The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-26
PERILS OF ALASKA.
Graphic Description of the Dangers
to Be Met and Overcome.

Graphic Description of the Danger.
to Be Met and Overcome.
Leadville He-ald-Democrat Tht
following are parts of private
letter roughly jotted down in camp, 10y
a young fellow who has lately gone or
a mining tour to the Yukon valley. He
is now heading over the mountains
glaciers, canyons, frozen lakes and
finally the Yukon river for Circle City
so named because ii stands not many
miles below the Arctic circle. He has
taken with him his dog Shirley. a
beautiful and remarkably intelligent
collie. They have been inseparable
for years The dog, who is quite a
character, excited so much interest in
his fellow passengers that he was al
lowed to occupy the parlor car across
the continent, sleeping in the same
berth with his master, as he has since
in the same sleeping bag. Even on the
six days sail from Seattle to Juneau
Shirley was the only dog on board who
was allowed the run of the hurricane
deck. The pair have now got amid
unwonted and perilous scenes. and
are likely to affect each others for
tunes.
in Juneau, as you see. The city, if you
can call it one, is situated on a shelf
| coming out from the mountain behind
it, which is 300 feet high and goes up
so steep that it looks as if one could
throw stone from the top into the
middle of the city. 1t is all rock and
would be impossible to climb. There
is pretty rough crowd here just now,
over 200 miners coming I'D with us,
and lot came up on a boat before US.
! Shirley stood the voyage we'll and is
| glad to get off the boat. The town is
full of dogs, but Shirley has made quite
hit already. 1 have bought him a
harness such as the dogs here wear to
drag sleds. I shall probably go to Che
Yukon the day after tomorrow. 1 can
hardly wait, there is such a noise
around me. The hotels, which are
very crude, are all crowded and there
is always something exciting going on
in this room. The streets are almost
impossible on account of the heavy
snow. There are no street lights. few
sidewalks, lots of Indians and dogs and
great many miners. The town does
not quiet down till about a. m The
shops do an immense business.
June Ave are now at Sheep Camp,
the last camp on this side of the Chill
koot pass. We started from Juneau
on the Seoiin a little kind of tug, for
Dyea, on March IS at II a. M, with
ten dogs, % men and one woman-the
wife of a miner. The boat was full of
the outfits of the men-so full that
there was no room for us to lie down.
The men are mostly the ones that
came through with us from Seattle
nearly all from California. The weather
was rather rough, so a good major
ity of the men were sick. I was not. !
The dogs kept up continual bowling
all night. Stopped at Haine's Mission /
and took on seven men, a squaw and a
baby and another dog. Arrived at
Dyea next. day at 2:30 p. m. The ice |
had broken in the river and so we were
obliged to transfer all our baggage on /
board a scew. The pilot timed his |
trip so as to arrive just when the tide |
was going in. After we were on board /
the scow a little boat was seen ahead /
with an anchor, which was attached /
to a long rope. This anchor was let |
drop about 100 feet ahead, and we
pulled in the rope. In this manner We
made our way against the current of
the river and a head wind The an
Choir bothered US about dragging 1t
was on the scow that I took the kO-
daks that 1 sent you. We hired our
outfits taken to the camping ground,
about three-quarterS Of a mile up the
river. as there was not snow enough
for the sleds for almost half a mile
from the beach. From the camping
ground there is plenty of snow There
are seven horses going over the sum-
nit to the Yukon. Dogs are mostly
used here, from two to II being put to
a sled, strung out one ahead of the
other Generally four are used and
will pull 800 pounds on an ordinary
road. They have little padded collars
Shirley, by the way, is great help.
He hauls $50 pounds with ease. We
work side by side and he likes it. 1
nave about $50 pounds in my outfit, so.
as 1 cannot haul more than $50 pounds
n one load, 1 have to make two trips
% every camping ground We are all
n the same box.
When we broke camp at Dyea we
eft at $50 a. m. for the mouth of the
Dyea canyon. The way is up the val
ey of the Dyea river. We arrived at
80 D. m All this time TO make ten
niles, You see it is not fun travelling
n this country. We saw a small glacier
lot far from the trail. The canyon is
Lbout two and a half miles long and
-ery beautiful. 1t is not more than 80
eet in the widest part and narrows s
o Is feet in some parts | could not
ret a picture of il on account OF me !
weather.. It's height, l should judge, {
S about $50 feet and very steep The 7
rail is very narrow and crooked. III
ONE places II being not more tnan INo
eet between the wall and the roar [
ng cascade, some 20 feet below. There
5 no railing, either. yet horses make
he trip every day with little sleds IS
inches wide between them. They are Z
lways slipping off, though, but never I
t the worst places. OF course we had d
o make a number of trips through s
his canyon. Nobody can haul more a
han $50 pounds. 1t was all l could do b
18th Shirley's help. The last load l Y
auled clear through to Sheep camp. D
ocalled on account of the mountain s
heep that are killed here sometimes c
his camp is the last one on this side II
the divide. From here we shall have n
} work our stuff W the summit by
acking it on our backs, and then. af- b
ar it is all up, wait for a good day
nd take our camp outfit over with a
ne rest. Their are lots of men here Il
aiting, who have been waiting for ten c
avs TO go over because of the weather. Il
Te may be here two weeks: can't tell .
nything about it. We have reached Il
lie last of the timber. Our camp here