The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-09-15
TALES
OF WOE
Great Suffering in the Alaskan
Gold Fields.
INDIGNATION MEETINGS HELD
And Threats of Violence on Every
Side-Ship Crushed in
the Ice.

OTTER POINT, b. c., Sept. 1.-THE
steamer Cleveland has arrived from st.
Michael's, bringing with hel from the
Yukon gold fields a story of distress and
disaster The miners she has on board
and officers in charge of the ship tell
the story of disaster and distress at
Dawson.
The winter has set in at the mining
city of the frozen north and two great
stores of the place have closed their
doors for they have nothing to sell.
Those who have been seeking gold now
must seek food or starve.
While there may be tendency to
eXaggcrate the actual condition OF af-
fairs, there can be no question that
famine threatens the adventurous men
and women who made their way to the
klondike. Hundreds of unruly spirits
are tiocking to Dawson.
Threats of violence are being made
ON every side. Indignation meetings,
heavy with muttered threats of ven
geance are held at st. Michaels by
those who see little hopes of advancing
up the river and less of getting back to
civilization.
The first signs of winter are apparent
on the river Yukon, which is beginning
to freeze and in few weeks will be
closed Enormous prices are now being
paid for food at Dawson and it is i'm.
possible that more than four vessels
with provisions can reach Dawson be-
fore the river is mass of ice.
On the Cleveland there are 80 passen-
gers. men, women and children, who
are from Dawson. There are few min.
ers in this party that are able to tell of
prosperity Many Of them wish to ex.
aggerate their stories and if one would
believe them he would say the treasure
ship i'll which they come carries $1,000
600. Captain Hall, master of the Cleve-
land, says that he has 100000 in his
safe. The purser believes that he can
account for $4,000 on board
The Cleveland 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 q mishap and struck on the flats
above Circle City. They report that on
July 20 the stores of the Alaska Com
mercial company and of the North
American Trading and Transportation
company announced that they had no
more food to sell.
Three weeks before that the same
company were able to furnish outfits,
and when the announcement was made
that no more goods were available, con-
sternation resulted on the part of the
people of Dawson, with gold seekers
piing in at the rate of 20 to 30 q day.
Drunkenness, gambling and disorder
were rampant and conservative observ-
ers predict the most serious conse-
Quences.
There is gold everywhere, but the
people of Dawson want food more than
they want gold now. At st. Michael's
there are not enough structures to ac-
commodate the crowd and scores of
people are living in tents.
Shortly before the Cleveland left St.
Michael's, two OF the expeditions held
Indignation meetings threatening dire
vengeance upon those who had brought
them there and were unable to carry
them further. They had been left
stranded at st. Michaels. and can not
possibly reach Dawson before spring.
If fortune favOrs four vessels will BIO
able to reach Dawson from st. Michael's
before the Yukon river freezes. They
will carry provisions but il is by no
means certain that they will reach the
Klondike. They offer the only hope,
however for a renewal of supplies.
Aug. % the Excelsior left St. Mi.
chaels, Reports are current that her
treasure amounted to $l,000,000, but
there are none on the Cleveland who car
verify this assertion.
The Excelsior was caught ON the dan
gerous flats of the Yukon and broke
two blades of her propeller. When the
Cleveland reached Unalaska she found
tho Excelsior undergoing repairs.
Shortly before the Cleveland left for
Seattle the United States revenue cut
ter Bear put into st. Michaels with
Captain WMteside, his wife, two Off
GERS and four seamen of the steam
whaler Nevach. They are all that re-
main 20 tell the terrible story of death
in the Arctic. The Nevach was caught
in an ice pack in the Arctic ocean. OF
her crew AZ were lost Thirty-one
were crushed in the ice or frozen to
death.
The Bear saw the vessels signals of
distress near Point RaITow and lost nc
time in going to her assistance. The
captain, his wife, two officers and four
sailors were glad to leave the disman.
tied, crippled ship, but nine positively
refused to leave. They were lost in the
desolate field of ice and il is feared they
have persisted.
The Cleveland also brings news that
when the Humboldt stopped at Unalas-
ka ON her journey to ST. Michael's the
passengers were in open rebellion.
They began to realize that IL would
be impossible for them to reach Daw-
son before nest spring and they knew
that misery awaited them at Sc. Mi
chael's. There were open threats
against w. ID. Wood. the organizer and