bay.
IN SIGHT OF SITKA.
AS we draw near to Sitka more beau
tiful Is the aspect, the glistening waters
seem more and more studded, with
rocky. timbered and moss covered
islands. trees of fir and spruce predomi-
mating. The appearance of Sitka and Its
surrounding IL a happy surprise to all
tourists. The bay or harbor of Sitha
Is land-locked. capaciOus and beautiful
and likened to the Bay Of Naples. We
took in it's length and breadth. 1t has
a double entrance opening at once from
the east and the west. the archipelago
and the Pacific. As we enter it on the
right hand Is Mount Edgecumbe, twen-
ty-four miles distant, an extinct vol
cano. rising out Of the Pacific ocean to
the height Of $500 feet vertically, with
huge symmetrical crater. 1000 feet in
diameter and 200 feet deep. On the left
hand from cluster of famous quaint
looking buildings rise the ruins of Bar
anoff Castle" the former residence Of a
long succession of Russian governors,
and in the center Of the town Is the
emerald green roof bulging spire and
dome of the Russo-Greek church. while
in the lofty background is the frowning
Mt Verstovoi, rising 3.216 feet. upon
whose shoulder is a perfect cross, formed
by two transverse cannOns of immense
depth, and filed with eternal snow
NO grander view can be conceived than
this placid sheet of water with it's hum
dred lovely green islands, the volcano
on the right and this wonderful noun
tain which bears upon it's bosom the
sacred symbol of Christianity--the holy
cross-standing like a sentinel against
the eastern sky, while nesting at its
feet Is the quaint. old moss covered
dreaming Russian town Sitka, the CAPT.
tai Of the Territory of Alaska.
sITKA ITSELF.
Sitka Is beautifully situated on the
west coast Of Baranoff Island at the
head of Sitka Sound. 1t Is the largest
and best known Of any island in the
Archipelago, being 12O miles long and
30 miles wide. Sitka was the political
commercial, religious and educational
center of Russian America, as Alaska
was formerly known, before that coun-
try came into possession of the United
States. 1t is now the capital and seat
OIL government Oh the territory or
Alaska. 1t Is the official residence of
the governor, United States district
Judge and other Territorial officers. The
town itself is uninviting in appearance,
however, it Is full of interest; historic
fact and legendary fancy combine to
make It's history attractive, while the
scenic beauties of it's surroundings ex-
cite the interest of the tourist. Its
present population Is about 1900. In
1890 there were $50 Indians. 29S whites
and 81 Chinese. Sitka is the home port
for the United States man. of-war Pinta
for protection duty in Alaskan waters
besides the barrack home of two COM
panies of marines and soldiers.
Sitka was founded by Baron Baran-
off, the first Russian governor Of Rus
sian America, in 1899. A government
was established in 1906 1t inherits n