The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-30
PEOPLE swARMING FROM THE
KLoNDIKE COUNTRY. BY EVERY
POSSIBLE MEANSs
HUNGER THE FATE OF MOST.
SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS AT DAw-
SON FAR SHORT OF THE
DEMAND.
COMMUNICATION IS CUT OFF.
River Steamers That Were Frozen
In Off the Mouth of the Yu-
kOn Released.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29.-The
Alaska Commercial company's steamer
Excelsior, Capt. Higgins, has arrived,
fourteen days from st. Michaels and
eight days from Unalaska, the only in
termediate port at which she stopped.
She brought 5000 ounces of gold, all
belonging to the Alaska Commercial
company. No miners came down on
her. She carried three passengers, Mr..
and Mrs DucoS, who started some time
since for Dawson City, but got no fur
ther than St. Michaels, and Edward
Hamilton, the journalist. There has
been no recent communication with
Dawson City, the Yukon being impas-
sable, but the latest information receiv-
ed from Fort Yukon, which now consti-
tutes the base of supplies for the places
further north, is to the effect that the
people are swarming out of Dawson
City and Circle City by every possible
means to escape suffering and possible
starvation. Small boats can still be
used on portions of the Yukon, and in
one of these an agent Of the Alaska
Commercial company came down from
Circle City to Fort Yukon. He con-
firms the reports of a great scarcity of
provisions at all the mining camps.
Those who succeeded in getting out in
time will be very fortunate, for hunger
will surely be the fate of most of the
winter dwellers on the Klondike.
Sam Wall and other newspaper cor
respondents got as far as Circle City,
eighty miles from Dawson, but were
obliged to retrace their way to Fort
Yukon, where food is obtainabie. They
may remain there until spring, but 1t
is more than likely that, if an oppor
tunity offers, they will try to reach st.
Michaels and return home to recuper-
ate for fresh start next year Capt.
Higgins says it is worse than folly for
any one to go to Alaska now.
The Excelsior brought the news that
the river steamers Alice and Merwin,
with over 200 people bound for Dawson
City, which were caught in the ice in
Berirg sea, off the mouth of the Yu-
kon, were released by a sudden break
ing up of the foes three weeks ago,
and are now on their way up the river.
They will not get far, however, as it
WAS the lnCenllOn OIL Cnelr commanders
to find a safe and easy harbor in some
slough and there lay up for the winter,
heing frozen in where there would be
little danger in the breakup next
spring. They may be able to get 200
miles up the river.
The steamer Mare Island, which it
was hoped would be able to get into the
river this fall, is now wintering at
Stebbins, point in the southern slough
of the Yukon, not far from the Bering
sea, but sufficiently inside to be pro-
tected from the storms and to be out of
danger of the ice crush. The DWyer is
at the same place. The companies of
both steamers are making it as COM
Portable as they can on board, and will
stay with the boats until the ice breaks
up in the spring.
The steamer J. J. Healy left ST.
Michaels two days before the Excel
sior started south, and was able to get
inside the river mouth. 1t was under
stood that she would be sent up hun
dred miles and then sheltered in a
slough, to be frozen in. The Hettie
B. and the Stoneman are inside the
mouth of the river and are thought to
be at Stebbins.