The San Francisco call., 1897-10-11
RAID AN
OFFICIALS
TREASURE
Burglars Break Into the
Gold Commissioners
Cabin
AND SECURE DUST
AND NUGGETS.
NEW Stories of Impending
Starvation at Dawson Are
Brought Down.
FEARS FOR THE SAFETY OF
THORP'S PARTY.
Men Who Are Driving in Horses
and Cattle Are in Danger of
Perishing.
Special Dispatch to The CALL

SEATTLE, WASH, Oct. 10-No roseate
hue of promise. such as is commonly sup
posed to hover over the El Dorado of the
Upper Yukon goldfelds like an aurora
boreals, tinged the account brought down
from Alaska by passengers on the steamer
o. City OF Seattle, which arrived here to-
night at 80 o'clock.
On board we're two more pilgrims from
= the land of gold TO the land of grub.
They are c. A. Brown and James Clarke.
These men are the last two to arrive from
Dawson City. They left that unfortun ate
town September 6, and after hard t-amp
through fords and over mountain passes
covered with snow reached Haines Mis-
sion October ..
Clerk and Growen bring the news that
OH August 25 the Office of Gold Commits.
sloner Fawcett was entered by burglars
and a sum OF N oney approximating $4,000
was stolen. This i the nrst serious rob-
berry to be reported al Dawson.
Clark says tina. every effort is being
made to locate the thieves who ROBBED the
Gold Commissioner. Thus far the efforts
of the police have been unsuccessful. En-
trance was gained through window.
Returning Klondikers report that bad
luck has overtaken the Thorp party,
which left here on the steamship FaraIlon
on September 3. According to the nara
tive given THE CALL CORES pondent to-
night, the 1horps were camped oil the
summit of the terrible Cnilkat Pass on
September %, with snow to The depth Of
more than foot on the ground for miles
in front of them. They had lost fifteen OF
their horses going over the mountains
and eleven head of cattle had succum bed
from exhaustion.
Three men who accom- panied the Thorps
turned back at The summit, convinced
that they were throwing their lives away
ii they attempted TO proceed further.
They were Z. A. Throckmorton and L. r.
Radcliffe two newspaper corresp spondents,
and c. a. Hoffman, whom they employed
10 help them pack their outfits TO the
hlondlke. They say that there is no pos
sible chance for Thorp to get his party
and their outfits through this winter, ana
that if they persist in the undertaking
they will surely perish in the billiards
that prevail in the inhosritable region
from early in October until May.
The gravest fears are entertained for the
safety Of the Thorp party, which included
Willis Thorp, a man 50 years OF age, and
experienced IN travelling over the D. aims
and mountain ranges of Ala ,ka; his son,
Edward Thorp; George Stewart of Ia
coma; L. Wintenhoen; W. C. Thorp and
3. E. Ihorp, the latter neDhews of the
FIELDER Thorp; a. Stewart of Puyallup. IL.
Fletcher, 6. w. Roberts and L. Harding.
The last three were elnployed by Willis
Thorp. They drove with them band of
ninety cattle and sixty horses.
The cattle were fat beeves ard cows. and
the larger OF the steers were to be used as
pack animals. They took QUANTITY of
provisions and feed for the horses but de-
pended on the stock grazing along the
rouie.
Throckmorton and Radcliffe left the
Thorps on the summit of the CbiIkat
Mountains Septem Der %. They had then
been out seventeen days. They had lost
fifteen horses from exhaustion ana eleven
head of cattle had succumbed. Radcliffe
and Throckmorton intended going
through TO Dawson. They were we'll spn.
piled with pack horses and provisions.
They sold the food and supplies to Thorn
and made him present of the horses.
1t had showed for several days before
Throckmorton and Radcliffe determined
to forsake the trail and return to civiliza-
tion. On the summit was at least foo,
OF snow. They were told by the Galy. n
party that the snow line was extending for
at least fifty miles beyond the summit.
and was growing larger additional
storms piled up the drifts on the noun
tain sides. AS the Calvin party came
upon the Thorp party they were huddled
behind the shelter OF a peak and seemed
almost distracted.
At Dawson City the situation grows
more serious daily. The inha bitants ii
the place had maintained vigil of weeks
watching for the arrival of steamer
loaded with food that would save many a
man from actual starvation. They did not
Know that the steamer Hamilton, on
I which they had based their hope, had got
Ten only as far as Fort Yukon and was
there compelled to turn back to St.
Michael.
At the Alaska Commercial Company s
tore at Dawson a crowd OF men mum ber-
Wing so me fifty were 10 be seen daily lined
up in front of the doors. begging for an
opportunity TO purchase sustenance for
themselves and their partners in the
mines. AS fast as one man was waited on
the doors were unlocked and another
would be admitted. Then the click of the
latch would be heard, bolts would slide in