The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-24

=
Alaska winter on an inhospitahle sea
coast. where bl=xards and storms have
Ires play for four months of the year.
b,euo miners 81 SkaG1lay Eave aSSailed the
SktaS astY trail with dynamite and an army
or PICKS and shovels. Nearly two thousand
men ~ere placed at Work on the trau
Ges0ay night last and IL Was closed 20
travel uatii the army OF workmen could
get il open for ALL
Ahis news was brought down from Ska<-
uay ou the steamer RoSalie. Capt oll-
Yer. arriving yesterday mornlng. On the
hosssle WAS Frank clancy OF this city.
VINO came after supplies for his pack
train. Clancy says there are az Least
1855 people at SkAgGay and Dse9 and the
trail ~ THIS time. Not more than -
out Of lo0o ef these people will penetrate
the Yukon before the Alaskan winter sets
in.
Three weeks ago the first train over
/ the Pass crossed in safety. losing one
+ horse. Instead Of thHty-six hours
which the protector Of the ruate said
would he required 70 make the lakes. II
+ took the train six days to make the round
trip and the horses belonging 10 Cseo.
Ames. were completely exhausted The
muddy pathway over the mountains was
+ enough 10 strike terror 90 the heart OF
ala ordinary man, 70 say nothing Of a
horse laden with 80 pounds OF freight.
q AFait q. tiassG FemHnrnrfiS-
+ Since that time the TRAN has been i'm
paSsable. Weary weeks Of waiting on the
part of the thousands of gold hunters at
the base Of the mountains brought des-
peration. The executive committee. ID.
: J. Mckinney chairman. was called to-
gether Sunday night. week ago. IL was
decided to at once close the trail until a
new pathway could be blown out OF the
solid rock with dynamite. a mass meet
fYl 4
5 of the committee. Notices were posted
4 all along the trail warning miners TO get
l out ef the way on pain 0f severe punish
I ment. The trail WAS closed TO all travel
! at o'clock last Tuesday morning
Under the leadership OF the committee
I the army OF miners attacked the noun
tain barrier lying between them and tho
( gold fields Of the Yukon and Stewart
I rivers. Until this time but five parties
/ had crossed the summit. The others
were strung along between Skaguay bay
/ and point fourteen miles in the interior
up the mountains.
Five boats have landed their passen-
gers at Skaguay since the Rosalie sailed.
1 and the colony numbers now close on TO
I 5000 Mr.. Clancy says that even the
1 lucky few who get over the summit be-
( fore the Yukon freezes will not be able
/ 10 get boats az Lake Linderman, because
| the sawmln there is incapable OF filing
/ the demand.
Not Sign Of Disorder.
Mr.. Clancy. grown brown as a berry
1 under the sunshine Of the Skaguay tran.
/ and with a ten-day's beard bristling on
/ his face, was besieged with questionerz
from the moment OF his arrival In tho
/ city until late last night. Wherever he
! stopped on the street a crowd OF his as
I sociates and friends quickly assembled TO
/ gain information as TO the condition Of
4 affairs at Skaguay and Dyea.
/ In conversation with representative
/ of the Post-Intelligencer. Mr.. Clancy gave
the following account OF the Skagusy
+ camp. which IS Just now the center OF
/ interest in the Klondike rush:
'fThe greatest order is maintained at
/ Skaguay. THE committee OF miners at
/ tends strictly to business. All disputes
/ OF governing body over the whole camp.
I It's decisions and regulations are received
with respect and obedience.
"As 10 the condition of the trail. / do
not believe that the accounts printed Of
/ it have been IN the least exaggerated.
Yet the miners have finally organized 20
open the path into the lakes beyond and
/ with three or four days work should 10
4 able 10 get very fair tran over the
summit.
/ @They have begun work in a systematic
and vigorous manner. The executive
committee barred every one from the
trail after O'Clock Tuesday morning, and
/ a gang Of Too men was set az work that
/ afternoon They had plenty OF giant
/ powder and dynamite. and were prepared
/ TO ohiiterafe ali tre bad places in the
road. Each gang selected its own fore
/ man. and set out 10 perform some task
allotted by the general COMMITTEES.
Had Place. ON the Road.
( ''The committee ordered gang 20 blow
out the slate rock on Porcupine hiii. The
/ powder viii be freely used on other
E uIsrea whore fha horses have had 10
. . sg ftssh ataff 4
as these that have caused the trouble.
/ Horses have been unable 70 carry more
than y pounds ever The worst places.
{ Around PoTcupine hill the trail - very
I slippery IL vas the intention when I
I Ieft 10 lav a line Of logs around this
part brace6 With stakes driven into the
/ ground This VIII prevent the trail from
sliding down TIRE hill and viii give the
. horses a f0othosd
''The marsh beyond the hin f. another
had place. Logs were cut from the tim
ber in the vicinity and viii be laid over
f the wet places Ike corduroy road
thlak that the miners there have deter
. mined 20 gel over the summit before w4n-
ter sets 10. ard they viii work Ike bea-
( yers 70 get a way open
The greatest difficulty has existed y,
Porcuplue hin. II - here that 20 mary
+ ho-sss have teea lost and injured. al
+ though the report that - horses havs
been killed IS untrue. one % Harry
Slru-s's horses broke leg going around
this piece. and had 20 BE- shot Another,
a Ere gray toare. was going over With
hala ~ nav STRAPPED 90 her back Anofher
train was coming this way. The tran Was
too uatTaw f1f them 20 pass. The horss
r9rnl~x this way took a bite a. the b9is
of raw and the mare went sliding dowr
The bank 70 a shelf of rocks sixty feet De
ln~r Rather thar have her die there they
ruIleS her Uuf and turned her over %
{ veterinary surgeon az Sksguay This in
csfeut Illustrates ous difficulty THAI -
{ miners have 20 contend with. The fra5i 2
& rot vide enough 20 prevent confusion az
blockade when two trains meet, or waer
ore tries - pass another party eampad %
the way up.
Part Of the Cargo Damaged.
This Willamette arrived Saturfa-
morning before we left Her passenger q
cvEaElze8 and set 70 work ir o ETsteEna e
wav 70 get thetr stHT off TIRE ship Ths
committee w0aid not allow anT man =
tai Ea hia goods from the shore ttll the last
round Rad been cleared out. 'Ihe gp7oi
were placed on the shore IA alphabetlca
erdeF 80 tnat each man could take ~
Effects wIea. al vas clear. IL was expect
~ thaf the W1ilauetts would nnish dis
rha -rlHr fire. ghT wednesday night. ~
Gay we leff SkaEuay.
fsHfanv Gs fre paas~n Eers suffered t14a -
,he rrrsra4e They wers placed In the nois
F,naer tha kssevsean aechHs where ffs horse
e~H rrrlea xeTn toa8ed- TIE offal from
these altered dgEn into the ho3d. and aaif'
: tos ~ ggsFs were ruined TIE MATES
va tsken 10 oY the committee wbo Nef
- sFs canta3n ~ tae ansp. tse profnkses
10 see that the goods we're paid fcr ~ rht
company
Pnshiax Toward the Gold Fields.
Ef~-4 sss.sf