New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19
THROUGH ALASKAN WILDS
rrRRoRs OF THE JOURNEY TO THE
KLONDIKE GOLD FIELDS.
GRAPHIC REPORT FROM SAMUEL c. DUNHAM.
THy EXPERT SENT OUT BY THE COM
MISSIONER OF LABOR.

THE EXrERT SENT OUT BY THE COM
MISSIONER OF LABOR
washington. Sept. IS.-Oren w Weaver. Acting
Commissioner Of LaDor, to-day gave to the Asso-
stated Press copy Of letter the terrors Of the
,,,p across Alaska TO the Klondike gold fields The
Latter had just been received from Samuel c. Dun
ham statistical expert Of the Department Of Labor
who had been assigned By Commissioner Wright to
make m investigation Of the opportunities which
,ba gold regions in the Yukcn Valley and adjoin-
ing territory offered Cor the remuneratiye employ
ment OF American labor and capital The letter is
as follows:
Lake Lindemgaa Alaska. /? m, August 2s 1891
Sir: left Dyea on Monday morning AZ \ o'clock
and arrived here on Tuesday evening at Z My four
Ing OF them since the start from Dyca. and
waiting for them here. When | reached the foot OF
pass and l presume the Indians went into camp
Somewhere on the other side 10 await better
snow alternating constantly on the summit since
TUESDAY moinins ana the situation i, agg'aya'cd
an awful experience coming across The summit.
started out with my handbag STRAPPED on my back
thinking that as Il weighed only forty hounds
would carry il. managed to struggle alons to
the head OF uavigatio9 for canoes siN miles from
packer. paying him 80 10 carry NY grip to Sheep
Camp. twelve miles from Dyea.
OVER GLACIERS AND THROUGH TORRENTS
sper, the night at Sheep Camp which is merely
a collection OF tents and started for tho summit
al o'clock Tuesday morning in a DRILLING
cold rain. employed packer carry my grip
from there TO Lake Lindeman. paying him sl6 At
the foot OF the summit met perhaps hundred
indian and white packers who had cached their
packs on the trail above and we're returning 10
We were warned that It was dangerous to attempt
70 gel over. but as tie wind WAS blowing the way
We were going We decided TO 90 ahead as fel; sure
men ibev arrivcd The dstsnre from the foot of
1Dfif n he i
a a mile. bat it seems ike five miles The uaA
sscends al an angle OF = degrees skirtng precp.ces
teow crossing the face OF glaciers as smooth -
surface Of great granite powders hundreds Of feet
n extent Every hundred yards or 50 mountain an
Casion augmented 10y the rainfall. rush across the
trail and have TO be waded. the water often com
iag 10 the knees Add to this a gale blowing hfty
miles an hour with sleet and snow rushing hort
zontally through the air, and the temperature at
horrors Of my passage across the summit 49,
Struggling up steep ascent Of twenty-five or
thirty feet, | would he forced from sheer exhaus-
ton to rest for moment, bui would scarcely stop
before the chilling wind would cut me 10 tne mar,
keep from chilling 10 death; Before reached the
summit | was wet the skin and my boots were
fun of water. and the added weight CT ne water
made il almost impossible to proceed. This Is one
of the worst etures 81 e 'ns e Ma q OF The
bcggy Places have been cordUroyed and suppose
by next summer the Skaguay trail WhiCa Is non
practically imPassable on account OF the boys VI"
be in fai: condition.
FERRIS OF COLD AND FAMINE
At prcsen; the condition OF affairs on both trails
Is terrible and hundreds OF Ten are bound 10
starvs and freeze to death II they continue to come
this way. | passed al least thousand men be-
tween Dyea and here and not more thar one nun
dred have got their outfits this side the summit
Every fifty yards along the rail are piles o.
goods and | suppose there are provisions to the
value CT 500, 900 scattered a ong the iran. ..
practically prohibitive for most OF those Mi!o
oTe @i hsr oWa o 10 somS Of the
as much TWO HUNDRED poIhqs AZ 1s 1d oT in
two days. returning 10 Dyea on tie thlTd DAY t.,Is
70 to rs pounds and 1t takes a man with an ado
cuate outfit month to get 10 the lake There are
ing iheir outhts over. and are not ready TO start
dsrn tho river yet. All who have come 70 skaguay
come in without sufficient outfit pay ~ cents or
more a pound, or not get in at all -,
There are about two hundred men here. ana
forty tents Probably three or four boats are ge,
gers There is one sawmil here with capacity
CT thousand feet day and II mas a., me
Sand and rising. great many "nips4tw a, 'H Hs
lumber two men tdTning Out aDoIt nTiu for So
70 e. Of carpsnt ~ are 81 % day and board.
Everything is high in price when you can get IT at
all Whisky is 30 cents drink and > "a. "a ootr.Ii,
i ina pTfi ~ MAKES ten gallons Of Lake Idndeman
whisky. Meas cannot be had Tor money as ~
one is holding OH 10 his provisions. never saw 20
much selashness anywhere IS displayed on TINS
You uass a hundred people WITHOUT rec, Wing
a response TO your respectful good -inorninS. anu
soo1 fes I'm 10 keep your mouth shut. There arc so
many on the trail that IL is like walking aoiS ule
street OF city-the individual IS lost IN me pass
ing throng. and you are reccEiliZed oh4y ~ dc
81 1sB Il @ be ESus ssk '0r ''oo " ' ''
I have made arrangements TO 70 GOWN INC NV
with a friend who has made the trlp before. re
expects be ready 10 start IN FOUR or lVe ua3 =
and to make the trip IN seven days am pa
tipntly awaiting arrival Of outfit. but 40 not
much expect II until the weather improves. -,
3 r. ma packer has just arrived from Shecp
Camp who says he passed nv ou'At on the roaH
and that IL probably Will reach here tonight, the
weather having improved on tho divide A. nave
an opportunity send mail by him. | close tlls
Ietter with the explanation that IL has been VIII
ten under great mental stress and physical sincr-
INK have tried 10 give you 3 fa!r idea OF INC
harcships OF this Journey. but feel ny incapabl!-
nv 70 paint its terrors. u is Out OF my me.
Will siulrl. say that no one mo has written on INC
got In today over The SkagUay trall saws that j.
even worse He counted one hundred ana seventy
two dead horses along the trail and several men
have net with serious accidents. such as broken
drowning have occurred on both trials the swift
current carrying packers down stream, ana their
packs rendering them helpless.
Sorle ought 70 DC made ~ once TOR the
relief Of The suffering which rs bound 10 occur az
Dyea a1d SkagBay. Every steamship That has
brought people will have oil II can 20 Tor az
kast 'rips n carrying the un1u 'cessiu4 people
BACK 20 civilization. ana there ought 10 30 some
way % force iaem 10 perform ine serve. Wihout
compensation. SAAO III Z. DtNhAM.
COMMUNICATION WITH COPPER RIVER.
Port Townsend Wash Sept "a feet of
schooner viii be dispatched ~ regular intervals
after The FIRST Of the year Copper River By
local transpJrfa'ion company. which will also send