The record-union., 1897-10-17
SKAGUAY A vERY QUIET PLACE.
REPORTS OF FIGHTING AND
SHOOTING FALSE.
A Terrible Blizzard Rages at Ben
nett Lake, No Attempt to
Gross Being Made.

PORT TOWNSEND (Wash.), Oct.
16.-The steamer AI-Ki arrived here at
noon from Alaskan points, after an
unusually rough voyage. Captain Pat
terson reports rougher weather than his
| ship has encountered during the past
year. The Al-ki brought down seven
ty-four first-class passengers and sixty
| second-class, including twenty-eight
Chinese from the cannery at Pyramid
Idarbor.
One of the passengers was Mrs. SyI-
vester Scoville, wife of the wel-known
newspaper correspondent. Mrs SEQ
vile said: Il left Lake Bennett ten
days ago, and reached the town of
Skaguay over the White Pass in twen-
| ty-one and half hours actual travel
ing time. AT Lake Bennett there had
oeen a strong wind from the north, and
terrible blizzard had been raging for
week. No one had attempted to start
across the lake during that time. The
day before 1 left the lake the wind
shifted around to the south, and "a
dozen boats started at once.
Great delay is caused at Lake Ben
nett owing to the fact that the sawmin
there can only cut enough lumber in d
day to build two boats. Skaguay has
during the past two months changed
from town Of tents to a substantially
built town, there being fully five hun
dred houses well built and shingle-
rooted.
While L had good health there dur
ing my two months stay, l wish to say
in burst of confidence that L never
want to see such a miserable country
again. All the reports about bold, bad
men fighting and shooting are false
Why, it was so quiet there as to be
| really monotonous."
F. w. Vaille, Assistant Superintend-
ent Of the Pacific Coast Mail Division.
who went north three weeks ago to
look into the feasibility of establishing
new mail route in connection with
the Canadian Government to the interi-
or of Alaska, was returning passenger
on the Al-Ki. He gives it as his opin-
ion that an additional service cannot
be given for several months to come.
| as there are many obstacles to over
| come. AT present the United States has
a monthly service from Juneau to Circle
City, and the Canadian mounted police
are attempting to deliver mail at Daw-
son City from Dyea monthly Car
riers who started from Dyea in Sep
tember had not returned, nor had they
been reported when he left Dyea one
week ago.
Mr.. Vaille says he will at once rec
ommend the establishing of a postoffice
and the appointment of a Postmaster
at Skaguay. DR.. II. B. Runnals, form
erly of Puyallup was elected custodian
of the mail which is sent from Juneau
to Skaguay in sealed pounches, his
compensation being . cents for every
letter handled. Mr.. Vaille says there
are 1900 people in skaguay who will
winter there.
TRAMWAY FOR CHILCOOT PASS.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 16.-Newton
NJ. Bell, coast agent of the Trenton IN
J.) Iron Company, has just returned
from Tacoma, Wash, where he closed
contract with the Chilcoot Railroad
and Transportation Company for a
Bleichert wire rope tramway to be con-
structed over the famous Chilcoot Pass.
half miles long and have a capacity Of
five tons per hour. A surface railroad IS
tons per hour. A surface railroad is
already under construction from Dyea
to the lower terminal, SO that the en-
tire distance between tide water and
Crater Lake, the most southerly of the
chain of lakes connected with the Yu-
kon River, will be covered by the sur
face and aerial lines.
Work upon the tramway will be COM
menced Immediately, and will be rushed
with all possible dispatch, SO as to COM
ply with the request of the projectors
that the system be ready for operation
about the middel of January next.