The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-19

WASHINGTON, Sept $50. w.
Weaver, Acting Commissioner of La
Dor, to-day gave the Associated Press
a copy of a letter on the terrors OF the
trip acl oss Alaska to the Alaskan goid
fields. The letter had just been re-
ceived from Samuel c. Durham, sta
1istical expert of the Government De
partment Of Labor, who had been as
signed by Commissioner Wright 10
make an investigation of the opportu-
mites which the gold regions IN the
Yukon Valley and adjoining territory
afford for the remunerative employ
ment Of American labor and capital.
The letter is as follows;
Lake Lindermann (Alaska),
"Arg. %. 1897.
Commissioner of Labor, Washington
d C-Sir: 1 left Dyea Monday morn
ing at II O'Clock, and arrived here
TUESDAY evening at Z O'Clock. My four
Indians started ahead Of me, but /
have not seen anything Of them since
they started. and am waiting for them
bare When I reached the foot of the
summit a, terrible storm was raging
1
went into camp somewhere on the oth-
er side to await better weather
ct has been storming-raIn sleel
aud snow; alternating-since Tuesday
morning. and the situation is aggra-
waited by a piercing wind OF thirty
miles velocity. ] had an awful eXpe-
,-fa,,o,. coming across the summit. /
started out with my hand bag strapped
n II
only forty pounds. I could carry II l
7nanased to struggle along to the head
of NAVIGATION for canoes, six miles from
D,-aa and there was forced to employ
an ToGian packer, paying him >lo 10
corr, my grin to Sheep Camp, twelve
miles from Dyea. / spent the hgnI
al sheen Camp. which is merely col
lection of tents, and started 1or the
<,,,r,n,it ar : o'clock Tuesday morning
in a orizzling cold rain. I employed a
nacl1ar TO carry my grip from there to
Lake Iindermann, paying SD. Al the
foot Of the summit we met perhaps
hundred Indians and white packers,
who had cached their packs on the
srau above. and were returning to
sheen Camp to await the abatement OF
tho Storm. We were warned that 1t
was dangerous to get over, but as the
wind was blowing the way we were
eoinr we decided to go ahead, as / felt
sure my packers had gone over and L
wished TO be there when they arrived.
..The distance from the foot OF the
summit TO the top is said to be three
quarters of a mile, but it seems like
five miles. The trail ascends at an an
ole of - degrees, sl1irting preclplces
where a mfsstep would hurl one a
Thousand feet below, crossing the face
Of glaciers as smooth as glass and IN
MANY places traversing polished sur
face of great granite powders nun
dreds Of feet in extent. Every hundred
wards or so mountain torrents FED
nv the glaciers. and on the present oc-
casion augmented by the rainfall, rush
across the trail. and have to be waded
the water often coming to the knees
Add to this a gale blowing fifty miles
an hour. with sleet and snow rushing
horizontally through the track; and
4arnperature at 80 degrees. and you
viii have the idea of the d fficulty of my
massage across the summit. After
struggling up a steep ascent of twenty
five to thirty feet, I scarcely stop be-
fore the chilling wind would cut me
10 +h,s marrow. and I would have to
continue my course to keep from chill
ling to death. Before l reached the
summit I was wet to the skin, and my
boots were full of water.
II finally reached this camp. at the
head of Lake Lindermann, about
O'Clock in the evening, having been
eleven hours in covering twelve miles.
90 +boroughIv exhausted that I could
scarcely drag one foot after the other.
had letter from a friend to a gen.
3lenan who is in camp here, and L was
kindly received by him, and made as
comfortable as possible in his tent. AS
my Indians had not arrived, / mad no
change of underelothing, and was
forced to accept his offer of suit OF
warm dry undercIothing, supplemented
nv half a teacup Of rum, which bfouSht
some warmth back to my body
Il remained in bed all day yesterday
too thoroughly worn out to move.
had some fear of pneumonia, but with
the exception of some soreness am feel
ing farely well this morning.
Tne sun mas Just made It's appear
ance, and old-timers say We are likely
to have good weather by tomorrow
This climate is very treacherouS,
changes being very sudden. On the
ocean side of the mountains it rains
more than half the time, and rains hard.
On account of the continuous rains, the
soil washes down from the steep mount
ain sides, and wherever there is level
place you viii find bog into which a
man or horse sinks to the knees at
every step. This is one of the worst
features of the trails, and makes it al
most impossible TO use horses. Many Of
the DOGGY places have been corduroyed.
and l suppose by next summer the
Skaguay trail, which is now practically
impossible on account of the bogs, viii
be in fair condition.
AT present the condition of affairs on
both trails is terrible. and hundreds of
<smen are bound to starve and freeze to
death if thew continue to come this
way. / passed at least a thousand men
between Dyea and here. and not more
than 100 have got their outfits this side
of the summit. Every fifty yards along
the trail are piles of goods. and suppose
there are provisions to the value of
$500 600 scattered along the trail.