Oregon union. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1897-1899, 1897-09-17
DISTRESS AT DAWSON.
Terrible Tale of Suffering Brought From
KIondike by the Cleveland.

ing Iu0 lOllOWlH5 News 1TOm DdWSOI
City:
"Otter Point, B. c., Sept. 13.-The
steamer Cleveland has arrived from St.
Michaels, bringing with her from the
Yukon gold fields story of distre-r
and disaster. The miners she has or
board and officers in charge of the
ship tell stroy of disorder and dis.
tress at Dawson.
Winter has set in at the mining city
of the frozen north, and the two great
stores of the place have closed theil
doors, for they have nothing to sell.
Those who have been seeking gold must
now seek for food or starve.
While there may be a tendency to
exaggerate the actual conditions oi
affairs, there can be no question that
famine threatens all the venturesome
men and women who made their way
to the Klondike.
Hundreds of unruly spirits are flock
ing to Dawson. Threats of violence are
being made on every side.
Enormous prices are now being paid
for food at Dawson, and it is impos-
sible that more than four vessels with
provisions can reach that camp<before
the river freezes.
Indignation meetings, heavy with
murmured threats of vengeance, have
been held at st. Michaels by those who
see no hope of advancing up the river,
and less of getting back to civilization.
Toe first signs of winter are apparent
on the river Yukon, which is begin
ming to freeze, and in few weeks will
be closed against all navigation. A
mishap has come to the Excelsior, and
from the frozen north comes the story
of another disaster in which 40 men
lost their lives.
On the Cleveland there are 38 pas
sengers who have come from Dawson
City. There are few miners in this
party that are able to tell of prosperity.
Most of them wish to exaggerate their
possessions, and if one were to believe
the indefinite stories they tell he
would say the treasure ship with
which they come carried $4,000, 0OO.
Captain Hall, of the Cleveland, says he
has 500, 900 in his safe. The purser be-
lieves he can account for $3.50, 900 on
board.
The Cleveland left St. Michaels
August 29. She has some of the pas
sengers of the P. B. Weare on board.
The Weare left Dawson City in time to
connect with the Portland had she not
met with mishap and stuck on the
flats above Circle City.
The miners from Dawson report that
on July 25 the stores of the Alaska
Commercial Company and the North
American Trading & Transportation
Company closed their doors, and an
nounced they had no more food to sell.
When the announcement was made con-
seized upon the people of
Dawson, with gold seekers crowding in
at the rate of 20 to 80 per day. Drunk
enne-s and disorder, gambling and
were rampant.
At ST. Michaels the condition of
affairs is also the cause of gravest con-
Germ. There are not enough structures
in town to accommodate the crowd,
and scores of the people are living in
tents. Shortly before the Cleveland
left St. Michaels two expeditions, those
Of the National City and of the South
Coast, held indignation meetings,
dire vengeance upon those
who had brought them there and then
were unable to carry them further.
On August 26 the Excelsior feft St.
Michaels with large number of min
ers and large quantity of gold. Re-
ports were current that her treasure
to million dollars. Soon
after leaving st. Michaels the Excelsior
was caught on the dangerous flats of
the Yukon and broke two blades of her
When the Cleveland reached
Ounalaska she found the Excelsior un-
lergoing repairs. 1t is probable she
left Ounalaska last Monday.
Shortly before the Cleveland left fer
Seattle on her journey home the United
States revenue cutter Bear put into
St. Michaels to tell another story of
leath and disaster in the ice-bound
Arctic. The Bear had on board Cap
ain Whiteside, his wife, the first and
ourth officers and four seamen of til
team whaler Nevach. They are a
hat remain to tell a terrible story o.
leath in an ice pack. Of her crew AZ
we're lost. Thirty-one were crushed in
he ice and ten frozen to death. The
Bear saw the vessels signals of distress
lear Point Barrow, and went to her
assistance. The captain, his wife, two
,mcers and four seamen were persuaded
% leave the crippled ship, but nine
,thers positively refused to go. They
we're left on desolate field of ice, and
t is feared perishedwith their comrades.
The terrible tale of suffering told by
Captain Whitesides and his officers
orms but an incident in the story that
he Cleveland brings. 1t was believed
.fter she had left st. Michaels she was
O learn no more of the Klondike, it's
langers and disasters, but the Cleve- |
and had hardly gone 35 mics when she
,assed a vessel that told of evils to
ome, of dangerous spirits ready for
ny outrage, of excited and angry men
Who have left a black record on the
oast on their own pathway to the
Yukon.
The Cleveland and Humboldt had |.
net, and new stories of the abandoned |
dventurers the latter vessel is convey
ng to the gold fields were sent back to
be world.
When the Humboldt stopped at Oun-
laska on her journey to St. Michaels,
he passengers were in open rebellion.
hey began to realize that it would be
to reach Dawson before next
pring, and they knew that misery
waited them at St. Michaels. There
Tere open threats against w. D. Wood,
rganlzer and manager of the expedi-
ion. and it is feared he may lose his