Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-19
TROUBLESOF THE KLONDIKE
Gold Weather Not the Only Obstacle Encoun
tered by the Minen.
Snow Blindnens and MOSQUITOES serf-
GUS AmictiOns-SOme Expert
ences at Yukon.

1t will be well for would-be prospectors
to the Yukon and klondike gold fields 10
remember that the cold is not the only OBJ
stacle or trouble to be encountered i'm those
regions. There is one pest and one af1ic-
ton which is nearly insupportable as far
as the pest goes and almost incurable in
regard to the affiiction. The latter is snow
blindness, which has been known to drive
people to madness. In one case related to
The Star reporter by a gentleman who
spent two years in the Yukon reighborhood
the victim of The snow blindness became a
raving maniac, and prompt measures had
to be taken to effect cure. AS IL was the
patient was in a terrible state for two Or
three days.
The continued glare of the fields of ice
ana snow on the naked eye has an almost
understandable effect, say those who have
experienced it. The vast expanse of gleam-
Ing white. the silence the awful sense of
isolation, nothing but white. white. white,
WIN no welcome sprig of green on which
TO rest the eyes, all combined produce a
madness of itself alone. First the eve be-
comes panied, waving lines pass UP and
down and in front of the eyeballs Miraees
appeal to tn evision. For brief Intervals,
instead of -he awful bmnched waste, fields
OF waving grain, forests of thick foliage.
gardens OF beautiful green stuff mock the
miner and prospector. The eyeballs burn
the mind wanders, the brain seems on fire
ana nnally blackness sets in-the darkness
of lunacy.
Patient Must Rest.
Perfect rest and the freedom from any,
tflng which may be calculated to strain
the vision are essential for a cure
j. L. Dyer, whose office is at 1410 street
northwest, spent two years in Alaska. and
experienced the snow blindness. Speaking
of it. and the plague of mosquitoes which
lhfest the northern regions, and are per
maps more voracious there than elsewhere.
he said:
The snow blindness is an awful thing. I
vas af1lcted slightly once with it in the left
eye.
Il saw terrible example of it i'm a MEM
ger OF our party, who was suddenly affiict-
ed with the trouble. He became Violently
insane from not properly shading his eyes 4.
never witnessed a mere marked case Of
mania We had great trouble in getting
the yodBg man back to camp. He got hold
of Ratchet in some manner ana camo
near splitting my head open with il. He
mad no realization of what he was doing
the attack. ~ 'iAi
1t Is absolutely necessary to protect
tne eyes In some way. 1 wore a black
siouch hat. pulled down over them In adj
oition we donned goggles. manufactures Inv
the indians, which fulfill the purnoses co.
which they are intended These were made
o. pits of wood, oval-shap ped, like the
siits is or pa speetaeles They have small
eye is shaded and not affected
Mosquitoes Vornc1ou..
Il never saw anything like the mosquitoes
IN the Yukon region, along the river. We
USED to set up an A tent. and by the time
1t was fixed for occupancy a hand placed
anywhere on the outside would cover scores
OF tie pests. They were worse than any
/! nave ever seen in Jersey being partfcu
larry Voraclous. We had to wear mos
quito nets over our heads. arranged es-
peclally for the purpose for our protection
and 1 used to sleep in this headgear ~
ly closed.
The Indians did not seem to mind the
mosquitoes particularly though they went
about in scant attire. Occasionally they
would carry brushes in the shape of
branches of trees, with which they would
sweep the insects off their legs
Lake Labarge, of which mention has
been made frequently since the Klondike
craze began. was named after an old
french-Canadian voyager who went with
our party.
Agent Hamilton's Experience.
Assistant Agent of Alaskan Education
Hamilton has also experienced the mos
quito pest He has been as far north on
the Alaskan west coast as Point Barrow.
he says that the mosquitoes appear in
clouds, and are especially troublesome
1 ne feSeldlOn on the northwest coast of
Alaska in the two summer months is very
rank in the salt marshes. The grass Mr.
Hamilton says, is similar to that growing
IN the Jersey salt marshes-the Spots most
favorable for the breeding of the mos
Quitoes.
Mr.. Hamilton says that everybody I'D
there wears mosquito nets on the head to
keep the pests on, and gloves on the hands
They come in swarms of hundreds and
make different objects black, SO thickly do
they settle. Nothing will apparently drive
them away.