The San Francisco call., 1897-09-07
The Smart New Steamer Upou Which Viii Leave Day
Enter the Hawaiian Local Coasting Trad.

San Francisco and St. Michael. Mr.. Sloss
says that tits not known yet whether these
steamers will be bought or built this
winter.
These enterprises are but part of the
plans for enlarged facilities which the
Alaska Commercial Company has in view
to meet the great spring rush to the Y u
kon, which is anticipated, and the COM
petition of the North merican Transpor-
tation and Trading Company, which is
pushing its business ahead with consider
able talk about it.
The new river steamer will be a large
one, fitted with powerful machinery, and
it will be the equal of any boat a1oat on
the Yukon. The machinery for it has
been built in this City and it will be
shipped to st. Michael in a few days on
the big steam schooner Lakme, which is
now being loaded by the company at
Folsom-street wharf, and which will clear
for st. Michael some time next week.
The new steamer will be fitted to accom-
modate a large mum Der of passengers as
we'll as freight, and Will be named the
Leah, in honor of young lady who is q
ward o Captain Niebaum. The Ium ber
for the hull is now being loaded, and the
vessel will take along crew of workmen,
who will build and make ready the
steamer during the winter and spring.
The Lakme will also take along mate
rial for three river barges, which will also
be constructed before spring. The Alaska
Commercial Company will thus have six
steamers on the river when navig alton
opens early next summer.
When the late rush began the company
accepted but about 100 passengers for Daw-
son, refusing applications from over 300
people, many OF whom offered large pre-
miums for tickets.
The CONF any would take no chances in
getting to 81. Michael more people than
1t could count on getting up the river.
With two new ocean steamers and an
enlarged river service the company ex-
poets to be a bie to handle all the business
that come, next year.
Louis Sloss Sr. saws that the Alaska
Commercial Company is getting up the
Yukon this year over 5000 tons OF mer-
chandse, the value Of which will average
over $l00 ton. This would make total of
over 5000 600 worth OF goods sent in by
this company alone. When spring opened
the company had 1000 tons of stuff which
had been stored over winter at st.
Michael waiting to be rushed up the river
when navigation opened. During the sea-
son several shiploads OF stun have been
sent on from here.
The steamer Excelsior has made two
trips and the steamer Bertha one. The
Excelsior will make yet another trip after
her return, and the steamer Lakme is now
loading. During the season the schoon-
ers Jewett, Coleman, Courtney Ford, Alice
Cook and James A. Garfield have peen
sent out laden for ST. Michael by the COM
pany.
IL look for far bigger rush to the Yu-
kon next spring" said Louis Sloss yester-
day. $50 far the rush has been only a
local one. Nextyear they will come from
every portion of the globe. Whilo it is a
rich country 1 don't think there is room
for all the people that are going in at
once, and there will be a great mount of
hard ship and failure"
The new steamer Upolu, which has
been completed for r. R. Hind, will
not leave for the Hawaiian Islands until
Thursday or Friday. The vessel is a
pretty and weli-built little craft 90 feet
in lensth, 18 feet beam and engines oi 152
horsepower. Her cost was about $40, 600.
She will run between the ports of the
districts of Kohala and Kola on the isla no
of Hawaii in connection with the trips OF
tte regular schooners John g. North and
Muriel running between San Francisco
and Kona Honoipu.