The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-12

Men have prophesied that tie great
rush to the north and the haste exhibited
by eager kiondskers would result In Il
horrible disaster AZ sea. Their forebod-
ings have not been justified. Thursday
OF last week the Mexico went d1wn. after
striking a hidden rock. She was rctgsn-
ing from pyea and had aboard a large
number of returning excursionists. The
desire OF these people 10 hasten on their
way led to the disaster, No one was
lost nor suffered even "A wetting.
For three weeks past men have iiocked
TO Seattle from every stale tn the Union,
actuated by but one desire-thc lust for
gold. Drawn TO the north by tho glitter
Ing gold-lined placer beds OF the kiondikc
surely the needle Of the compass
swings To the north, they have tiocked to
the Pacific coast In droyes and have
crowded every steam and sailing vessel
offered for the purpose of carrying them
north.
At Dyea and Skaguay bay, where the
route over the mountains TO the Yukon
basin is taken, there are today not less
than apU miners cncamped Ina white tents
or bivouackiug as best they may under
the stars. Pa senecrs on the Alaska
steamship Topeka. which arrived ycster-
day. tell the story of thc blockade at the
foot Of white pass They say that wnen
the Topeka ieft Skaruay bay, Augast =.
no man had crossed the trail over White
pass.
A j. McNabb. of salmon Idaho. whose
search for gold Il the mountains OF tte
Rockies has extended over a period Of
thirty-fye years. was Il passenger on thu
Mexico for the north. leaving here Juiy
=. MeNabb WAS bent on going Into ths
kiondike ordinary hardship was no Pew
thing 10 him. Thls Is what he says of tbs
possibilities OF getting Into tbs land Of
gold:
ION August g. there were nearly I,0oj
men at Dyes and Skaguay hay waiting 30
cross the divide No ore had yet crossed
the White pass as far as one could learn.
snd the only way % sef oger was oy way
of the old Chllkoot pass. II Is impossible
to get horxes across the summit Of CEil-
koot. There were 800 tons OF freight 40
Dyea and similar amount ~ Skaguay.
TO the I ns0 men already there, were add
"a the day We left 800 is the Stca tuship
Islander. and every day nearly there has
been Some kind Of craft with more.
The facilities for getting over the
mountains were utterly inadequate
much 80 that there VIII - a complete
blockade. AT ChIIgoot pass. there were
only forty Indians and eighteen horses -
handle 20 tons Of freight up the steeD
mountain slopes. Al skaguay there sgeYe
siYg tons and perhaps thirty horses. and
the trail was not open beyond the sam-
uslt. In the face of tbeee conditions ]
came back"
e W Young. of Juneau. whose experi-
euces IN AlazkA cover nearly twenty
years and who was "a delegate fo the
Republican convention 81 S. louis sast
summer. came down from byfa ora th@
Topeka. Hear him There will be many
disappointed ones and rnuca suffering at
the mountain passes. Macy weo are
now there 8nd more who are 70 follow
Sils never get in;o the Yukon tlls winter.
had not heard of asay cfie going tnronEn
she White pass and Il is impossible 70
pack prov lsions over the Chilkoof except
bv Indians The latter charge y cents
per pound for packing % Lake Liader-
man. FOR an average outfit ~ 80
rounds, the cost IN most cases lB pro-
history. The result wil be that marry
wiu b. forced 10 winter On the coast. and
when they get into the country beyond
they VIII be sbort on provisions.
''Those who do get over the PASS VIII