The herald., 1897-09-08
THOUSANDS
AT SKAGUAY
And Thousands More Are
on the Way
OTHER THOUSANDS AT DYEA
AND STARVATION THREATENS
EVERY ONE
If the Rush Continues Two Weeks
Longer the Loss Of Life Will Be
Appalling

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Sept. THE treas
ury department today made public the
following letter from government offic-
ial now on his way to the gold fields,
stating at the same time that the writer.
whose name is withheld, had been
twelve years in the service and was
thoroughly reliable:
DYEA, Aug. 22d, 1897.
| I deem it my duty to write you on
subject that does not come strictly
within my line of duty, as it trenches
somewhat on the functions Of the treas
! ury department. I have had long talk
with Mr.. 1vey, collector of customs for
Alaska, who is at present at Skaguay.
three miles below here. The Skaguay
trail is the most largely used overland
route Ohough by no means the best to
the Klondike. Mr.. Ivey informs me that
| there are now between tidewater and
lake something like 1000 people and
about 1000 horses. The commander of
that sixteen vessels are chartered 10
land cargoes at that place between now
and the 18th of September. and that the
number Of passengers will average 200
to each vessel, making 5000 more people
who will up to that time go in.
Il have talked with some of the most
experienced traders and miners in the
vicinity and they are unanimous in the
| tat 4I~~A
this vast number will get through to!
Dawson before winter sets in. The other
so per cent will camp on the trail and
those who survive and get back to tide
water will have to winter at Skaguay OF
return south. If the rush continues two
weeks longer, hundreds of people will
perish.
"The postmaster and Indian trader at
| this place, Mr.. Heron, states that more
than 1000 men have gone UP the Chilkoot
PASS during the past thirty days and
that 700 Of them are still this side of the
lake, twenty-four miles from here. Yes
sells are arriving every day or two and
at the present rate of influx another
thousand will enter the trail by Septem-
ber 10. Mr.. Heron is of the opinion that
not more than 20 per cent of these will
| get through and says this trail is far
more dangerous than the Skaguay after
the snow sets in. He says if the rush
continues a week the resultant loss OF
life will be appalling.
'It is difficult to suggest way to
check this rush Of people, but Mr.. Ivey
thinks If the inspection were made more
stringent it would decrease the number
of incoming vessels. Nearly every ves-
sci brings twice as many passengers as
the law allows 1t to carry, and some of
them are condemned craft, which have
been fitted up for this trade.
1.-Two men with whom talked recently
left the Klondike but short time ago.
They say the facts there do not justify
the present stampede and that there is
bound to be much suffering and actual
starvation. Provisions are already
scarce and the price of many articles alb
solutely prohibitory in the case of man
of ordinary means.
1.-The mail facilities are very bad here.
as the postoffice department has not
made any allowance for the rapid
growth of the postal business"
TOO MUCH MUD.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, Sept. T.
Captain Nelson of the tug Pioneer, just
returned from Dyea and Skaguay, says
the half has not been told of the miser-
able condition of the trails over which
the gold seekers are striving to cross
to Lake Linderman.
Captain WATSON, banker and ex-Col-
lector of Customs for the Puget Sound
district, is reported as being camped
on the beach at Skaguay with not one
chance in 5000 of getting through this
fall He has ten horses.
One man at Dyea offered $3.50 to have
1900 pounds packed over, but packers,
refused the offer Less than fifty per-
sons have succeeded in crossing from
Skaguay and Dyea. The train is prac-
tically closed on account of mud
From a letter received here last night
from John James, who left here six
weeks ago for the Alaska gold fields, an
idea of the present condition at Dyea
may be obtained. James and his part
ner, Lawrence, succeeded in packing
1900 pounds of provisions over Chilkoot
pass to Lake Linderman. The letter says
that recent heavy rains have made the
trail impossible, with the result that
horses which two weeks ago were SELL
ing at $3.50 per head, are now a drug on
the market at $40. Horse feed is selling
at $40 per ton and IL hard to get at any
price. James says it would be cheaper
for those who cannot get over the pass
this fall to kill their horses now and ship
in others in the spring. He says Ian
guage Is inadequate to describe the con-
dition of the pass since the rainy season
began.
STILL CROWDING IN
PORT TOWNSEND. Wash. Sept. T.
The steamer Al-Ki sailed today for Dyea
with sixty passengers, fifty head of cat
tie and several horses and sheep.
While lying at the wharf today the
customs officers boarded the Al-Ki and
seized several hundred gallons Of whisky
and other property necessary for we'll
stocked saloon. The spirits was in kegs
and bottles. The outfit which the Gus
toms officers estimate to have cost $780,
was put aboard and slowed away at
Seattle or Tacoma. but was not billed~or