The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-11
The Steamer Cleveland Brings
100000 From Klondfke.
Stories of Fabulous Wealth Are
Endorsed.
LACK OF PROVISIONS.
Reports of Probable Starvation
Next Winter
Are Also Confirmed by All the
Cleveland's Passengers.

Seattle, Wash, Sept 1.-THE steam
ship Cleveland, eleven days from ST.
Nichaels, on her arrival in the straits,
was boarded by the representatives of
the Associated Press, who were waiting
on the tug Sea Lion. She brings %
passengers and about 100000 in gold
dust. Thirty-eight of the passengers
are from the gold fields and 81 are car
penters returning from st. Michaels,
where they went to construct boats for
the North American Transportation and
Trading company. The story of the
fabulous wealth of the Klondike, Bo-
nanza, Ell Dorado and other mines trib-
utary to the Yukon is reiterated by the
returning miners, but the warning
which has already been given to stay
away from the gold fields this winter
is emphasized by every one on board.
They say that hundreds of people must
go hungry this winter and that many
will certainly starVe to death, as the
food supply in the country is far below
what will be required to keep alive those
already in Dawson City.
The following is the passenger list of
the Cleveland:
A. J. Green, S. Croft, John Guyer,
James Gallagher, Mrs. A. P. Hender-
son, L. w. Holder, P Kelly, William
Louden, F. E. Leonard, Samuel Mat
thews, John Q. Kiner, George Reynolds.
Frank Segrin, H. SCHROEDER, William
Sherman, T. ]. Allen, H. Anderson, B.
Anderson, Mrs. F. A Bieber, Miss Lolita
Burns, T. H. Beaumont and child, A
Barker and wife, H. ]. Burroughs, A.
S. r. Churchill, Fritz Kloak, Charles
Engle, wife and four children, George
Foreman, Rudolph Fleter, Charles
Ross, NJ. Misamore.
The following is a list of the miners
who brought the largest amounts in
gold:
T j. Allen. $4,000; A. seagreen, ST.
900; p. Schroeder, SIS 900; Miss Lolita
Burns, $1,000; Charles Engle, $40. 900; A.
P. Barber, $4,000; Fritz Kloak. 81, 900;
Samuel Matthews, $4,000; George Rey-
nolds, $4,000; M Mesamore, $4,000; Hans
Anderson. $2,500; B. Anderson, $4,000;
James Gallagher, $1,000; Bank of British
Columbia, $4,000.
Perhaps the most serious disaster
which has befallen any of the expedi-
tions is that which may have over
taken the old side-wheeler Eliza Ander-
son. This craft, in connection with the
stern-wheeler W. K. Merwin, the schoo-
ner w. J. Bryant and the tug J. B.
HOlyoke. the latter towing a barge, the
old PolytOski, sailed from Puget sound
for ST Michaels a month ago. The
captain of the Cleveland reports that on
August "a a heavy gale sprang up off
Kodiak and that the Eliza Anderson
became separated from the rest of the
f1otilla. A short time previously she
had signalled to the HolyOke that she
was short of coal and asked the tug to
come to her assistance. Before the lat
ter could do so the barge she was tow
forced to go in search OF it. While she
was absent the Eliza Anderson was
blown out Of sight of the other two YES
sells and her fate is unknown. 1t is
possible that she managed to reach Ko-
diak, optimistic opinion cherished by
the captain Of the Holyoke. The An
derson carried 125 passengers and about
$50 tons of freight.
Albert Bryan of Seattle, an electrician
who has been working a st. MichaeIs,
returned on the Cleveland. Bryan said
in an interview:
1.-THE Cleveland was DELAYED at ST.
Michaels several days by difficulty in
unloading. 1t is slow and tedious work
After we started we encountered head
winds nearly all the way. About two
hours out of ST. Michaels, we met the
Humboldt and at Unalaski, the steam
er Excelsior which had left two DAYS
before we did and ran on a sand bar in
the Bering Sea, overlook us. Soon after
we met, the Merwin and the Polytoski
and they told US that they had left the
Eliza Anderson two days before flying
signals of distress, being out of food
and water.
THE revenue cutter Grant was to
start from Dutch Harbor to go to the
Anderson's assistance"
Charles Engle, of New York city who
has been in the Yukon for three years
came out with his wife and four child
rem He sold out his interests there and
practically fled for fear of starvation
THE people going in there this Win
ter" he said, ARE crazy. There will be
$1,000 people in there this winter and
very little to feed them. At least 500
men will come out before winter sets in
if they can get away. When left
Dawson there were at least 5000 people
rate of 40 to so a day. Very little at
tempt has been made to build houses
for logs cost Sc each and if they do not
want to freeze to death during the COM
ing winter they will have to take their
small boats and go on down the river
Immediately to Circle City or Forty
Mile.
Il started down from Dawson on the
Wear. When that steamer ran aground
on the bar near Circle City,I got aboard
the Healy with my family and came on
down to st. Michaels. Beyond question
the Wear can make no more trips un-
til summer and this will be a severe loss
to the miners, as all the boats are needed
that can possibly be brought into re-
QUESTION to get supplies up the river.
The Humboldt's passengers will not get
to Dawson this winter for it is long
trip up the river and the Yukon will
freeze before they reach their deStina-
ton. Probably but few of the men who
are rushing into the Yukon country are
fit for the work 1 should say not more
than one-third of the men can cope
with the difficulties and hardships of
the life. 1t is all that an ordinary man
can do to merely exist. 1t takes two
weeks to sink a shaft to bed rock any
where. If it turns out well "a man must
breathe smoke down in the hole or stand
at the windlass and pull up two hum
dred pound buckets OF graVel, while the
mercury is 20 below zero. Often a man
Will come UP hot and perspiring out Of
the shaft and have to expose himself in
that condition to the icy blasts of the
Arctic winter. Nothing but muscle
and endurance is good for anything in
that country Those thousands of men
who are rushing in there without mon
ey or grub or with only a limited
amount will be in bad shape mine
owner. no matter how rich he may be
in gold, has no food and he will only
employ men who have their own sup
plies. There will be from 1900 to 5000
idle men in Dawson this winter and
should say that there will be $500 sunk
I,laI-a MT