The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-10-29
Lost ON THE Dalton TRAIL

Experiences Of a Party Of
Returning Klondikers.
WERE CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD
Three Times They Ran Out of Food
Rescued by Indians-Gold Was of
No Use to Them.
Seattle, Oct. 26.-Only the merest
,hance and the lucky discovery of the
half-hidden trail by one of their num-
Der, saved six members Of a party,
headed by f. L. and julius Trippe,
from horrible death by starvation on
the Dalton trail late in September.
The party was headed by the Trippe
brothers, formerly of Chicago, and in
eluded Charles Wilkes, of Whatcom;
Charles g. Dugas, a miner from Ju-
neau; John Fry, of this city; W. Gill
lies, of Woodsmann, and a prospector
living at Fort Wrangel. They left
Dawson City for the States in small
steamer, August %, and after reaching
Fort Selkirk prepared their outfits for
the long and arduous journey over the
Dalton trail.
A week after leaving the Yukon river
they encountered a deadly Alaskan
blizzard. The trail was covered with
snow and they lost their bearings.
Their provisions ran out, and after
cropping for three days through blind
ing snowstorm, they were finally res
cued by Indians and taken to Dalton's
trading post, where they were given
food.
The experiences of the Trippes, who
reached Seattle on the steamer Farallon
today, would make columns of good
reading matter. In many respects the
story they tell is not materially differ
ent from the experiences encountered
by men nearly every winter in crossing
the long, blizzard-swept range of coun-
try lying between Five Fingers and the
Chilkat mountains. Unquestionably,
their plight was extremely serious, and
their hazardous escape from death by
actual starvation and exposure will be
warning to miners coming overland
without experienced guides and plenty
of provisions.
AS related by one of the party, the
trip up the Yukon to Fort Selkirk was
without unusual incident. At this
place they secured rough map of the
route over which they were to travel.
With only 40 pounds of provisions
each, they started over the trail, leav-
ing Fort Selkirk September Is. The
weather was clear and there had been
but little snow to obscure the trail over
the brush covered range.
They made good time for the first
three days, but soon found that they
would be unable to reach Dalton's
cache before their provisions gave out.
Their only hope was to meet incoming
prospectors and surveyors, from whom
they-exp peeted to secure enough food to
take them to tl0 cache. On the third
day from the river, it began showing,
and the wind was icy cold. They
struggled brayely on, making the best
time possible until they reached Hoot-
chai. Here they met party of four
men, and secured three days. rations
from them.
Again they started for Dalton's post.
The snow was getting deeper and walk
ing was extremely difficult. Worse
than this, the landmarks by which
they expected to keep on the Dalton
trail were becoming obscured by snow.
Soon after leaving Hootchai, they
found it impossible to keep the trail,
and finally they found themselves wan
dering aimlessly over barren s1row-cov-
cred wastes, their bearings gone and
their food exhausted. q
Just as it seemed as if they were des-
tined to have the snow for shroud and
end their lives in that God-forsaken
country they came upon an Indian
camp. Here they purchased 10 fish,
and with that as their only sustenance,
again headed for the. direction where
they believed Daltons' trading post was
situated. The snow storm had parti-
ally ceased before they met. the Indi-
ans. Their simple, diet of dried salm-
on was not enough to keep up their al
ready wasted enefgies, and after an
other days travelling, they found that
they were confronted, with danger as
great as ever. ~.
On the second day after leaving the
Indian camp, they ran out of food for
the third time. a. The trail was entirely
covered with snow, and they were una
BILE to locate the Dalton cache by the
directions given them on the chart.
They camped in the woods, and while
one party. went in search of the trail,
another started out with a gun after
food. They at last obtained two salm-
on in a small stream, and they had
these fGE:supper, and out of the scraps
made breakfast the following day. This
was the Hast food they tasted for three
days, With the exception of an, owl
which they shot and made into soup.
(; ME Trippe,sa tonight that he was
ready to give up as the third day passed
| without their having eaten solid food.
l'lt was bitter cold, and only by the ex-
ercise Of will power were they kept
from being frozen stiff. Towards even
ing of the third day in camp, Gillies
discovered the location Of the trail,
and With the help of Indians whom
they met, they made Dalton's trading
post. Here they obtained the first real
food they had for nearly four days.
After resting for two days, they re-
sumed thsir march to the Chilkat pass,
and reached the end of their journey
without further mishap. ALL OF the
men were very weak from their suffer
ipgs. and it will be several days before
they are restored to their accustomed:
strength. ~
Danville. ILL.,, Oct. ee.-Mrs, Carrie
Corbett, aged 80, a widow, has been
| a oxyordod GA 22Q % do m ooao for hroo oh