The morning news., 1897-08-30


than week overdue and such wind
storms are prevailing that the company's
new steamer Charles H Hamilton cannot
possibly venture out. For two DAYS she lay
upon the rocks, threatened with destruc-
ton, and was only gotten out of danger
yesterday. Two days after she was launch
ed she was blown ashore. The damage to
her hun will postpone her departure for
nearly week.
The winds will also prevent the Port
ldnd from unloading or transferring her
passengers. The passengers of the steam
er Excelsior are compelled to remain
aboard the vessel until the arrival of the
steamer Bell due about Sept. 30. Waiting
passengers have this thought to beguile
them-that there is graver danger of a
famine in the Klondike.
According to all reports from the up
per country, it will be impossible to land
sufficient food at Dawson to support the
population already dependent upon these
supplies. During the voyage of the Ex-
celsior to this port an association for mu-
tual benefit and aid was formed by the
passengers. Upon the arrival at st. Mich
aels reports were so discouraging con-
corning the food supply that a speca,
meeting of the association was held and
a committee appointed to wait upon the
Alaskan Commercial Company and de-
mand that passengers be allowed to pur-
Slld9S q year ) supply Oh IOOu at TINS place
and that the transportation be furnished
for the same. The managers rather re-
sent this. and are not expected back be-
fore the latter part of this month.
Lying, local agent for the company, de-
clares that there will be a scarcity of pro-
visions at Dawson. According to his Off
cial reports, there are from 1000 to 5000
idle men in Dawson and new parties ar
irving every day by way of Chilkoot pass.
He says that the total amount of freight
landed in Dawson this year will not ex-
ceed 1900 tons, of which only $500 will
be provisions.
There were twenty persons here when
the Excelsior arrived who had come down
the river from the diggings. Fifteen Of
them were miners. They are said to have
all the way from 100000 to 100000 among
them. Few care to say exactly how
much they have, giving as their reasons
the fact that they have too little money,
compared to what those who went out
earlier took away with them.
&C. c. Perrine and F. A. Novak, though
not miners are the two most interes ting
members of the party. Perrine is a men,
Der Of the detective service. In February
last he was given a photogra ph and told
to ma the original Accompanying the
photograph was an accurate description.
Omaha was the starting point of the trail
and he chased his man to Baltimore
thence across the continent to Seattle. and
thence to juneau. He learned that his
quarry was bound for the Klondike with
party of nine by way of Dyea and Chill
koot pass Perrine went to Ottawa, OBJ
tanned eXtradition papers, and returning
followed Novak, capturing him at Dawson.
THE crime for which Novak is wanted
rs murder end arson. He was
an apparently prosperous merchant at
Walford Benton county Iowa He had
S.A Of f1ndc 5arosffaT vr-it
by neighbors for safe-keeping. He enticed
one of these, Ed Murray, TO his home and
after numbering him, set fire to the house
and burned it to the ground. As a pre-
liminary, NOvak had insured his own life
with the Travellers Insurance Company.
and after the murder he disappeared. For
some time Murrays remains were sup>
posed to be those of Novak, and Mrs. No
yak put in a claim for the life insurance.
The truth was accepted The body was
identified as that of Murray and not No
yak. Perrine was put on the trail with
the result stated. Novak has confessed.
Perrine spent $4,000 in the pursuit of his
man.
mo new discoveries are reported from
the upper country. The hill sides that
abound in rich claims have been staked
off, and several quartz claims have been
filed upon them in the same vicinity The
rock taken out of the quartz claims is
rich, but the hillside claims are not show
ing up much. Dominion creek, a tributary
TO Indian river, has been stalSed off for
distance of twenty-five miles The COM
mon report among returning miners is
that there is nothing in the country now
worth having that has not been staked off
and that the owners will refuse fabulous
prices for their claims"
r. T. Lying. local agent OF the Alaska
Commercial Company a St. Michaes, de-
clared that there are already over 1900
idle men in Dawson and new parties ar
irving every day via Chilkoot pass, while
the total amount Of freight landed there
this year will not exceed 1900 tons, of
which not more than three-fOurths is pro-
visions. Miners returning from klondike.
who left there in July, report that the food
was running very low then and IL was dis
posed of as fast as discharged from the
steamers. Old timers realize the situation
and predict distress and death as a result
of the Klondike craze.
William OgilVie, dominion land surveyor.
who has been making typographical sur
Veys Of British possessions along the Klon-
dixie has been recalled by the government
for consultation as 70 important matters
affecting new gold fields, and Is now en-
route TO Ottawa via San Francisco. lie
will make a report embodying suggestions
for new mining laws, governing the sale
OF liquor and taking wood for fuel, etc. lie
made a census Of the production of the
new fields and finds, % claims produced
S326,00O. and says that S70O00oOO is no eXag-
Grated estimate Of the amount that viii
be produced by 100 claims on Bonanza,
Hungers and Eldorado in three years.