Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-21
EXPEDITION MAY BE A FAILURE
ALMOST INsrRMOUNTABLE DIFF
CILTIES TO BE OVERCOME.
Objectionable Whether 1t Would Not
be Bettcr to Bring the Miners
Out Than TO Garry Food to
Them - The WhnIer
Expedition.


with his customary energy. practical sense
and farsighteduess lie started at the work
early enough TO make sure that nothing of
Importance was lost by dilatoriness. First
he gathered ali sorts Of information about
the condition of the miners. the various
routes into the KIondike country and the
best methods of transportation.
Anticipating that congress would appro-
PIRATE money for this purpose. he arranged
with Kjelman, n Norwegian familiar with
the management of the reindeer, TO go TO
Lapland after herds of these draught ami
mails. Unless present plans are changed.
large number of reindeer viii be brough.
over by steamer to he taken TO Dyea,
there to, be put on the trail leading through
the Chilcoot pass and the chain OF lakes
and rivers TO Dawson.
There is something picturesque about this
effort of a great nation to employ its mon
ey and its treasure on large scale for the
purpose of sending food TO thousands of its
citizens who have carelessly or improvi-
IDENTIFY permitted themselves to be brought
face to face with starvation amid the riGors
of the Arctic night. Probably there are
few Americans who viii have any other
feeling than one of pleasure and pride con-
cerninS this evidence that we have a gov
ernment which is not afraid to lift its
strong arm in relief of our venturesome
people, and whatever the result of the re-
lief expedition may be. Secretary Alger will
merit and receive much praise for his en-
ergy and foresight
Chance for Success Not Good.
At the same time 1t is proper to point out
that in the opinion Of many persons who
have made u special study of the subject
the chances of u successful issue of this gi-
gantic effort 10 afford relief are not very
good. IL is even questionable if the govern
ment is not going at the matter wrong
end foremost. That is 10 say, instead of
trying TO send food in to the miners. would
it not be better to try to get the miners
to the food?
The conditions are as follows: Three hun
dred and fifty miles north of Dyea. a port
which steamers can reach throughout the
winter, lies Dawson, center of the mining
district. Though only $50 miles in a direct
i' nne' the distance is nearly 80 miles follow
ing the clrcuitous trail. There are enor-
nous difficulties in the way. Both the
Chilcoot and White passes are almost i'm
passable for men carrying heavy loads
The goods must be carried upon the backs
OF men up the precipitous, rocky and Slip
pSry denies. Once the pass is crossed, the
lakes afford pretty good travelling. But the
surface OF the rivers, which form most of
the journey, is exceedingly rough. The ac-
tlon OF the current at the time of freezing
Knocks, and the. surface is u most difficult
one to sledGe over.
Nor is this. all. There are many places
gorges. The swift current prevents the
formation of ice over which sledges may
be drawn, and the precipitous rocks
through which the stream runs make II
necessary for travellers TO leave the river
bottom and take to the mountains on one
side or the other. These long defours not
only increase the distance 10 be Travelled,
but exhaust the strength of the travellers
who must struggle against snowtlrifts and
hills, valleys and gorges intercepting their
path.
Intense Cold to Contend With.
1t must be remembered that the proposed
enort TO carry many tons of provisions
over this trail must be made in the dead of
the Arctic winter. Secretary Alger homes
10 start the first of the caravans out from
Dyea about February !. While it is true
there viii be plenty of light to travel by at
that time. rs the sun will have returned
20 Tar as cold is concerned one might lust
as well be at the North pole itself. Indeed
the probabilities are the river trail has a
lower average temperature than the North
pole in the month of February. and in
stormy weather: for this trail lies high
above the sea, while the North pole so far
as We know. or have right to infer is
without land. Moreover, the Transportation
of supplies over this trail Is almost as diff
fcult as carrying them over the ice sheet
OF the polar ocean. as Nansen carried his
provisions and as Peary proposes to carry
his. If any man in the world can organize
an expedition successfully to cope with
these difficulties, probably Captain Brain
erd is the man. He was one of the few
men General Greeley had with him in the
Arciics, ana mis-, energy and skill contrib
lned largely to the success of the eynedi-
tion, which won for the United States the
wrested it away.
The point raised by experts is that in
stead of trying to send men in with sup
plies IL would bc far better to assist the
miners in getting down TO Dyca Every
man who goes in must not only have food
10 eat while he is struggling 10 Dawson
but he must be fed after he gets there
and till he can got out again. If 200 men go
IN with the relief expeditions that makes
2eo more TO find rations for till the steam
erS get MP the river next summer or till
they can make their way back to Dycu No
one who has had experience In di(,icult
Arctic sledging will expect the relief eXpe-
dition TO travel from Dyca to Dawson in
less Than nifty days. For the return emp-
ty handed half that time might suffice
Here, then, are seventy-iive days at least
during which every member of the relief
party must lee fed out of the supplies car
ried in. Nor Will any one expect each man
10 carry or drag much more than 900
pounds weight of provisions. Inasmuch rs
the army ration is between three and four
pounds, II viii he seen that not much food
is left over. after the relief expedition has
been cared Tor. 10 devote to relief of the
miners.
Rcindecrs Not Very Reliable.
II reindeer are used successfully better
results may he obtained. bur these mi
mails are strangely contrary and uncertain
Only native drivers can handle Them! and
even they have trouble The deer is likely
10 stampede at times and run away TO tho
mountains. Besides, he must be fed en-
route. and there is a striking difference of
opinion among The Alaskan experts as TO
the certainty Of finding moss along, the
way one deer viii eat three or -four.
POUNDS of fodder a day, at the least and
as he cannot be expected TO draw much
more than go pounds over such a trail
tnsrs is limits limit TO the net profit in his en-
ploymtnt. though his own carcass at Daw-
;-om would be worth almost its weight in
gold.
slow Travelling With n Lond.
There is 4 vast difference in the speed
at which 4 man can travel heavily loaded
or lightly loaded. In Arctic expeditions it
fS accepted as AN axiom that the return of
n party can be made in about half the
time consumed in the advance, because the
loads are then 50 much lighter. If the re-
miles day il would do We'll. But men
with light loads. sleeping has, and n few
pounds Of provisions on "A sledge and with
enowshocs ON their feet should make twen-
ty miles or more. even over such 4 trail
in ether words, while the relief cxpclition
was struggling for fifty or sixty ,lays IN
reach Dawson, the miners might in twenty
or twenty-five days travel from Dawson 10
lrea.
For these reasons the experts advise Sec
retary Ager TO Contine his efforts To pro-
risiouing the trail between Dyca and naw-
son. erecting shelters and inducing the
had in abundance. If, for instance the
secretary Was TO send officers through TO
Dawson as fast they could travel to
inform the teedy miners that along the
and that no food would he brought as far
As Dawson. doubtless the number who
would embrace this opportunity and get
away would he great enough TO relieve the
r,ts,s ~ a CA