The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
ACROSS ALASKAN PASSES.
mo CROWD STRUs CLING OYER
THE COAST MOUNTA ms.
pe.crIptlon OF the DImcuitica In ch,ikoot ana
Nhltr rnsses-Bnd Ra They Are. Hunters
Have Hauni rerils In tho Pursuit OF Large
.,ms-cood order AmsnE the Miuern.

orA,cyorcd to describe the mob OF gold seekers
,,b, were clustered along tho beach OF Lynn
1rl,,. all he way from Juneau to Dyoa, prepar-
In, 10 cross the passes between the shore and
Emo lakes. We have now advices from Dyea
,rt SE,sway to Aug. Is, from Lake Lindeman
IN ,ug. :. and from Lake Bennett to Aug. 3.
The crowd which, when my last letter was
written, was counted by the hundred Is now said
,or.nhrr thousands, who are scattered all the
nay rom Dycn and Skngway to the lakes. Tho
sr,a, bulk OF them wcrO still, n week ago. on
his side the rauEo. They had built a camp OF
font, nd shells which stretched from Skagway
IN the foot ~ the passes, and every shelter was
o,runirh. Both money and food were plentiful,
and ns the cold weather had not set In
there was no suffering. But the gold seekers
were not patient under the enforced
1,'oy. Frcighters were asking 25 cents q
hundred Tor carrying stuff across the passes, and
T. was a favor to get carriers at that. In some
c,scs 81 cents had been paid. A good many
horses had been landed, but not nearly enough
10 move the thousands OF tons OF freight which
Oerr seeking transportation, and several ami
mails were useless for want of shoes; horseshoes
could lie procured. but there were no nails to
,sstCn III III on. In their despair at the blockade.
many gold seekers had resolved to winter at
ss,rwAy, AMI wero making the best Of the sit
nation. There was quite a brisk demand for
lots in the mud; the irrcprcssible real estate
broker was well to the fore, and reported sales
~ corner lots at $500 each. A hotel had been
srarted by two negro women. and was well pat
ronilcd.
1t is reported that from 5000 to 1000 men
had started. before Tho beginning of last week.
10 cross either White or Ch,lkoot passes. White
Pass is the favori,e, though the distance from
skaeway to the head OF navigation on the lakes
l.. ,h,, ,,,, IL pnt ipsa Than fort milea n
few say fourteen miles longer than the Chilkoot
route from Dyca. The former involves y climb
Of 1850 feet, the latter one Of $500 feet, part
Of Il 80 steep tina, it is almost impossible for a
tenterioot 10 carry u pack over II. The main
drawback to the White Pass route Is the long
stretch OF swamp which intervencs between the
eastern base OF the range and the lakes. 1t Is
almost impossible. Men have been employed
for several days in corduroying 1t, but at latest
dates they had not completed the work.
From Dyea the traveller traverses a three
mile grove OF c~ottonwoods and then follows the
river channel. which is full of rough boulders
till sheep Camp is reached. Here there Is quite
village OF tents, where prospectors are resting
and gathering strength for the climb to come.
Above Sheep Camp the ascent Is through q mar
row canon clothed on either side with pine, alder
AM cottonwood, and barred with boulders and
sharp stones. The slope is SO precipitous that
the trail zigzags: in places travellers who are
rot mountaineers feel impelled to proceed
Oh all tours. As the summit Is approached the
mountain Is enveloped in a mist which is driven
by a bitterly cold wind. The outfits Of the adj
venturers vary from half to a quarter OF a ton.
and as it is impossible for even the ~stoutest In
dian to carry more than 100 pounds up this
slope the transportation is effected in INSTALL
ments. Sixty pounds are carried up at q time
and cached, and the carrier returns for the re-
mainder. Thus 1t takes several days to move
one outfit to the summit
When the traveller has trudged through
boulder and crag. snow and ice. till he has
gained the top the great agony 10 over, but the
wind is cutting. and he must hurry on. Steady
snowstormsa are due in three weeks from now.
but the seasons sometimes anticipate the alma
nae. So the journey is renewed through glacier
and slush. and the gold seeker realizes the truth
Of the adage about Ayarnus. He is cheered on
his way by news of exquisite scenery, in which
the grim rocky peaks of the eastern slope flash
in the sunshine against q background Of emer-
raid green. And 80. at last, weary and footsore,
he reaches Crater Lake, a remnant Of the old
volcanic days, and THENCE a tramp OF q few
The ascent of White Pass is not so steep. The
grades are lower. and there is no climbing on
River. which is narrow but rapid, and not
iOrdeG without danger. there Is q steep incline
G c,jIs Dsyi!,s HUI; then a muddy plain half !.
with a two-foot trail over it. then more mud in
which many horses have been Inired and killed
because they could not he got out. then other
ridges of broken rock, and at last the big marsh.
All the way the road is lined on either side with
carhes. coats. boots. picks. shovels, lumber, tin
cans, griDsacks. &c. thrown away by owners
who pursued their journep with other impedi.
mtnta. They are perfectly safe. In this region
thieves would meet short shrift.
Horses are numerous on the route from Skag-
way TO the lakes. but no horse can be got over
the lilEnnt puEG Cyan nm White paaa an NAN y
OF them have broken their legs and stuck in the
mud that owners are chary OF letting them out.
made the journey on foot by way OF the Chilkoot
Pass, and reached the lake on Aug. l. It was
sci foot by he side Of the lake. The Whole coSn.
try is a succession OF lakes-Crnter Lake, Long
+ +e; Lake LAndeman' Lake Bennett; Lake
other 10y outlets, which are often a succession of
rapids,
The first travellers who arrived at Lake Lin
denan crossed i in a scow with a sail, and
MADE for Lake Bennett. Here there is a saw
thousand Tor ripping logs into boards. It is now
bS eppt b SHiiIiiy eHEWSE Hod d IN prePari 6Snd lum mo- Tor
and every one is free to cut what he wants. The
mill can cut 5000 feet per day. At latest dates
there were some 500 persons, including sew
ana Bennett. busily engaged In boat building,
though tools and nails were scarce. They were
chcamped in tents: some OF them slept before
camp fires. Men. who had some experience of
W0odcraft spent their day in cutting down trees.
thc largest OF winch are twelve inches in diane
ter and TWENTY-FIVE to thirty feet high. There
is no scarcity OF food. which is fortunate. as
there are no fish in the lake. There is one saloon,
In a tent. in which whiskey is ,retailed at so
cents a drink, and is freely sold to Indians, in
spite OF the Canadian and Alaskan laws forbid.
flng the sale Of liquors to the natives. Whiskey
sells al Sl5 a bottle.
On Lake Bennett many voyagers have fol,
lowed Schwatka's example. and built RATS OF
The large birches which grow alongside the lake
A l.inheman scOws or iat.bottomed barRes are
the fashion. They are built OF soft white pine
ana are GENERALLY about "a feet long, 5ia fee,
PEELED by four o,rs and a single sail
hoisied on a rickety mast, is ,calcu'
lated to carry ffye passengers and tws
In the rapids, II will answer every purpose. and
carry its occupants till they reach the Rlondike
fSGnd their way to Lake Bennett say that in ter
Dawson. II they do, they will be lucky. Still
ne river is hardly blocked before the first weel
In October.
1t is now easier to get from the lakes to
Dawson than from the head of the Yukon Il
juneau. The river waters run down, and
there is in all the lakes a strong northerly ant
portheasterly current. Hence It is quite posi-
Die that the gold seekers may reach their desti
nation more easily Than thay can aend naWa NJ