The herald., 1897-08-11
A NEW QUESTION

application from the British govern
ment for permission to run a telegraph
line through United States territory con-
Meeting the gold fields of the Klon6yke
with the outer world. 1t is said that the
application will raise a new question
only comparable to that which was in
volved in the establishment of the mixeG
mail route ir Alaska which gave rise &c
so much talk.
LAWS VIOLATED
SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 1o.-A specia.
to the Post-Intelligencer from Dyea
!: Alaska, August 4th, says:
Although the United States statutes
strictly prohibit the importation of lid
uor into Alaska for other than medicin-
al purposes, yet there are thousanoss OF
gallons of alcohol, whisky and brandy
being landed every week. A large par
of it is being shipped to the Klordyke
The worst kind of whisky fines ready
eale to Indians for So bottle. The traf-
{ fic is not restricted alone to this part OF
Alaska, but is common all along the
coast. In almost every bay or nook OF
land where Indians live are sloops from
which whisky is sold in abundance. AT
Dyea and Skagway as well as Juneau
Wrangel and Sitka are found many ga
looms running wide open. The govern
, ment issues them revenue license and
at the same time prohibits the importa-
tion and sale of liquors.
A STEAMER SUNK
VICTORIA. B. c.. Aug. 10-The
steamer Topeka, which arrived here
this evening, reports that the steamer
Mexico on August 5th, while going into
Dixon entrance from Sitka during g,
heavy fog, at full speed struck West
DEVILS rock. After two hours the
steamer sank in 500 feet of water stern
first
The captain exhibited great cooln ess
and with the officers did everything that
was possible. The passengers and crew
were saved with their baggage in small
boats. After rowing till Midnight the5'
arrived at Metlalaka.
The vessel struck about o'clock in the
morning. The ship is a total loss. The
passengers and crew are on the Topeka
Captain Wallace and his officers quietly
waited their turn to be lowered over the
side into the boats. Thiswas performed q
without a hitch, splendid discipline be
ing maintained. After the passengers
were safely off the ship the officers and
crew turned their attention to the hand
baggage, which the passengers had in
their cabins and the treasures and valu-
ables belonging to the steamer. There
was no time to attempt to save any
thing slowed below deck, and as it was
: everything in the cabins could not b.
secured, although the captain and crew
.
longer safe for them to do so. They had
not been away from her many minutes
when she made plunge and went down,
stern first She struck, on her star
2 BOARD bilge keel, and a gaping hole was
torn in her side. Only short time be-
fore orders were sent TO the engine
room to send her under full steam ahead
and consequently she went right
through the rocks. Had she been ar
iron vessel very few would have lived tC
tell the story of the accident. Sht
would have gone down like a rocket. Al
New Metathlaka, where they had tc
spend several days awaiting the arriva
of the Topeka, news of the wreck having
been sent north to her by the steamer
Allki, the passengers and crew having
their wants attended by Rev. Mr.. Dun
can and his Indians.
OF the seventy-five passengers forty
were tourists who made the round trip,
and others were coming from different
Alaskan ports. Included in the latter
were naturalists who bad spent the sum
mer in Western Alaska collecting spec-
mems for the Columbian museum. Their
specimens, Instruments and notes went
down with the steamer
When she sailed from Seattle the Mex
leo carried 27S passengers and some $50
tons of freight, consisting principally of
the outfits of intending miners, and car
ried in addition thereto sixty-eight
horses which will be used in packing
these outfits.
The Mexico was owned and run by the
Pacific Coast Steamship company She
was built in San Francisco in 1882. Her
gross tonnage was 1897, net 1910. Sha
was 275 feet long, SO feet beam and had
nominal horse power OF 1900
SOMETHING WRONG
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10.-ThC
steamship Hum boldt, which was sched-
uled to sail for st. Michaels by way OF
Seattle this afternoon, did not put tc
sea as expected and is night lying a.
her dock pending the settlement of some
differences which have arisen between
her owners and her charterer, Mayor
Wood of Seattle. Just what the trouble
between. the contracting parties is is :
matter for conjecture, but it is given Gu
that the methods employed by the ex
pedtion managers i'm slowing the yes
sells freight did not meet with the ap
proval of the owners, who had much o
1t removed from the vessels hold are
repacked. There is much doubt as I,
whether the freight packing episode il
the real cause for the delay, and severa
passengers offered their tickets for sal
tonight and other incidents lead to TIL
belief that there is something RADICAL!
wrong between the charterers and til,
owners of the Humboldt. All parties
interested deny that there is any differ
once about money matters and say tina
the steamship will get away some tim
tomorrow.
Just Missed Lynching
ASHEvILLE, N. c., Aug. 10.-Bol
Bracket, the negro who assaulted Mis-: