The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-25

as every day would count in getting
through the opening in the Chilcat pass.
NO stop was made after leaving Victoria
on the upward trip. On the morning of the
fourth day after leaving Victoria the boat
attempted to enter the mouth of Cl1ilcat
Inlet. In this the captain failed, owing TO
the bad condition of the water and the
floating ice. The boat then run down
to the Chilcat inlet. Here the boat was
anchored for four hours. while the captain
visited the adjacent shores in steam
launch. to find place where he could land
the miners Here the wind blew almost
hurricane Upon the return of the captain
the steamship entered Dyea, or known by
some as Healey, at the foot of the pass.
The trip was continued up the Dyea inlet
for a distance of fifty or sixty miles, fur
ther than steamers usually navigate. While
in the Chilcat inlet the party sighted about
fifty miners and two women up the
rocks, having been left by the steamer Alki
on her last trip up, with no means of get
ting over through the marshes to the foot
or the pass The men were attempting to
build raft, and in this they failed. They
were compelled to pay the Indians SO a ca
noe load TO take them over TO the main
land, or to a position where they could car
ry their goods up to the foot of the pass.
The party had been in the rain the whole
time and everything was wet
There being no Wharves or fiatboatS or
any conveyance for landing miners or their
freight, much dependence has to be placed
on the small boats of the steamers or the
canoes, which can be hired from the Indians
to effect a landing. From this point, Dyea,
over to the Klondke or Yukon gold section
Between the first fifty and one hundred
miles of this the trip is through the Chill
cat pass. Some fifty miles from the coast
this pass is impossible for anything but
foot passengers, owing TO the high cliffs
or rocks over which the goods have TO
be lifted up by ropes. After getting on the
high ground, from 100 to 80 miles from the
coast. as the returned miners informed us,
the country becomes more open and the
lakes and water routes more numerous, and
by means of RATS and canoes the journey
becomes easier. The snow had commenced
to fall in the pass the forepart of this
month. Until the snow packs and settles
the pass cannot be used. In CO.. weather,
when the snow is hardened, sledS can be
used over the pass.
warm in Alaska, but at night 1t is cold.
While the thermometer registered 80 degrees
at Vancouver and surrounding cities during
the time we were in the Chilcat inlet we
were compelled to wear our thick winter
clothes and overcoats and yet could not
keep warm.
at Wrangel. 1t was here that a report had
just been brought in by two old trappers
that a new and better pass had been found
to the gold fields in which the Suckeen
river and its tributaries, in connection with
other waterways, could be used. On this
route the entire journey could be made by
horses and canoes the trail being far easier
than that through the Chilcat pass, though
something like one hundred miles longer:
If this proves true this will be the point OF
departure overland for the klondlke, for at
Wrangels there are WharVeS and to some
extent storehouses, for the protection Of
goods
Mr. King does not think it advisable for
anyone to attempt to go to the klondlke
section or to leave this part of the country
at all before the first of next March. The
excitement exceeds that of the widest days
of the California gold fever. On the down
trip the party met steamer after steamer
loaded with men and horses, all on their
way for the klondike, when not one IN a
hundred will get beyond Dyea TINS WINTER.
Not one horse out of all carried up there
will be alive in six weeks, because there Is
nothing at the place to feed them on. Ihere
are no accommodations at Dyea nor at any
of these high upper points. One desiring to
so to the gold fields had better equip him
self at Seattle or Tacoma-propaply pest at
Seattle. for it is at this place the merchants
are making great preparations for mining
parties The sidewalks are packed with
goods and such boom as there is now was
never before known in this section In
other words, the entire population has en-
tirely gone crazy.