The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-08-07
Over Three Thousand People Have
Already Gone North.
And Steamship Companies Are Still Booking
Passengers.
A Peculiar Complication Grows
Out of the Filling of Posts of
United States Commissioners
for the District of A1aska-The
Treasury Department at Sea in
Strengthening Out the Tangle.

Strengthening Out the IangIe.
SAN FRANCISCO. Aug. ct is
very difficult to estimate exactly the
number of people who have left this
city bound for the gold fields of Alaska.
Many have gone by rail to Portland
and Seattle, while so many tickets have
been sold by the steamship companies
here while their vessles We're at the
dock ready for departure that no def
mite count of the passenger list could
be made.
A very close estimate, however,
places the number at about 1000. OF
the steamers departing from San Fran
cisco, where it has been possible to get
the number of passengers bound for
Alaska, as shown by the passenger list,
the count places the number at 1,091,
divided as follows among the various
steamships:
Cleveland, 80; Umatilla, 400; State of
California, 100; City of Pueblo, 80; Elk
celsior. 10; City of Puebla, second trip,
100; Willamette, 120; Walla Walla,
100.
Departing from Seattle have been re-
corded 2,032, as follows:
Al-Ki, 100: Portland, 81; Queen, 131;
City of Mexico, Dds; City of Topeka,
236; Resale, $50; Willamette, 700;
Cleveland, 80, while for tomorrow on
the Eliza Anderson, 100 have been
booked to sail
Along the water front much interest
is being shown in the vessels that will
sail within the next few days with ex-
4 o11 DC Of
Alaska
Large crowds of spectators gather at
the various docks at which the steam
ers are moored and eagerly watch the
preparations for departure.
The National City will sail tomorrow
from Folsom-street wharf. To-day wa
ter tanks We're placed on board
and the barge and launch Hettie B,
which she will carry on her decks, re-
ceived their finishing touches.
The missionary brig Pitcairn came
over to Mission-street wharf to-day to
be prepared for her trip to Dyea. NJ. F.
Cochrane, the manager of the enter
prise, retired yesterday, and now w. r.
Ruffain is in charge of the expedition.
The passengers who had engaged pas
sage ON the Pitcairn have been trans
ferred to the steamer Farallon.
Mr.. Ruffain expects to get about 100
passengers. most of whom will come
from Fresno and Tulare The Pitcairn
Will probably sail on Monday or Tues
day next.
Inquiry for accommodations on the
steamer Humboldt still continues at the
office of the company, 81 California
street. The Humboldt will sail on
Monday next.
C. P. Troy & Co. have booked a
large number of passengers for the
North Fork. which will sail from here
on the 4th instant.
PECULIAR COMPLICATIONS
WASHINGTON, Aug Ga peculiar
complication has grown out Of the fill
ing of the posts of United States Com
missioners for the District of Alaska,
and two men now hold commissions for
the same office at St Michaels. The
last sundry civil bill created four COM
missionerships for Alaska, to be loca-
ted at Circle City, Dyea, Unga and St.
Michaels. There We're already four
commissioners there, with offices at
Sitka. Juneau, Wrangle, Kodiak and
Unalaska-
William ]. Jones, a lawyer of Port
Townsend, Wash, was appointed to the
St. Michaels CommiSsionership The
Treasury Department heard he had
withdrawn, and then chose L. B. She
pard of Nebraska for the place. Mean
time Jones bond and oath of office
We're received, although he was sup
posed to have withdrawn. but the sec
ond appointee's commission had then
been forwarded. Both men hold COM
missions now, and the department is
at sea to straighten out the tangle.
THREE MINERS PERISH.
SEATTLE, Aug. 6-News has just
reached here of the death last April
of Charles Blackstone. George Botcher
and J. w Malinque. miners who went
to Alaska in 1896 and were frozen to
death in trying to make their way back
to Seattle. They We're last seen alive
March 9th Friends from this city
who went to Alaska to investigate
found Blackstone's body, but no trace
of the other two could be found.
The following statement was found
on Blackstone's body:
Saturday, April H. 1897. This is tc
certify that Botcher froze to death or
TUESDAY night. J. W. MeliuQue QleC
Wednesday forenoon. being frozen bad
". c. A. Blackstone has his ears. nose
and four fingers on his right hand and
two on his left and frozen an inch
back. The storm droN e US on before it
1t overlook us within an hour of the
summit and drove US before it. 1t drove
everything we had over the cliff eX-
cept blankets and moose hide, which
we all crawled under Supposed tC
have been 40 degrees below zero. Or
Friday l started for Salt Water.
don't know how I got there without
outfit. On Saturday afternoon / gath
cred up everything. Have enough
grub for ten days. providing bao
weather does not set in. Sport was
blown over the cliff. 1 think l car
hear him howl once in a while"
The bodies of Malinque and Botchel
were never found
A CANADIANS EXPERIENCE.
PORTLAND (Me), Aug. 6.-Captair
Miles Standish of Montreal, who ha:
been spending the summer in Alaska
has written a letter. which was re-
ceived to-day In this letter he says
that the situation on the Klondyke is
not very dissimilar to other gold fields