The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-07
ON THE TRAIL FOR g DAYS.
Expert Makes a Critical Exam
ination of White Pass.
FROM SkAGusy TO BENNETT.
Stretch. the MissnE Engineer. Gives
His Opinion of the Roufe-den
Fiockea TO skaEaay Becaase
They Thought Horses Could DO
es Many an Accident.

Mfr p r. Stretch. the well known min
ing eng1ueer. mas returned from Skaguay
where be spent thirsy days examining the
trail He gives tae first and suthorita-
tive and clear description that has reached
the public.
In she various ard numerous letters
which have appeared in the daily papers
about what Is known a. the White Pass
over the Ekagslay trail says Mr. Stretch.
there has been 50 much confusion OF de-
tails which apply TO the Dyea route over
the chiik0of pass. with others Only ap-
plicable 20 the White pass. ard so little
absolutely definite information. as we'll
20 many statements colored by the
vrfszr's want Of kndzviedge lack Of physi-
cal endurance and inexperience Of camp
he. ard the petty annoyauces incident
thereto. that a plain unvaTnished state
nleni OF the condition OF affairs along the
line Of the Skaguay trail may not be with
out interest 20 the readers Of the Post
Intelligence. and others VINO have friends
upon the road.
a sketch map o< the route from tide
water 20 the fakes f. added to render the
description more intelligible This map
does not profess 10 be- absolutely accurate.
as there SIS no Instrumental survey access
ssble. ard the distances are determined by
time measurements when the tran was
free from travel. and a definite pace could
be maintained: but is general truthful
ness viii be vouched for b. ali VINO are
familiar with the country.
The head Of Lynn canal is located at
the well known place called Dyea. for
many years the landing place for pilgrims
70 the Alaskan inte~ior. who usually made
the passage Of the chlkoot pass in the
latter part Of the winter. wher the SHOWS
covered 10 the rocks and houlders and
made the Use Of sie3s possible Untll TIE
present se.son no large number Of people
have attempted 70 make the trip during
the summer months and the present in
fuX by either Of the routs7 mentioned IL
consequently facing the difficulties nearly
Always attendant on new experiments.
Why sIsasuay Was Chosen.
''By the Dyea route horses can only be
used 10 Sheep camp. at the foot OF the
summit, after which human endurance
must accomplish the rest of the transit:
snd the rush to the skaguay Is due 10 this
fact. for when Il was known that
horses could be taken through from tide
water TO the lakes beyond the summit by
the White pass the bulk Of the argonauts
drift%d 20 that route. fondIy hugging TO
their bosoms the deluslon that the horses
alone would have 10 work. and that per
sonaliy the trip would become a summer
picnic 20 themselves. Hence Skaguay
sprang into prominence.
The town IL located at the mouth of
the skaguay river. which flowing nearly
south. enters Lynn canal on the eastern
side about five miles south OF Dyea. Ieav-
Inc high rocky tongue OF land between
the two small bays. At the head OF Skaz-
nay bay the valley Is not more than half a
mile Wide. From low water mark the
shore falls of very rapidly 10 forty faith
omS and over. Between this line and the
high water mark, some Twenty-Five feet
Rerlet rise there Is a gently sloplng
gravel beach some quarter Of a mile wide
followed by an open. formerly grassy rIot
OF about the same width. beyond which
the eternal forest enshrouds the valley
IN the nat between the river for ifs
eastern limits and the granite hlls for its
western boundary. the United States com
missioner has laid out the town Of sksg-
nay The plat OF which has been forn,,II,
indorsed ~ public meeting Lots are
oetained ~ application 10 the commits
sioner and are held rs improvements The
streets already begin to show their lipes.
wooden buildings are replacing the multi
iudinous tents. and the city Is creeniny
outward slowly into the forest. There h
% course. the usual crop az saloons. with
every form OF gambling outfit "a fer,ut
those With too much leisure on their
hands "A sawmill on the eastern side OF
the beach has already sounded its whistle
~ hnrf has been built on the rocky east
crn shore and a new one Is beiny Dusbe.a
out 80 deep water near the middle of the
water front, hut the present facilities for
unloading are utterly fnadeauate ana
much Toss has been sustained bv ths mass
enEers owing 70 The careless hanaline of
freight and baggage nv The various steam
eFT 81 their hurry 20 return 20 lower latf-
tnoeS Tor new crop or summer tour
lists
The town has probably come 10 stay s-
tbere appear 70 be no extraordinary t4fes
he gress - Entf -.
the valley OF the Skag7ay 20 the 3n.erior
lakes and good water commune s,.tors
with- something ike three per cent rrstrs
as a maximum. and II such a road l. buJ.
al the ferrors OF an Alaskan trim Tor a.
least six months IN che year viii disan-
FtSaF surveys Tor such road have been
n active progress au summer and this
survey brings as 70 the SkaRtlav tran
BiaKed out nv Surveyors
'"rhe present TRAN owes SIS evts,s-,,, -,
ne railroad survey. IL docs not nrof.ss
20 he the best trail syhleh might - -,
sirucied Il was simply ldared ou- .ns
slightly dressed up 81 am ayaliahio ,..,.-
&c enable tho engineering party 70 ecf in
NhsF supplies aud instruments. and was
never intended FOR che t1sea Pa 49, !.
Aas heen diverted 50 that the s,sts...--
daily heaped on The head OF the man ~,
Quilt the trait ate utterly uucalie,i fo~ 49,,
cniustinahlc. He is 10 mare an+t.ls,t -,
the maeiiction 81 an uuresSoniur r-,,v.s
man any member of thar crowd Wound y.
90 eRe curses ~ man who tried 20 drive
loaded wagon over bridge fntar,se.t D..
the builder a. a simrfe faotnath h...-vrea,,
mis- house and Che farm buildings .na
found that he had overtsxe1 tts wrrsnefh
For Tire purposes for which the trait -
LAID out. x was all Sc--icat Tna. b
would ever he the scene OF this .nidsu-,-
n'er stampede never entered the heads OF
IS builders
The VALLEY = Glacial Red.
To make description O., the trail 81
t"lag bic. ana - save endless repeiftio- e.
may De wel! - state that thc valley y,
the SEaSusy wsa formerly occupied BY a
husa sjaciar, Of which remnants are iaf,