Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-23
A Washington Man Describes the
Rush to the Klondike.
TIE FAR west has GONE CRAZY
Hundred of Persons Will Not Reach
the Gold Fields This Year.
AN INTERESTING NARRATIVE

Additional information on the character
of Alaska and the rush to the Klondlke
gold field has been brought to this city by
Mr.. George w. King of West Washington,
the well-known business man and treas
urer of the First Cooperative Building
Association. He, with a party. consisting
OF Mrs. G. w. King, Mr.. and Miss De Bots
OF. New York city, and Mr.. and Miss
Patchen of Brooklyn, has just returned
from trip to Alaska. The party was in
charge of Mr.. A. E. Lalande, an official of
the Canadian Pacific railroad, who was
sent by the corporation to explain the
route and point out the scenery. Mr.. La
lande was in charge of the excursion trip
of Lii Hung Chang at the time the cele-
brated Chinese diplomat made the trip
through the United States and Canada.
The party left about July l. and the time
consumed on the trip was something like
forty days. During this period they trav-
eled between 10000 and II 900 miles The
trip was made more interesting than was
anticipated on account of the rush for the
gold fields; When the party left this city
the Klondike craze was hardly started,
though when the Pacific coast was
reached there were large numbers of min
ers and prospectors then awaiting trans
portatfon to the gold fields. Before the re-
turn was made Mr.. King had an opportu-
nifty of seeing thousands of persons in all
the walks of life all struggling to reach
the gold fields in the search of the pre-
clous metal
Met Returning Miners.
The tourists took their time in travelling
across the country, and after twelve or
fourteen days reached Victoria, British
Columbia, from which place arrangements
had been made to take the steamer QuAen
for Alaska. Victoria is $50 miles north of
of Montreal. The excitement over the dis
covery of gold in Alaska was just begin
ming and the people were talking Of the
wonderful amount of gold in the unknown
regions Here Mr.. King had the pleasure
of meeting the first batch of returning
klondike miners, who had spent the pre-
ceding winter on the klondike river, one
of the tributaries of the Yukon. The men
returned with from 5000 to S20,OOO each
in the yellow metal, and they told great
stories of the abundance of gold
1t was difficult to get them to talk. They
had only returned to civilization to get in
a stock of provisions and wanted to go
back to the gold fields as soon as possible,
and, if possible, to organize larger parties
of their friends to go with them The gold
they carried represented pan washing
only, the crudeSt form of mining. All of
the gold was in the form OF nuggets, in
irregular shape, ranging in size from that
of a hickory nut to No. shot, some
being fiaky. others of globular form. Up
place in Alaska, and, consequence, no
quartz mining was being done.
Many PrOspectOrs Poorly Equipped.
The tourists sailed on the steamship
Queen, a magnificent boat belonging TO a
San Francisco company, in charge of Capt.
Carroll, with two of the oldest and most
experienced Alaskan pilots on board. The
carrying capacity Of the boat was 400, and
of the party on board 200 were miners,
who took with them their tools and large
quantities of provisions. probably enough
miners were making their first trip to that
section of the country, and carried moth
ing with them. They were green at the
business, and wore straw hats and light
clothes, not having much of an idea Of
the hardships before them. The best
equipped prospector on the boat, Mr.. King
discovered, was young man, known In
that section as the yellow Kid of Mon
tana' 1t was said that he invested nearly
100000 in his outfit, and he had associated
some four or five experienced miners with
him, and engaged a number of others as
assistants to help transport the goods
through the Chilkoot pass. In addition-to
this, the party carried light cedar boatS
which the men could carry upon their
backs and the goods were all packed in
waterproof bags. Since returning nome
Mr. King has seen letter from the kid"
in which it stated that his party was half
way through the pass. and several days
ahead of all others. The ~ elbow Kid ex-
petition will be the only one to get through
the pass this fall, in the opinion of Mr..
King.
The INLAND Passage to Alaska.
The distance from San Francisco to the
Chilkoot pass is between 600 and LOO
miles, through one of the most difficult
waters to navigate in the known world. and
one through which the most experienced
plot would be a fool to venture with YES
sci. From Seattle north the trip is all in
land, the country being simply range Of
sunker mountains in which the valleys
and canyons have been filled with water.
They are so numerous ard so much alike
that only those who have been in these
waters for years can tell one from the
other The beds are filled with sunken
rocks. ard the ebb tides rush through some
of them at the speed of from six to four
teen miles per hour, forming great whirl-
pools and eddies, which only the best of
steamers can Withstand.
The tides in this locality vary from ten
to twenty-five feet. In summer there is one
tide; in winter there are two tides. During
the months Of July, August and Septem-
Der the change from one to two tides be-
comes so irregular and SO varying in their
heights as to fool the most experienced
pilots. and in these passes only the best of
steamers can navigate at flood tide. Many
OF the passes narrow down to width of
from a fourth 20 a mile, with exceedingly
narrow channels, walled in by rocky noun
ranging from 5000 to 5000 feet in height.
In navigating these channels there are
times in the tEenty-four hours when the
vessel will poinf to every point in the com
pass, and through portions of this country,
six days out of seven. it will be covered by
dense fogs, making navigation still more
dangerous. Except in the vicinity of Fort
Wrangel Sitka. Juneau and through the in
land passage of the Peril straits, there are
a few buoys. All other waters have moth
iEg to indicate the way, except the expert
ence of the pilot.
A FOrlOrn Party. Including Women.
The captain of the boat was anxious to
land the miners on board as quickly as
possible, as every day would count in get
ting through the opening in the Chilkoot
pass. No stop was made after leaving Vic
tcria on the upward trip. On the morning
Of the fourth day after leaving Victoria
the boat attempted to enter the mouth Of
Chilkat inlet. In this the captain failed,
owing to the bad condition of the water
and the floating ice. The boat was then
run down to the Chilkoot inlet. Here the
boat anchored for four hours while the
captain visited the adjacent shores in a
steam yacht to find place where he could