The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-09-30
SkAGUAY JAM BROKEN.
Miners Are Reaching Lakes
by a New Trail.
TWO THOUSAND HAVE CROSSED
Many Will Reach the Yukon With Their
Provisions Eaten Up-How the
New Road Was Made.

New Road Was Made.
Seattle, Sept. 21.-The most con-
spicuous figure of the grand confusion
at Skaguay and the White pass is with
out doubt Sylvester Scovel, the CORE
spondent of the New York World, who,
recognizing the necessity for tools and
dynamite to put the trail in passable
condition, contributed both at an ex-
pense Of several thousand dollars, en-
aiding many to get through to the gold
fields this fall. Mr.. Scovel is now in
the oity, having arrived today on the
steamer Rosalie, on flying trip to COM
municate with the World.
Mr.. Scovel brings the news, which
will come with comforting assurance
to thousands of people who have friends
On the congested pass, that at least
2,000 men, with complete outfits, will
get through to the Yukon river, though
he believes that only small fraction
of this number will reach Dawson City
before winter.
From the best information which he
could obtain. gathered from all sources,
he believes that 2, 500 men have gotten
over the Chilkoot pass and have gone
on down to the mines. These men,
however, have, with few exceptions,
gone in with little or no supplies, the
average amount taken by each man be-
ing not over 500 or 600 pounds, not
more than enough to get him to the
scene of the great gold fields, where pro-
visions are not to be had.
Instead of following along the Skag
uay river bank, where there is an easy
grade, though of course greatly OBJ
structed with boulders, and in places
entirely blocked by precipitous points
which jut out into the river, the have
gone off to the side in their great rush
to get through in hurry. The trail
crosses and recrosses the river and
makes long detours which would be I'M
necessary by the use of a little dyna-
mite. The sum of S., 900 would build a
pack trail to the summit, and 50. 1000
more would complete the trail to Lake
Bennett. Not more than SIS, 900
would be required to build good
wagon road the entire distance.
"A man with two horses and an out
fit weighing 1900 pounds could, by the
use of the trail thus improved, take in
his outfit in five trips at the outside,
and the expenditure of less than Is
days time. The possibility of making
this trail a good one has been told me
by four different engineers of high
standing. sent up into that country by
different railway companies, whose
names am not at liberty to state. A
railroad could be built on the same
route, but of course what is wanted is
an immediate inlet for the people there
and on the way. A trail that can be
packed over with horses is absolutely
needle l, for men are not going to pack
on their backs. The Chilkoot trail, Of
course, cannot be used for horse pack.
ing.
"The men who have gone to the
Skaguay pass with determination and
grit have succeeded in getting over it
with their outfits, while those devoid of
these qualities have given it up in dis
appointment. It is from the latter
class that you have heard so much of
the terrible hardships of the trail-ten-
derfeet who were either unaccustomed
to work or afraid of it.
"When I arrived at Skaguay and had
been over the route and had secured .
thorough knowledge of the conditions
surrounding it, l saw that the confu-
sion would continue to increase unless
the men would organize and make a
united effort to fix up the trail. But
none of the men were willing to put
the money necessary to buy dynamite
and tools into the hands OF any one
man; they did not know each other and
were suspicious and dist1ustful. Every
man wanted to push on, but was UNI
willing to do anything to help others.
doubt if even at the Greek retreat
from Larissa was there such desire
to get ahead of others. But the trail
was deep in mud and blockaded, and
there was no head nor authority. In
this dilemma, recognizing the need OF
immediate action, in behalf OF the
New York World provided ample ex-
plosiyes and tools, being sure that with
means in their hands the Americans on
the trail would pull out of the mud.
This they did. When the news ar
rived that the World had provided the
necessary dynamite and tools, the men
organized and went to work-800 of
them. Three points of rock which
jutted out into the river, and which
necessitated long and laborious de-
tours, were blasted out, saving from
two and half to three miles of travel,
making passable route for hundreds
of men and horses.