The San Francisco call., 1897-07-28
TO-DAY THE EXCELSIOR SAILS
FOR ST. MICHAEL.
Hundreds More Are Eagerly Awaiting Pas
sage and Will Follow IN Few Days.
Telegraph Possibilities Being
Considered.

| the Northwestern Transportation Com
pany would take the troops and supplies
up the Yukon River. The figure mem
toned for transportation was $3.50 per
man and $50 per ton for freight. 1t is a
well established fact that the Government
can get transportation by paying large
sum. Should there be any particular OBJ
stacle in the water route troops could be
sent over the Chllkat pass. Soldiers can
go wherever others can travel and per-
mission could be obtained from the Cana
dian authorities for United States troops
to pass over the territory of Canada.
Should company be desired from this
department General Shafter will order the
detail of one from the First Infantry. ALL
the com panies OF the regiment are in good
form and any one of the organizations
could perform the service required. The
plan of picking out sixty men from the
regiment will not be adopted. Some men
may be transferred from, and OF hers trans
ferred to, the com mpany ordered to Circle
City. but the transfers would not be nu-
merous. 1t is quite well understood that
+ General shafter has in mind the officers
who should go with the company, and if
they happen to be in the list of volunteers
services may be required all the same
Captain P Henry Ray, Eighth Infantry,
U. S. A, who may command the new post
near Circle City, Alaska. has an excellent
record as a soldier and a,so as an explorer
OF the frozen regions OF the Arctic. He
was born in Wisconsin May 8, 1872 and in
May, 1861. enlisted in the Second Wiscon-
sin Infantry (volunteers). He partici-
pated in many of the noted battles of the
civil war aud was honorably mustered out
in 1865 with the rank of captain. He en-
tered the regular army in 1867 as second
lieutenant OF the Thirty-third Infantry
and served in The South for several years.
In 1872 his regiment, then the Eighth In
fantry, was transferred to Dakota and
Lieutenant Ray participated with General
Staniey's first expedition to the Yellow
stone in the summer of that year. He
| also accompanied Stanley's second expe-
dition to The Yellowstone. In 1874 he was
In the campaign against the Sioux In
dans. serving under General John E.
Smith. In December, 1875, he was pro-
NOTED first lieutenant and served for sew
eral years in Arizona.
Lieutenant Ray was acting signal ofR Ger
from May, 1881, till June, 1885. He was
assigned 10 the command of the inter-
national polar expedition to Point Bar
row, Alaska, June, 1881; sailed from this
City and landed at Plover Bay, Siberia,
August 21, 1881. and at Point Barrow,
Alaska, Septem Der s. 1881. He esta blished
and commanded the meteorological station
at Uglaamie, Alaska, to August %, 1883,
when the station was abandoned. During
1882 and 1888 he made two expeditions
into the in erIor, travelling over 1000 miles
in an une1plored region with dogs and
sledge.
Lieutenant Ray discovered and partly
surveyed Meade River, picked up Lieu
tenant Schwatka and party at Redoubt
Mlchaelofsky September 13, 1873, and
landed in San Francisco October, 1888.
OF all the expeditions sent out
by the United States Government Of
ticially his was the only one that
pa sed two years in the Arctic with
out losing a single life or that did not
come to grief In July, 1882, he person
ally piloted through the moving pack and
safely brought to land the crew of the
whaler North Star (fifty-two officers and
men) when that vessel was crushed in the
ice.
He was promoted captain May 81, 1889,
and was elected Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society in June 1884. He
was complimented IN 1871 for saving the
lives of two men at the peril OF his own
life.
Captain William Ralph Abercrom5ie,
United States army, who telegraphed on
th- 26ih inst. from Fort Harrison. Mon
'ana, to Secretary OF War Ager rendering