The herald., 1897-09-07
AN EXPERT
REPORTS
On Condition of the Trail
at Skaguay
IT'S MIGHTY HARD CLIMBING
BUT THERE IS NO DANGER TO
HUMAN LIFE
Governor Brady, Who Is Not Given to
Joking, Says That Order Will
Be Maintained


SEATTLE, Sept. 6-After an exami-
nation of thirty days of the Skaguay
trail, r. H. Stretch, mining engineer of
this city, says: "Skuguay valley was
once occupied by a huge glacier; near
the lower end the rocks are ancient sedi-
mentary or stratified, deposits, with in
Vulnerable dikes and stringers OF gigan-
tic aspect, but all the upper portions Of
the valley and the summit of the range
are nothing but very coarse granite,
without trace Of any structure, but with
very strongly marked, nearly horizontal
bedding planes, cut by nearly vertical
cleavage joints. The action Of the ice,
which formerly ploughed its way down
the valley, has ground these rocks to
polished surfaces, the vertical faces sup
porting only few lichens. while the hori-
zontal benches, before the advent OF the
gold seekers, were covered with thick
carpet of moss and lichens, which, though
with but a very frail hold on the rocks,
gave a sure and satisfactory foothold.
In few places are there pebbles or boul-
ders, and but few rock slides, but where
these do exist, the individual boulders
are so large and massed so irregularly
that travel over them is more difficult
than over the solid, unbroken benches.
OF earth there is practically none, but in
the course of ages black vegetable
mulch has accumulated in some of the
crevices and in potholes along the river
bottom. Scrubby timber, spruce, birch
and alder finds foothold in the crevices,
the latter chiefly in the wetter bottoms
and over such material the trail finds its
way. Distances from Skaguay are:
First crossing Of river, IN miles; end of
road, 81 miles; small lake, miles; Por-
cupine creek, 71a miles; second crossing
of river, bridge, liz miles; third crossing
of river, bridge, 1872 miles; four crossing
Of river, bridge, 141a miles; fifth crossing
of river, ford, 171s miles; summit, 10
miles; meadows, 26 miles; Lake Bennett,
| AZ miles.
give miles out, at the lake, the eleva-
ton is 46O feet. The trail quickly as
cends to $40 feet, then sinks to 470 at Por-
cupine creek. In short distance the
elevation is 14OO and the path zigzags
down to the second crossing, 1000 feet
elevation. The fourth bridge IS 1400
feet above the sea, and the trail almost
at once goes upward to 210O feet. A de-
scent Is then made to the ford. 1900 feet
high, and then comes the climb to the
summit, an elevation Of 2600 feet. From
this point to the lakes the trail is not ex-
tremely difficult"
Mr. Stretch says there Is no danger to
human life in making the trip.
The Al-Ki got away at o'clock this
evening for Juneau, Sitka, Skaguay,
Dyea and other Alaskan ports, with 125
passengers and twenty-five head of
horses and cattle. She carried 600 tons
of freight and left quite a quantity at
the dock for the Queen. The Rosalie
sailed at 1880 with forty passengers and
| thirty horses
A number Of the Al-Ki's passengers
go to join the party Of miners encamped
at Skaguay with the hope OF engaging
in remunerative business. Not more
than dozen miners bound for the Klon-
dixie were on the Al-Ki.
BRADY IS NO JOKER
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, Sept. g.
From officers of the tug Pioneer, which
arrived today direct from Skaguay, 1t
| is learned that previousAreports relative
to legal action to be taken in suppressing
gambling and sale Of liquors at the place
is no joke, as Gov. Brady has sent word
! that order must be preserved there even
if the entire United States navy has to
be called upon to enforce order. Old
| Alaskans here, who are personally ac-
quainted with Gov. Brady, say he is
man who means all he says, and that If
he takes a stand he will carry out his
promises.
The steamer Eugene, which started
from the Willamette river to Dawson
City by way Of st. Michaels in tow of
the steamer Bristol, began to break up
and had to be deserted by the Bristol.
The Eugene is now lying in Alert bay in
a badly damanged condition, the hull be-
ing nearly dismantled.
The officers of the tug Pioneer, which
returned today from Skaguay. report
that both Dyea and Skaguay are free
of lawlessness and violations of the civil
| law. Considerable rain is falling and
many persons will return to the sound
| for the winter as soon as arrangements
| can be made.
TRAVELLERS TRIALS
VANCOUVER, B. c.. Sept. 6-The
steamship Capitano, Capt. Powis, re-
turned this morning from Juneau, Dyea
ana SkaSudy. OHe DTlHSS DOWN one
miner from Juneau who Is disgusted
with the outlook for getting into the
gold fields this fall. Her cattle and horses
were landed safely, but American GUS
toms officials charged a duty Of $50 on
each horse. On the way down the Capt.
tano spoke the steamer Bristol and the
stern-wheeler Eugene, which left Vic
toria last week, at Albert bay. The
Eugene commenced leaking soon after
leaving Union, where she was seized by
officials for violation Of Canadian Gus
toms regulations, but got away by cut
ting her hauser. 1t took the Bristol
twenty-four hours to tow her back to
Albert bay. An attempt is being made
to patch her up, but the passengers re-
fuse to travel on her. They wanted to
charter the Capitano. but a. she had
passenger for Vancouver Can't PoWis