The herald., 1897-09-06
SITUATION
AT SKAGUAY
Alarms the Authorities of
Alaska
hottest" CAMP ON RECORD
POSSIBILITIES FOR CRIME UN-
MEASURED
Correspondent scovel Brings Two
Tons Of Powder and Work Is
Begun on the Trail
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
SEATTLE, Wash, Sept. 5.-The au-
thorities Of Alaska have awakened to the
serious nature Of the situation Of the
White pass. They see. in the continu-
ance Of the camp at Skaguay as now
constituted. possibilities for crime and
various other evils Of great magnitude.
Steps have been taken to break up the
camp by dispensing the lawless element
that has gathered there from every state
in the Union.
Col. F. D. Chadbourne, state larbor
commissioner of California, who has
arrived here, brought down advices to
the above effect. Col Chadbourne says
that Collector Ives and force Of deputy
United tSates marshals had determined
to raid the town of Skaguay and clean
out the whisky smugglers and saloon
men, and rid the camp of the disorderly
element. Heretofore the authorities
have been utterly unable to cope with
the disorderly people, and the camp be-
came one Of the hottest" on record. 1t
was the refuge Of the worst class OF
criminals, confidence men and thugs on
the coast These, with the whisky men,
had combined to block the trail so as to
keep the tenderfeet there all winter and
fleece them as long as there was dollar
left in the camp.
Serious as is the situation Skaguay an6
White pass, as portrayed by letters and
by the men returning from the camp
disconsolate, and appalling as is the con-
dition Of the trail over the mountain bar
riers between the 5000 gold hunters and
the paradise on the other side. the ac-
counts published from time to time seems
to have but family portrayed the actual
state of affairs.
Made desperate by their failure to get
over the trail and BY the terrible bard
ships they have been compelled to en-
dure in the hopeless struggle against
odds of the past weeks, the miners have
become suspicious Of each other and
quarrels are Of hourly occurrence. Every
mans hand is raised against every other
man. The lawless characters are much
in evidence, and dissensons and discord
have broken out among the miners until
such thing as cooperation Is impos-
sible.
that the situation Is laden with trouble
and that he intends notifying the depart
ment at Washington of the condition of
affairs.
In spite OF the attempts Of the miners
committee to close the trail so that 1t can
be repaired one party of twelve, with
drawn revolvers and loaded rifles, an
nounced their intention Of going through
to +ba v,oif bax ov.Iss
and set out for the summit. The commit
tee was called together and a number of
armed men sent after them to head them
off. If trouble is averted it will be by
the greatest good luck Men have lost
all sense of reason, and a spirit of des'-
peration and reckless obliviousness to
consequences pervades the camp.
WORK ON THE TRAIL
SEATTLE, Wash, Sept 5.-The fol-
lowing letter has been received from
Skaguay, Alaska, August 2Sth, from J.
M. Hagerty:
Sylvester Scovel of the New York
World landed yesterday morning at
Skaguay by a specially chartered tug
from Juneau with two tons of bias ting
powder and the necessary tools to equip
seven complete crews for rock work on
the Skaguay trail, and as fast as horses
and men could get at it it was started to
the front.
In the evening there was meeting at
the foot of the first hill attended by over
500 sturdy miners, who organized for the
work in front of them and selected an
executive committee consisting of James
Christie of Portland, president; Phil
Abrams. secretary; c. A. Cramer of Sc
attic, Mr.. Heacock and Mr.. Day az su-
perintendents, who in turn selected ex-
perienced rock men for the work on the
hills and veteran loggers for the work of
corduroying the muddy places.
There are thirty Canadian mounted
police also on the trail and they have
pitched in with as good will as any
miner, and say that the building of this
trail now will enable them to get in sew
enty tons Of provisions in time to build
and provision the mail stations in their
territory so that they can operate dog
teams all winter, and they agree to de-
liver the mail every two weeks from
the Klondike to the American line. Work
is in progress for fifteen miles along the
trail and all travel and packing has been
suspended until 1t has been completed.
There have been some kickers s. usual,
out tNey are SO muCn IN the minority
that they have had to submit. While
believe this trail will be complete in ten
days so that travel can be resumed, do
not start for this point expecting to get
over for at least thirty days, as it will
take that long after the trail is COM
pleted to get all the miners over who are
now there. There would never have been
SO much trouble for small parties, but
the swarm Of people, 95 per cent of whom
were tenderfeet and knew nothing about
packing and mountaineering, has been
the cause of congestion at this point
The first reports about this trail were
inspired by interested parties, who are
trying to start town here and who are
also interested in the whisky business
Not nearly SO many discouraged pros
pectors areselling their outfits for song
as has been reported, but many who
started for the Klondike have given up
that idea, have turned townsite buyers
and are erecting all kinGs Of buildings