New-York tribune., 1897-08-01
GETTING TO ALASKA.
THE DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS OF
THE JOURNEY.

THE
CHTrKooT PASS, ITS RISKS AND THE E~fhNsh
or TRAvERsrNG IT-AN EASIER WAY
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
From n letter to The London Times.
The in Alaska wihin hns ns asn
considsrabe ds al sOt Attention. not only throughout the
tinted States but in Canada and I,ranr. Brisis
Columbia The aurierous deposits S are eao 0' bas been
Creek which is nG eGpal S ,hs
the output OF gold throughout the Yukon district district
IN 1895 amounted to only so9 Z, G9o 3 dhese wse fr
Sw her porsnt nn d.covere- have been made since
the publication of these statis,ics II Is possible
siantne stan me- published publ in rhe Standard few weeks
ago' may attract capital and labor from this % coun
upon the possbilites Offered BY this new Eldorado
he does not mention the difficulties that at presen.
Which which she should Id moi be overlooked by Intending
prospectors. The report conclude. "A route
correct Impression of the hardshps. and even ,n,n
the the in Interior rir Of Of Alaska from the sea.
There are two Of entering aS D
Sther southern p9rs to st. MGhaes sih IN sehIns tnke
b. a fully ss 80 % per cent % Of the crossing
the mountains further south ana descenalns % a
the Yukon River. The distance saved by adopting
the overland journey Is no less than |aD asyad e -.
Dyea. 100 miles from juneau. where the land
tourney begins and where oad vads ahehSTas. Sree
deep for considerable distance before landing. n.
Dyea consists of rude log store and a movable
Goldfeids. A delay of several days occurs here
while Indians procured to carry tents and bag
The chilkoot Pass. nearly 1000 feet high. Pro
visions mus be brought from Juneau for there els Is
SIDE Of Forty Mile city 600 miles away \. yeros 70
| Tho nsoa1 Of aD1N
summit there IS sheer ascent OF g bs Ise' noint
3 wSd mst SsefdnR Ssan @ BE Ia" we
T.indemann-the first of series OF hve lakes-lh
safaye sas{ afer henrs hreush ?
We had to build our own boat. arst telling me me
aEa ReF odepd feT nf sm days four which
passed in camp on Lake Bennett during yiolst' ~,
owed Ge one of these latter. the Grand canyon
is mile long. and dashes through walls OF r4Sa 1S
White Horse Rapids name which many fatal
accidents have converted into the Miners Graye a,,s
But snags and rocks are everywhere truitIuI IiI
source of danger on this river and from this RAPID
downward scarcely Day passed na one ,be qa ns
resting-place Of some drowned pilgrim to the lana
The above is a brief sketch of the troubles that
beset the Alaskan gold prospector-,roubes tnat
baR o many IN yee
name Of Yukon with an ugly souhd IN "eS'e'"
The journey to the Alaskan gold fields is hard ard
one for the well-equipped explorer. who travels a
the other hand. must carry a winters supplies
dearly purchased at Juneau TO be Transported AT
construct his own boat (oftcn singe-handed) on
Lake Lndemann. and. assuming that he arrives es
that IT, would staTie west End landlord. And all
this on perhaps, capital Of $500. not including a
where no wonder that the annals Of the Alaska ,sS
Conr rcal Company bear witness to the fact ,ha
miners nave been sent out Of the country az re tne
| l,tt, fap. of
! actual starvation In the dreary purlieus OF 'Hcle
| City and Forty Mile Creek
BRIGHTER SIDE TO THE PICTURE.
There is. however. a brighter side to this gloom
! TO the Yukon Valley besides the dreaded Chilkoot
The chain Of mountains Of which the later a forms ms
| Chilkat and the White Pass. or these. the two
former may be dismissed as being Iast on aseoun' @ 0i
practicable the Chilkoot, over which It woulu
Se a s4s no TO aos a Ps to- he @
struction Of railway The White Pass Is az enss h
@ rect tnbered td" ,h enr length The salt
water terminus Of this pas $ in sHasway asSn bag
eTs can run up at ali lines to a wharf which has
been constructed in sheltered position and there
storms The pass lies through box canyon sur
rounded by high granite peaks, and is compara,
lively easy 1t has already been used BY min miners
who report favorably upon the rlll. and when II
is considered that the adoption OF this route oe
viates the dangers and expenses Of the Chiikoot'
avoids Lakes Iindemann and Bennett Nhe Storm hdn
and most perilous OF the whole chain,i az & sn0rI on
ney to the Yukon Valley and. above all; can M be
'fa now Completely cut of from world for
months in the year., there can be little reasonable
SDuSt pTacticabe abe route to the Yukon gold fields
1t IS said that scheme Is nov in progress TO Gpe a
miners and stores to the mining se;tems,nIts and
this is earnestly to be wished for An English ssccn com
ton Limited. has already established landing
wharf and is erecting a wharf and sawmillss a.
t" lay down a line of raj! some thirty-fiye miles
long rng the YGSSn w & REeF Heo ordnGd 0i Int
which is the debouchure Of the The, Chlkoot Pass y!
this the 'dos ana @ icu ne v6dSd adTsaSh ana S
only dangerous paris Of the river below Xz: - IN IN
cumvented by road or rail portage light-draugh
steamers wifi he put on from Tesn Lake 20 n
owns owns and camps on the river Arrangements vii
also be made for direct communication with skag
way by the existing lines OF steamers. which no"
only call at juneau. whence transshipment ss neces
| sary. III, . -, 49,,
and rafc in few months time when !he cost o.
Transporting freight and S win Of be
practically eliminated. Much. however depends upor
ire ncrtasns osnn1n rush Of miners 70 The Yukon vasy
(mary of whom must. under existing conditions ST. in
lose no time in constructing wagon road over tn
White Pass.
prospector (even Of limited mesns) may reasonab,!
hope to reach his claim in safety and at com com
certainly recommend al those intending to try thei
luck In Alaska 70 defer their Journey until a lest
hazardous route than that via the Chilkoot Pass Il
onen to them. II is with the object OF warning Eng
llshmen who may he deceived by the alluring al
addressed You this letter That there Is gold II
svelv proved but the wealth OF the Indies wou.'
no. comncnsste the risks now attendant on th'
iourney As an old Yukon miner remarked 10 me a
Juneau: one thousand dollars day would not fe'cl
me over the Chilkoot again. but omen M the Whit
pas. and we will have another Johannesburg
al Forty Mile Creek" HARRY DE WlNDT.
OBITUARY.