Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-30
~kLONDIkE INNING CAMP TWICE IN
GREAT DANGER.
LOSS HEAVY IN BOTH CASES
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE LEFT,
DAWSON WHEN YUKON FHOZE.
Latest Arrivals Say There Will he M
Starvation. Although Food Will
he Needed EARLY in the
Spring-ltcccnt Big
Strikes.

San Francisco. Dec. 29.-According to
news received here from Dawson City, un-
der date of November -. the klondike min
ing camp has twice been in danger of de-
struction by fire. on November - two
Front street log houses We're destroyed By
fire. One of them was used as a lodging
house on one floor and a church on the
otker. The lodgings contained food and
outfits for ten men. and nothing was saved.
Steps have been taken to relieve the desti-
tute. TIL fire was caused by the ovcr,urn-
ing OF a lighted candle by a drunken man.
a fire from Il similar cause broke out on
November %. and the opera house and two
saloons We're burned to the ground. The
snow on the roofs saved the rest of Front
street from destruction. A large quantity
of provisions and liquors. valued at 1900.
was destroyed.
November 10 the Yukon froze for the
winter, and since then about 5000 persons
have started out over the ice between Daw-
sen and Fort Selkirk. Many of them ar.
without dogs and poorly supplied with pro-
visions and clothing. and it is doubtful il
| they will get through.
Nt"sS - ~. W - - ~ AZ ANti
| tie. Dec. 29.-The miners here have commits
stoned three men to go Immediately to OF
| tawa and present a petition to the Cana
dan authorities recitinS the reasons why
| the new mining laws are u~njustly severe
| TIE petition. as finally adopted. is the re-
suit of several conferences of committees
composed of the most intelligent citizens
| a,:i aliens of the Klondike. and the three
| delegates named in it are the persons elect
cd by a committee of ten.
Seattle, Wash. Dec. 2a-E. harrington.
| one of the passengers on the steamer Alki,
| speaking of the situation of the miners in
| the Klondike district, said: There is no
need of any one worrying over their friends
starving. OF course. provisions are not
! plentiful. and supplies should be taken in
| in the spring. by which time all the provi-
| sions in the country will be exhausted"
Speaking of the rush to file claims. Mr..
harrington said:
| missioner's office was unable TO accommo-
| late the miners. and the men stood in line
| for DAYS. with the mercury 10 below zero.
in order to file claims.
The biggest sensation in the way of n
| strike was No. A. on Hunker. 1t paid s5
to the pan. If it had not been for the exo-
| dus to Fort Yukon. 100 claims would have
been worked on Bonanza. Eldorado and
Hunker creeks this winter
s. w. Foote said a great many people
went past Dawson with the floating ice, un-
| able to make a landing.
MANY people are living in tents at Daw-
son City. though the temperature is al
WAYS below zero he said. Good strikes
| have been made on. Lucky creek. a tribu-
tarv of All Gold. Sulphur creek is also
turning out fine.
..On the way. We encountered good
weather nearly all the time. We left Daw-
son November p. Part of the way we
threw off our coats and went in shirt
sleeves and bare hands. 1t was only 10
below zero then.
AT the Chilkoot summit we encountered
a fearful snow storm and were lost for
Il time. 1t lasted all the Wa from the
head of Lindermann to the summit. One
I man went ahead with a stick. poking II
| into the snow TO lind the hard path to
walk on.
Beef and mutton at Dawson are being
sold at 81 to $50 per pound. Nothing in
| the food line can be obtained from the
companies without an order. Flour was
| selling from outfits at SlG0 per sack, while
bacon and beans brought 81 TO SIS per
pound. There was plenty of sugar at 80
cents per pound.
The claims are all taken within a radius
of forty-iive to fifty miles of Dawson
]. u. Barnes states that the Alaska COM
n.ercial Company and the North American
Transportation and Trading Company have
declined to receive any more gold for safe
keeping for the miners, as their safes are
full.
10000. ]. J. Mckay estimates it at $685.
u1.