The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-31

and Col. Ran5au f. building barracks
for his soldiers. On tse beach . the south
fhs Canadian Pacific Navigation Company
has 3 fsrre frame building well under
way. and Is beginning work Or steamer
FOR the river trade. Next IS the tract 81
land held b williafa .. Wood ard
brother ard family IS the site ot rev
supply depot for the North American Com
ruercsaf Company. which fer many years
has controlled the fur seal trade of the
prfbflof islands. TIE North American
Commercial Company. Il IS understood.
wiii build a Yukon river steamer. the ma
tsTsai for which arrived BY the President
ast week. The Alaska Commercial Com
parry has also arranged % pat a new pas
serger steamship on the run from San
Francisco next year.
steamers in Winter Quarters
Yukon river boats are in winter quarters
IS follows: John j. HeaIy and Mare
Island. IN the canal; Bella, Alice and
Margaret. All 81 AndrcafSki: Charles H.
Hamilton. at Russian Mission. The
whereabouts Of the ?. b. Weare are IN
known. When last heard from she was
AT Fort Yukon. waiting an opportunity
20 cross the Yukon fats. There is a pos
sibil,y that she reached Dawson. but the
probabilities are that she is tied up at
Fort Yukon. The Weare. IL is expected.
The spring. Capt r. Lott, OF the Healy
was not able 20 enter the river when the
tee Jam broke on the night OF October IL.
ship Channel Mt the Yukon's Mouth.
II Father Rarnuna is correct IN saying
that the Yukon has = channel al the
mouth navigahle TO the largest ocean YES
sells a few sebaons viii witness CON-
plete revolution III the manner Of carry
Ing supplies lHto Alaska by way OF the
river he claims that the channel Is on
the south side. and that IL IS iuvariabie
from year 10 year. Eor many years ne
conducted a mission IN that vicinity. and
when called across the river noticed that
the water was always Of great depth at
a certain distance from shore. the change
from shallow 10 deep water being 50
marked as not to escape even the most
casual observation. lie believes the chan
mel does not shift. Notwithstanding the
millions Of tons of SILT annually carried
into Rering sea. 'sTne entire country.
he sa -, lis frozen. You have only to stir
the moss from the surface Of the earth TO
uncover ice. and the Ice remains all the
year round. and I conclude that the bed
OF the river must be Interchangeable" Faith
or Bsrnum thinks The channel extends far
up the stream, and that 81 IL were once
iocGto1 ships could enter l95 miles as far
as Andreafskl which, from geological
conditions, he believes vas AZ one time
the mouth Of the river. II ocean vessels
could enter. the supply depots at ST..
Michael and Fort Get There probably
would be abandoned, for the river steam
ers could then avoid the hazaSdous pas
SAGE from the mouth Of the river TO
Norton sound and boats could be loaded
early tn the year and started for the In
terror before Boring sea was clear OF ice
The Yukon is a river OF the first magni-
tude. which fact, according 10 Father
Barnum. is alone sufficient 10 demon
strate the proposition that il Is navigable
from the sea. Otherwise. the Yukon
would be an anomaly. Ter where in all
the world he asks. is there such stream
that cannot be entered by ships?
HORACE MCCLURE.