The Springfield herald., 1897-08-20
BIG CROWD AT DYEA.
SUPPLIES CAN BE BOUGHT
CHEAP.
Many Prospectors Become Discouraged
md Abandon tho Attempt to Reach
manufactured Dangers to BE En-
countcred

San Francisco. Cal. Aug. ia
| gruesome chapter of the difficulties
| and the accidents with which the nd-
venturerS who are rushing to the klon-
dyke are met on every hand is rela ted
by the Chronicles correspondent ut
Sklgaway. under date of August md.
He advises all who intend to 20 to the
new gold fields to stay ut home until
spring Three san Francisco men.
| who started out on IL boat up the river.
| were upset on the night preceding the
| date of the letter. remaining on log
| all night. and We're rescued with diff
Guilty by IN Indian. Three other men
lost II skin. n good part of their goods.
and all but lost their lives in the
trcacherous current.
Men are abandoning the route over
Chilkoot pass. and many will now 20
by way of White pass. The original
charge of is cents II pound for carrying
freight over Clillioot pnss has been nd-
vaDced to 81 cents. and another adj
vance of = cents Is expected before the
week ends. There is a creek which
has to be crossed many times. and
many have lost their goods in these
crossings by Insecure packing. More
men are coming into camp daily. -Four
arrived at Dyca ON the evening of Aug
tlst 18th. after rowing in m open boat
from Juneau. II distance of 1OO miles.
Harry Hunt. The Chronicles CORE
spondent. says: The rush by all reg
ular lines of transportation is simply
enormous. What the consequence will
be | dare not think. There are con-
ilicting reports of the state of the trail.
Some people claim that whole outfits
are being packed through to Bennett
lake. willie others affirm with equal
confidence that no one has yet been
through and returned The usual
method of landing freight at Dyca is
by lighters at higli-watcr mark. Last
night the Islander discharged Il large
amount of freight at high water. and
as the canon in which Dyca is located
is very fiat. n scow had TO 90 quite a
long way. with the result that she was
stranded high and dry and did not get
off till high water to-day.
1--WE formed a company OF thirty
men who Were stranded on n sandbar
and doomed to wait for the flood tide,
us the river between us and the main
land is ten feet deep. Our plight was
nothing compared to that OF the pas
sengers on the Queen. Mexico Al-Ki
and Islander. There is no wharf at
Dyca. The passengers and freight are
landed among the rocks. Navigation
from Dyca by canoe to the end Of the
creek is blocked Above there are
more packers.
''Dyea is Il very small place. situated
In narrow canon. the bottom of
which is very level and through which
two streams traverse. The sides of
the canon are very steep and prccipi-
tous. and it is impossible for one to
ln s.iI Ia, Ill al.
The vessels | have named cannot get
very far up. For three long days some
of these passengers We're there without
food and water | am told incidentally
II raincd near Dyea all the time. and
men and women We're alike without
shelter. but when you tell this 1t is nor
believed outside of here.
1T is possible to pick mp entire out
fits here much cheaper than what they
could be purchased in the states. A
number of men started with 1000 to
1000 pounds of goods. and the price
now asked for packing caused them
to come to the resolution to pack their
own goods. Now one ton of groceries
in n wagon does not seem a very large
affair. but when you see 1t in Il pile mt
Dyea and realize that the only way to
remove it is by packing il upon your
back in lots from fifty to 100 pounds.
you have no idea how large is the
amount and how heavy 1t seems.
The George w. Elder is here with
300 passengers. bound over Chilkoot.
the rest being put of 1T Skaga way
bay. The Danube is expected to-
night, and daily small steamboats, and
schooncrS. canoes. row boats and ey
crytliing in the shape of Il boat that is
capable of taking the trip are coming
from Juneau, One has To be on the
ground TO realize what this stampede
means. Men. women and even chill
dren are on the trail, and how il will
end I cannot fell