The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-05
GOING TO THE
GOLD DIGGINGS
How Edwin Heacock Navi-
gated the Lakes and
Shot the Rapids.
An Experience That Will Be
of Value to Visitors to the
Klondike.
Estimates of Dawsons Population
Range Between Five Thousand
and Six Thousand.

In letter,dated dawson City, Septem-
Der y, 1897" Edwin Heacock, eldest son
of United States Court Com missioner
Heacock of this city, writes as follows:
Foster, Robert Wood and | have fixed orr
camp mere, setup our two tents with a stove
ana rouslng fire IN EACH unloaded our boat
ana nave got wet things all about US, drying
them out, as we and most of our clothes anu
some OF our grub have been wet, wet, wet for
the last four weeks sit here by the fire with
rubber boots of on bag OF rice and gold
pan on my lap tor a desk, while the air out
side Is about % deg. above zero
lake that little map ] sent you and trace
our course from Lake Bennett down, which
We made IN good time. On that lake we came
near losing our boat ana goods, for the gale
broke OFF our mast twice in hour, and
finally we had 10 cut 1t away, and run before
the wind and waves till driven ashore, where
the waves threatened TO swamp US and our
boat but by getting into the water up to our
neckS, unloading our boat and then working
II carefully along the shore 10 place not
quite So much exposed, We got 1t out on skids
ana then dried ourselves with big campfires
ana changed our clothes, packed our stuff
around and waited till the evening of the next
DAY 10 get lair wind land not too much of
~, and from that time on we have been row.
ing and sailing right along.
Tagish Lake, Windy Arm and Marsh Lake
were regular picnic for US, for, beyond few
hours rowing, we sailed every day, making So
TO 80 miles per day. At the end of Tagish
Lake We met the Canadian customs officers,
kindly.
We mad to wait for weather at the head OF
Lake Lebarge from 10 O'Clock one day till day.
light the hext, when we took to the galley
seats ana rowed the whole distance, thirty
one miles, ana 1t was rough without any wind
with any wind we think il would be the
most difficult aud dang ferrous OF anything on
tn route. We had good luck there a nd also at
the canyon, which we came 10 almost without
knowing lt-and such u place you cannot con-
celve-Slmply 3 mass OF water about as great
as tn. Sacramento River crowded iuto walls of
rock 6O to $50 feet wide on a rocky incline OF
about one nunured feet in half Il mi e. The
water Is one mad whIrl, rush and swirl, tow
erlng above YOU OH both sides once; then
tossing you alOtt ike a feather; the next
second down again, and you experience
all the McGlnty sensations IN their fuIles and
widest sense. Than when you are past feeling
sensations of any kind you she OF like an
arrow out into comparatively smooth water,
where your hair assumes is ma ural color,
ana breathing Is feIt to b, Il luxury after all.
Five miles further down we came to the
White Horse rapids, and while they look bad
and are bad they are not equal to the Canyon,
because even if man tips over or swamps his
boat he has cnance for his life, and the cur
rent will carry every thing through anyhow
open banks and shallow water all along both
sides OF the main current. AS long S the boat
Is steered INTO the deep channels she is bound
TO get through.
There, for safety, we took out about 500
pounds of grub and carried il around The
falls three-fOurths OF mile. but l would not
do so again. Nearly every body now goes
through with their boats, aud l have heard of
no accidents. Along some portions of the
river we cOu d use our sails, but il was nearly
ali rowing, and ne last four days altogether,
making 90, 90, 20 and 20 miles each of the
respective days
At the time the letter was written the
writer had not seen much of Dawson.
The prevailing estimate of the population
ranged from 5000 TO 6000