The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-27
FLEE FROM
DAWSON AND
THE FAMINE
Continued from First Page.

TO return in the spring. They realize
the suffering and probable starvation
that large proportion Of the miners
will be subjected to unless aid is sent
them, and as a consequence prefer to
come to land of plenty.
The miners who reached here to-day
are unanimous in the expressed
opinion that already there is a short
age of provisions in the Kiondike dis
trict Some of them predict actual
starvation unless food is sent in, while
others believe that by going on short
rations and dividing up the food
very few if anv deaths will result.
Between Pelly River and Dyea, the
party passed hundreds Of camps where
snow and ice-bound Klondikers have
camped for the winter. These in
many cases were tolerably well sup
piled with provisions, and by paying
81 per pound, it was possible for them
to procure -four and other necessaries.
In speaking of this. it was said by all
that the mounted police were kind and
obliging to those who were in need Of
help.
From Five Fingers, the Yukon is a
frozen mass of Ice powders running as
yon from wall to wall and making
travelling difficult and very slow. This
will have to be cut through by the Gov
eminent relief expedition that pro-
poses to reach Dawson from the coast
Frank Ballaine states that an exc
dus of between 800 and 1000 men from
Dawson to Fort Yukon and to points
on the coast has sOmeWhat relieved the
situation at Dawson. Many of these
men had sold out a portion Of their
supplies of provisions to others in the
camp who were not so we'll supplied.
OF course the reduction of the popu
lation by so much as 800 would tend to
reduce the amount of food consumed
in the camp and make that which was
held by the miners go that much far
Their. Still, in Mr.. Ballaine's opinion,
there Will be many miners who will be
without food and others who will be
forced to subsist en- short rations be-
fore the supply boats reach Dawson in
the summer.
Mr.. Ballaine says: After the freeze
in October the river opened again and
there were two weeks in which II
seemed certain that some Of the steam
ers would get into Dawson from Fort
Yukon. The trading companies said
that beyond doubt food would be
brough up before the final freeze. The
river rose considerably, so that it
seemed possible for the steamers to
cross the bars, but they never came.
Nearly all travel is now stopped on the
river, except on the part of the Cana
dian police, who are taking in supplies
for the relief of Major Walsh and party
at Big Salmon. We met the relief ex-
petition with about forty horses at
Lake Linderman. They were making
good progress and had over twenty
tons of provisions. There are hundreds
of men camped for the winter along
the river from Fort Selkirk, a point 100
miles from Dawson, UP to the lakes.
The people will help all who are short
OF food as long as they can. The Cana
dian police are doing much for the
miners who are coming out
1.-The weather was extremely cold
coming out We started with sleds and
1875 pounds Of grub to the man. We
walked along the shore ice until the
river froze over and blocked on No
vember II. Then we discarded our
Bleds and putting our food in packs on
our backs started out We made good
time after reaching the lower lakes,
where the ice was smooth. Climbing
over the ice gorges was slow and very
tiresome, however.
John Lindsay, resident Of Olympia,
who left this city August last for
Dawson, via the Chilkoot Pass, be-
lieves that certain death stares hun
dreds Of residents of the Klondike
square in the face He asserts with
emphasis and with all the positiveness
the he can command that statements
indicating that no danger threatens the
people of the Klondike camp are untrue
and told with a purpose to discourage
relief expeditions and the like so that
those who do take In supplies will make
fortunes for themselves.
1T is my deliberate opinion" said
Lindsay this evening to The Call cor
respondent, land that founded on
actual observation made in Dawson,
that unless food is taken into the Klon-
dixie district before the supply boats
can get up the Yukon, actual starva-
ton will reign there. I make this
statement, not intending to needIessly
alarm any one who has relatives at
Dawson, but the simple truth of the
matter is that there is not enough food
to feed the people there this winter.
Il believe that a relief expedition
such as is proposed by the War Depart
ment can be gotten into Dawson in
time to relieve hundreds of men from
dire necessity. A hundred men, divid-
ed into squads, could cut a trail
| through the ice gorges Of the Upper
Yukon so that dog team could make
a quick passage from the lakes to Daw-
son. Over the lakes 1t is good travel
ing. From the. Hootalinqua River to
Dawson the. Ice is piled up in great
masses, making it out Of the question
to take even an empty sled along. But
with q trail cut through dog teams
ought to make the trip from the pass
to Dawson IN twenty days"
DR.. B. F. Bradley, a physician of
Roseburg, Or, found that he could not
practice his profession in Dawson
without first undergoing an examina-