Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21
WILL WINTER AT SKAGUAY
Many Miners for Kondike Caught in the
Blockade.

The steamer Queen, just arrived at Vic
toria. B. c., from Alaska, brings news of
the struggles and disasters of the ar
/ gonauts of 81. special to the Phil
adelphia Press says: Upward of 1000
men were encanped at Skaguay when
she called there last Friday, while camps
| OF others equally unable to get through
extended at intervals of three or four
hours marching all the way to the lakes.
| They had found IL utterly impossible to
| get packers, and their miseries were made
| complete by continued chilling rain,
which week ego had flooded every one
OF the canvas dwellings at Skaguay to a
| depth of eighteen inches or two feet
| pointed argonauts will do now that their
| hopes of reaching the Mecca of their de-
| sires are blasted is a problem. The auc-
uoning of outfits has already commenced
on the beach at Skaguay. Half dozen of
| the sellers took the Queen from the new
| port to Juneau, where they can spend the
winter more comfortably than in Skaguay
| or on the trail.
| Will Sell Their OutRts.
1t is the opinion Of the Queens officers
and those who came down on her that all
| who can will either sell their outfits at a
sacrifice or cache them until spring, and
| work in the Treadwell mines during The
winter.
Among the returning passengers by the
| queen was the Vanderbilt party. COM
prisfng w. d. Sloane, wife and daughter
| and H. NICK. Twombley, wife and daugh-
ter of New York. They had an enjoyable
| time, and went ashore at Dyea and Ska
| quay, talked with the Adventures and took
| snapshots of picturesque scenery
| Charles Hill of San Francisco returned
| on the queen, after having gone as far as
Lake Linderman over the Chilcoot pass. 1t
Va N nj hoo hit
| he was shy of clothing. He went up on
| the Mexico, and he and William Emer-
| son of Everett, Washington, were among
the Mexico passengers who led the way
| over the pass.
With them at the start was E. j. Liver
nash of the Journal and his companions
but while many dropped behind and
| others Jagged, Hill says. the Journal party
| pushed along with remarkable speed, and
were among the first to reach the lake
When Hill left the newspaper explorers
had gone on, forcing their way through
| the lakes and trails intent on Dawson or
bust Hill was not properly QUILTED, else
ne would have gene on.
l. Undauntcd by Hardshfps.
He is not darnted by the hardships, and
plans to return in March and head for the
| Yukon.
| from Dyea to the head of the trail at
Stonehouse," said Hill, land packing nine
| ty pounds Oh my back. The walking is not
| so bad, but the heavy mists of this time of
year are awful. l was laid up with rheu-
matism, and know of many others who
were disabled by the damp air and having
| to sleep on the wet ground. In my judg-
ment. the Chilcoot is the pass. AMI men
! DR.. E. w. Spottiswoode Of Missouri
| Mont. surgeon of the Northern Pacific,
says that Skaguay's population, when the
Queen sailed on August II, was fully $500,
| if not 4,OG0. people. while at Dyea there
arc more than 500 or coo.
Il don't consider that an exaggerated es-
timate for Skaguay," said he. People
have been crowding in there, and lots of
tfem l talked to are planning to winter
there. It's big city of tents. There is
| no suffering that l heard of. A great many
are proceeding by short stages, trying to
| force their way over the pass. All the
time We were at Skaguay l heard very few
talk of returning. but colder weather may
| start some of them back
! The Queen brought back several disgust
ed fortune seekers, among them former
Story, who has had practical experience
to relate, and a prospect tive millionaire who
was glad to secure a quartermaster's berth
on the Queen for the homeward voyage.
White Pass Opened.
Story says that the much-talked-of Skag-
uay or White lass was never opened up
| until Thursday last, the work of cutting
| road only just having been completed. The
soil is soft from the recent rains, but
Corduroy is being used and the general
character of this road makes it the only
one practica BILE for horses. On the other
hand, the Chilcoot pass, being older
and Travelled one, is the only one to be
thought of by those who pack in their
| supplies from Skaguay to the upper lake,
and they were looked upon as fortunate.
|. The opinions of the returned fortune
seekers differ to the general prospect.
One man declares, with positive conviction.
that not tenth CT those at Skaguay
will get through at all. The next witness
declares that all who want to will reach
the upper Yukon in time; while others
sert that any man with average strength
and grit will get through safely this year.
Time alone can disclose which is right.
Story, who vas over portion of the
White Iass, declares that the difficulties 1t
presents are not by any means appalling.
while pr cking over the Chilcoot pass few
obstacles are met. He returned, not be-
cause he could not get through, but be-
cause he had business affairs to close up,
and he preferred to take his chances in
the spring. He bought one $50 outfit for
$50 cash, the seller having decided to go
to juneau for the winter, and has it stored
away for his own on his return to the
north.
If ycl want anything, try an ad. in The
Star. If anybody has what you wish, you
will pot