The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-01


breaking up. and we were constantly
lodging big cracks and heaving our
sled over heaps.
Slowly we worked along, not able
to use the compass and trusting only to
the general information we had from
the Indians that we were on the road
to reach the Yukon. They did not
know anything al Il the gold mines,
and all they did know was that in 30
or 40 days We might possibly get to our
destination 1t was no glittering pros
poet. can tell you. and just as we
were pretty well tuckered out and be-
ginning TO wonder if it was worth
while we came across the bodies of two
men who lad died by the wayside.
1--WE met some prospectors as we got
near Lake Bennett. They were out of
food and were living off the meat they
had made of their dogs. We did not
have any more than we would need,
but what can you do when men come
to you with plea that they are starv-
ing? Flour in that country was worth
$50 for 90 pounds, but it had no price
with me when | saw the poor wretches
who were thinned down to skeletons
They were going back. never heard
whether they got out or not.
Builds a Ship For the Trip.
Lake Bennett was where we built
our boat. The Indians brought down
the logs, while l sawed them into
boards and then built our ship A man
,n.p o,,l
went through the game. He was law
yer in Seattle, but he was made of the
right stuff. Our ship was about 80 feet
long and 8 feet wide, and it was put
together to stay Ii wasn't very pretty
to look at, but l guess it would have
held it's own against anything this side
of q glacier
1T was beginning to break up in the
spring, and it was much easier sailing
than it had been shedding. This lake is
about 80 miles long We got over it in
three days without accident 1t was,
however, only the calm before the
storm, since when we drifted into Lake
Tagus all the furies on earth and under
it were let loose. 1t blew so hard
blown to pieces The snow fell almost
foot at time, coming down in great
sheets and emptying itself into the
boat We only went three miles in two
days and were glad of that. The snow
covered up the holes in the ice, and
time and again we sank into the ice
water up to our necks. 1t was part
ell nd nd
minute liable to be the last
1.-The Tagus Indians have a post at
the bottom of this lake, and we stopped
day with them, eating large quanti-
ties of frozen caribou, which was sick
ening in its filth. but nourishing after
one got it down. 1t seemed as if we
were eating twice as much as we did at
have started to the Klondike this year
when l read the supplies they have
taken. They will run short before they
get half way There is no hope for
them 1t is likely those who go next
spring will find rows of white boards
Oh both sides of the trail. They are
gone
Frightfui Dangers.
IF there was danger up to this point,
then Lewis river is fire and birthstone
1t was like making trip over Niagara
falls In the places where it is smooth
the current is at least 2 miles an hour,
and in the places where it is rough it
runs 40 miles an hour if an inch. 1t is
filled with big rocks, some of which
stick up in sight, others of which stay
just below the surface.
"a scow ahead of us had seven men
in it. All hands were at work with
the oars, trying 10 keep it headed clear
We were coming along faster than
steam launches. There was cry from
the company in front. In minute the
boat was cut squarely in two. A rock
had torn through it like an AK. The
men floundered around in the ice water.
Part of them got out The Others went
down. All the provisions were lost.
This was more encouragement We
ran into the shore and did all we could
for the poor wretches, and the last we
saw of them they were sitting discoDso-
lately on the bank, wondering whether
to try to get out or to press on. l have
never heard of them since.
There is no man who can figure
how many men are lost each year in
trying to make this trip Bodies are
found all along the way. They are
tangled in the driftwood of the eddies
or thrown up on the ice. The miners
usually dig little grave for them.
Many of them do not have any papers
oil them, and suppose they 60 down
in the list of the missing. l predict
there will be plenty of missing next
spring when navigation opens up and
tue people begin TO come out.
Cold Water That Kills.
1T seems almost impossible for a
man to do anything in the water up
there. 1t is so cold that it seems to kill
in very few minutes after they get in
to it. 1t makes no difference how ex-
pert swimmer the man may be. new
er saw one in any of the rivers who
could get out alive.
1T took us 56 days to get to the Yu-
kon, and we danced set with death