Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-09-16
DISTRESS AT DAWSON.
Terrible Tale of Suffering Brought From
Klondilse by the Cleveland.

ing the following news from Dawson
City:
"Otter Point, B. c., Sept. 13.-Tbe
steamer Cleveland has arrived from St.
Michaels, bringing with her from the
Yukon gold fields story of distre~s
and disaster. The miners she has IN
board and officers in charge of the
ship tell stroy of disorder and dis
tress at Dawson.
Winter has set in at the mining CITY
OF the frozen north, and the two great
stores of the place have closed their
doors, for they have nothing to sell.
Those who have been seeking gold must
now seek for food or starve.
While there may be tendency to
eXaggerate the actual conditions of
affairs, there can be no question that
famine threatens all the venturesome
men and women who made their way
to the Klondike.
Hundreds of unruly spirits are flock
ing to Dawson. Threats of violence are
being made on every SIDE
Enormous prices are now being paid
t0r food at Dawson, and it is impos-
sible that more than four vessels with
provisions can reach that camp before
the river freezes.
Indignation meetings, heavy with
murmured threats of vengeance have
been held at st. Michaels by those who
see no hope of advancing up the river,
and less of getting back to civilization.
The first signs of winter are apparent
on the river Yukon, which is begin
ming to freeze, and in few weeks will
be closed against all navigation. A
mishap has come to the Excelsior, and
| from the frozen north comes the story
of another disaster in which AZ men
lost their lives.
On the Cleveland there are 3S pas
sengers who have come from Dawson
City. There are few miners in this
party that are able to tell of prosperity.
Most of them wish to exaggerate their
possessions, and if one We're to believe
the indefinite stories they tell he
would say the treasure ship with
which they come carried 100000
| Captain Hall, of the Cleveland, says he
has $780, 900 in his safe. The purser be-
lieves he can account for $3.50, 600 on
board.
The Cleveland left st. Michaels
August 30. She has some of the pas
sengers of the P. B. Weare on board.
The Weare left Dawson City in time to
connect with the Portland had she not
met with a mishap and stuck on the
flats above Circle City.
The miners from Dawson report that
on July 20 the stores of the Alaska
Commercial Company and the North
American Trading q Transportation
Company closed their doors, and an
nounced they had no more food to sell.
When the announcement was made con-
sternation seized upon the people of
Dawson, with gold-seekers crowding in
at the rate of 20 to 30 per day. Drunk
enne and disorder, gambling and
idleness were rampant.
At st. Michaels the condition of
affairs is also the cause of gravest con-
cern. There are not enough structures
in town to accommodate the crowd,
and scores of the people are living in
tents. Shortly before the Cleveland
left st. Mchaels two expeditions, those
of the National City and of the South
Coast, held Indignation meetings,
threatening dire vengeance upon those
who had brought them there and then
were unable to carry them further.
On August 26 the Excelsior left st.
Michaels with large number of min
ers and large quantity of gold. Re-
ports were current that her treasure
amounted to million dollars. Soon
after leaving st. Michaels the Excelsior
was caught on the dangerous flats of
the Yukon and broke two blades of her
propeller. When the Cleveland reached
Ounalaska she found the Excelsior un-
dergoing repairs. 1t is probable she
left Ounalaska last Monday.
Shortly before the Cleveland left for
Seattle on her journey home the United
States revenue cutter Bear put into
st. Michaels to tell another story OF
death and disaster in the ice-bound
Arctic. The Bear had on board Cap
tain Whiteside, his wife, the first and
fourth officers and four seamen of the
steam whaler Nevach. They are all
that remain to tell terrible story OF
death in an ice pack. Of her crew AZ
were lost. Thirty-one were crushed in
the ice and ten frozen to death. The
Bear saw the vessels signals of distress
near Point Barrow, and went to her
assistance. The captain, his wife, two
officers and four seamen were persuaded
to leave the crippled ship, but nine
others positively refused to go. They
were left on desolate field OF ice, and
il is feared nerishedWith their comrades.