The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28
TOWNS OF SKAGUAY AND DYEA.

niles driven in A cluster near the rocks at
the Ief; side OF the harbor as You go n.
1t was on these rocks that Capt. Patter-
son. of the Al-ki, landed the first argo-
nauss OF 's7 last March.
II Is said that one company located this
point and asked certain wharf builder
TO figure on the construction OF a wharf
there The wharf builder concluded it
would be good thing for his own COM
psny and forthwith commenced driving
piles on what the other company claimed
as It's property. until ne was stopped by
an injunction So that scheme IS hanging
fire
The ships boats took the passengers
ashore. while the freight was uniosded on
lighter. The beats grounded in shallow
water. and men in long gum boots pack
Cd those passengers who had ro gum
boats 70 dry ground. wagon came down
the long strip Of beach and took the lug
gage. but most Of the passengers preferred
20 warm ZIP with brisk walk 20 town. as
the wind was nippirg- As we nsared the
village II. the early dawn we could see that
an immense wharf had been commenced
almost from the center of the town. and
some 30 to lao feet of piling driven. but
the work. like that at the rocks, appeared
10 be suspended. However. / was inform
ed that II would be- recommended within a
few days and the wharf completed this
winter. 1t will be necessary to build one
and half miles of wharf In length, and IL
is estimated TO cost from $4,000 TO $50. Co.,
A Salt Lake man named Kinney is direct
ing the work
One now begins to gather another reason
why wharf construction has been so much
more extensive at Skaguay-it costs less
TO build wharf with s9e0 feet or sc an
proach than one with the approach nearly
-
The Skaguay wharf companies expect TO
do big lighterage business between Skag-
uay and Dyea. One company ;.iready has
couple of barges now en- route 20 Skag-
uay. which they propose to cperate from
their Skaguay wharf TO Dyea beach. and
before spring there will undoubtedly be a
lot of other lighters placed In this trade.
besides those already engaged.
But the fact is well recognized that when
the expected big rush comes. II will be an
Inconvenience and the cause OF more or
less costly delay II there is no wharf at
Dyea lighter operations depending upon
the tides. However, Dyea has another
prospect for wharf. besides Kinneys en-
terprise.
The Dyea- kIondke Transportation Com
pany proposes to build wharf md ware
house out in the harbor and lighter goods
ashore instead of going TO the expense OF
the long approach This means a good
deal of extra work. but wharf without
an approach but with lighters. Is better by
far than no wharf at all This company
has a large number of piles already at
Dyea and a piledriver. Mr., Willis NOVEL;.
of the company. states that before this is
published another piedriver will have ar
rived at Dyea with a large force Of work.
men. He says the wharf will be completed
and everything ready for business by Feb
ruary l.
This same concern proposes TO operate
800 pack horses between the shore ana
Sheep camp, thirteen miles, to connect
there with a cable and bucket system 10
Lake Linderman. The company is said
to have ample capital to carry out its
plans But those who profess to know
about Dyea winter conditions shake their
heads and intimate that the work is start
ing rather late to be finished by Febru-
airy /.
This is what Mr.. NOVEL; says: I'VE
have no stock for sale. We shall take no
contracts 10 transport freight until Wa
are ready for business. which will proba-
bly, be somew where about February L. When
the work is done we shall undertake to
transport merchandise from our wharf TO
the shore of Lake Linderman for not to
exceed 20 cents per pound. possibly not
over Is cents Our transportation capacity
will be about leo 10 125 tons each twenty
four hours. The tramway will be on the
gravity system and will be operated by
electricity and steRm. the power plant TO
be al Sheep camp. The Dyea river, when
open, will supply the electric power, and
steam viii serve through the winter"
In addition 10 the work already men,
toned the company has wire stretched
from the Scales TO the summit. anchored
at either end by rock.
Tramway Under Construction.
OF all the tramways or transportation
companies on either pass, the concern
that started earliest and has most work
done at the present time Is the Chi1koot
Railroad and Transportation Company, in
which the following well known Sound
people are Interested: George 3. Dodwell.
w. c. Pearce II. C.. Wallace A. Mel.
Hawkes. and T. b. Wallace. This COM
pany has nine miles of horse tramway
from Dyea TO the mouth of the canyon
under construction. and from the best in
formation | can gather will have that part
OF the undertaking completed before jan
uary |. Wooden rails topped with strap
iron will be used. and IL is the ultimate
intention of the company 10 make the
line into a railroad.
From the mouth of the canyon to Crater.
which is the first lake over the summit,
the company will operate an overhead
cable. on what is known as the Ble!chart
system, an endless wire cable arrange
ment, with buckets holding 400 pounds
each.
T, II. Wallace. of Tacoma. one of the
owners, states that the Trenton Iron
Works. OF Trenton. y. j.. have contracted
TO deliver and put up this system ready
for operation In January.
Our first surveys were made last An
gust" said Mr.. Wallace. land we have
been hard at work ever since BY the
time VOC: article Is printed al the holes
for the Ion posts used In the overhead
bucket and cable system. from the mouth
OF the canyon TO Crater lake. will have
been dug. This has been a far more diff
tcult and EXPENSIVE job than you can
imagine for the holes are drilled In the
most ohdurate kind Of granite over half
the distance. About half of the iron posts
required are now AT nyea. and sixteen
miles of threc-qnar;er-inch wire cable Il
nov en route fran Trenton. Our power
house will be az Sheep camp. midway on
the line. and work on II is being pushed
rapidly. We have ahout 100 men now a,
work, in two camps. one at the power
house and one In the canyon Our trans.
rortaiion capacity VIII Ike about 100 tons
day. ON the nine miles OF horse tram.
way We expect 10 keep fifty cars OF one
ton freight capacity each in constant one
ration.
This company has also a telephone lire
already In operation between Dyea and
Sheep camp
\ short Gable Ready.
Archie BURNS. who operated wire cab,e
from the Sc-tfeS to the summit nv mean.
Of MINDLESS last winter has already ,tt
similar, though improved. eontriya,,.,e
about ready for business AZ the sar.
place. He has been putting the nrishtne
strokes to the work IN the past few DAYS
Under favorable conditions. his cahlc ,av
handle possible twenty tons a dav an .b.
1.2s} 70 Sn feet az steep incline fror,, "a,