New-York tribune., 1897-08-23
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL
DANGERS OF THE KLoNDIKE JOURNEY.
THE PROPOSED woMEN's EXPEDITION slMfL'
1uNAcY-HARpsHIPs TO TEST THE STRONG

TUE Proposed woMEN's EXPEDITION SIMPLY
LuNAcY-HARDsHIPs TO TEST THE STRONG
EST MEMS ENDURANCE
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In The Tribune Of August 10 nouceo an
article m the effect that Mrs S. w. McDonnoid ana
other women he'd organized a company 10 mine III
the interior Of Alaska. Now. II this is true. Mrs'
McDonnold and the others interested Win her III
the scheme are,
First-Insane. or 1T
second-Utterly ignorant Of what they are talk
Ing about
Third-Knaves and merely talking TO induce foois
/ TO put money into the pockets of the syndicate
No sane posted honest woman would for one
moment think of going on such an eNpeouon'
From the coast Of Alaska to the mining district -
probably the most difficult country IN the "o'iu
to traverse. climbing the Alps of Switzerland Is
hut play alongside of this trip over the Ahues
is but a pleasure days journey as compared VII"
this / speak from personal KNOWLEDGE Inc Jul
ney Is over glaciers. rocks and mountains aions
precipitous canyons icecovered ten months III "'e
year The ground eight inches below the SURFACE j.
frozen ALL the time while the actual surface, "heh
not naked rock is covered with water-soaKed moss
from two to four feet deep. into which ana hi'o
the ice-cold water that soaks 1t your feet set'e '
they would into bed OF wet bran Mosquitoes
abound and are more voraclous IMAM 'iose vi wv
New-Jersey marshes.
From, the hour YOU leave Dyea or other point on
the coast you have to tramp through snow often
water-soakcd snow, crushed Ice or lce-coid water
until YOU reach Circle City or the klondike fNei'
You cannot be dry one moment day or night anu
mind YOU il is ice-cold water you are nVihS IN you
sleep in it, walk In it, wade in II. and sit IN IL.
There is no escape from IT, Rubber boots are use
less for half the time at least you are in lce-co'u
water up 10 your armpits
When using a boat you out Of 1t. into the
river or lake, more than half the time. Your boat
runs onto a rock and you must get out 10 he'P II
Off II runs into a sunken log; out you must get
again You strike sandbar. and then into he
ice water you have to go. and perhaps work IN II
there for six ten twenty hours, ana an thls
time you are surrounded with the swiriihs sho" Vi
aTsy nqetyUne DAYS ,me to go it fTUm was
not out Of ice water blizzards one day SAVING t
the day It lay at sheep Camp Few Pnss eS ber9n
When you arrive the diggings you are no oei, t.
ter off Circle city is built on bed Of ice that hats IS
WOOD for fuel and timber for shantes has to be
dragged the rocks and ground iof IWeedd N,oced
above ground more than sixty days in me year
The cold is so intense that no Sna NV M With soil
or snow you might keep warm. but there y sun SUI
E no 0o soil sps ps d no the move a the time
the wind blows all the time saving in July ana
The suferings of Sir John Franklin. Lieutenant
Greely and their colaborers In Greenand an9 1inss
Klondke gold hunters experience Why, Sir John bin
Franklin actually froze to death qute near & ho u,t,o
Klondke country and 90 per cent or the 1ooiS wno
are now on the way to that land will most hKei!
suffer his fate. 49,, .x,. ,horo
Mind YOU this Is an uninhabied country; there
Is no game 10 speak Of. ana no fish TO DC hdu IoI
ten months IN the year. the deepest rivers lreeZ
to the bottom every season. As the cola Wedtnei
comes on the heads of the streams freeze nrst anu
the fish keep ahead of the ice and finally fnd tneI'
winter safety In the waters OF the ArCtc pcedI
In the spring and summer-June. July ana Aueus1
they work their way upstream again. anu are
freely caught in those months ~ - o,
If Mrs McDonnold and her associates are ,nfd nNi
,,,-h o1xnnt
that much II not most. of the Kor dixie news thaNt Az
is published in the Western papers is paG 1o[ con ny
troll ships in the Pacific Ocean. This Is done 10
keep up the BOOM that their boats can eet Ia
from the poor fools their lying stories may ihou'e
10 start for the frozen North. ,,-r
Chicago. Aug IL. 1897 CHARLES LA RUE