The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-23

today gave to the Associated Press
copy of most graphic letter on the ter
rors of the trip across Alaska to the
Klondike gold fields. The letter had
| lust been received from Samuel G.. Dun
ham, statistical expert of the govern
ment department of labor, who had been
assigned by Commissioner Wright. to
make an investigation of the opportuni-
ties which the gold region in the Yukon
valley joining British territory afforded
for the remunerativc employment of
American labor and capital The letter
is, in part, as follows
Lake Lindeman, Alaska, Aug. 20, II,
noon, 1S97.-To Commissioner of la
Dor, Washington, ID. C.-Sir-I left Dyea
Monday morning at IL o'clock and ar
rived here Tuesday evening at Z o'clock.
Ny four Indians started ahead of me,
but have seen nothing If them since
the start from Dyea, and am waiting
for them here. When | reached the
foot of the summit n terrible storm was
raging on the pass and ] presume the
Indians went into camp somewhere on
the other side to await better weather.
at has been raining alsO and snow
alternating constantly on the summit
since Tuesday morning, and the situa,.
ton is aggravated by a piercing wind
of thirty miles velocity. | had an aw-
nit. | started out with Il handbag
strapped on my back. thinking that as
it weighed only forty pounds | could
carry it. ] managed to struggle along
to the head of navigation for canoes,
sixty niles from Dyea, and was forced
to employ an Indian packer. paying him
SO to carry my grip to Sheep camp,
twelve miles from Dyea. | spent the
night ut Sheep camp, which is merely
81 n
summit Mt 8 o'clock Tuesday morning
in drizzling, cold rain. employed
packer to carry my grip from there to
Lake Lindeman paying him SIG. At the
foot of the summit we met perhaps Il
hundred Indians and white packers
who had cached their packs on the trail
above and were returning to Sheep camp
TO wait an abatement of the storm. We
were warned that it was dangerous to
attempt to get over, but as the wind was
blowing the way we were going we de-
rided to go ahead, rs | felt sure my
packers had gone on, and | wished to
he here when they arrived. The distance
from the foot of the summit to the top
is said to be thrce-quarters Of mile,
but 1t seemed like five miles.
''lhe trail ascends an angle Of 10 de
grces, skirting prccipices. and where u
false step would hurl one thousand
feet below, crossing the face of the gla-
ciers as smooth as glass. and In many
places traversing the polished surface of
great bouldcrs hundreds Of feet in eX-
tent. Every hundred wards or so noun
tain torrents, fed by the glaciers. rush
across the trail and have to be waded.
the water often coming to the knees.
Add to this II gale blowing fifty miles
an hour sleet and snow rushing hori-
ZOntally through the air and the tenn
peraturc ut 80 degrees and you will have
faint idea of the. horrors of my pass
age across the summit. After struggling
ascent of twenty-five or thirty feet |
would be forced from sheer exhaustion to
rest for moment; but would scarcely
stop before the chilling wind would cut
me to the marrow and | would have to
continue my course to keep from chilling
to death. Before | reached the summit
was wet to the skin and my boots were
full of water. and the added weight of
the water made it almost impossible to
proceed. finally reached the camp at
the head of Lake Lindeman about
O'Clock in the evening, having been eleven
hours in covering twelve miles. 80 thor
Oughly exhausted that | could scarcely
drag one foot after the other | had II
letter from n friend to gentleman who
is in camp here and | was kindly re-
ceived by him and made ms comfortable
as possible in his tent. AS my Indians
had not arrived. had no change of UNI
derclothing and was forced to accept his
offer of Il suit of warm dry underclothing
and these supplemented by half tcacup-
full Of rum, brought some warmth back
to my body. | 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 feeling fairly well this morning.
This climate is very treachcrous,
changes being very sudden. At present
the condition of affairs on both trails is
terrible and hundreds of men are bound
to starve and freeze TO death if they
continue to come this way. passed at
least thousand men between Dyea and
here, and not more than 100 have got
through to this side of the summit.
Every few yards along the trails are
piles of goods, and suppose there are
provisions to the value of 100000 scat
tered along the trail.
Wages of carpenters are S12.50 II day
and board. Everything is high in price,
when you can get it at ALL Whisky is
80 cents n drink and 81 II bottle, and
poor stuff at that
"A packer has just arrived from Sheep
camp who says he passed my outfit on
the road and that it will probably reach
here tomorrow night the weather having
improved on the divide. As have an on
portunity to send mail by him, | close
this letter with the explanation that it
has been written under great mental
stress and physical suffering.
Some movement ought to be made ut
once for the relief of the suffering which
is bound TO occur at Dyca and Skaguay.
Every steamship that has brought people
will have all it can do for ut least two
trips in carrying the unsuccessful people
pack to civilization, and there ought to
Inn. e..