The herald., 1897-12-30
SIFTON CALLS
And Talks Of Affairs at
Dawson City
NO DANGER OF STARVATION
THOUGH MANY WILL SUFFER
FROM COLD
The Canadian Minister Is Not at All
Sanguine of the Success Of
the Relief Scheme
Associated Press Special wire

out Qlu not discuss with MIN III any
manner the objects of his visit
Later Mr.. Sifton took lunch at the
British embassy. After luncheon Mr..
Sifton, accompanied by Mr.. Meikeljohn,
called upon Attorney General McKenna
and Secretary Gage. The visits were
simply out of courtesy, but in the course
of Mr.. Sifton's visit to both the cabinet
officers the question Of getting supplies
into the Klondike was discussed. Mr..
| Sifton, in a general way, expressed the
| opinion that the Canadian government
would be glad to render any aid in its
power to this government in getting a
relief expedition into the Klondike, but
expression the opinion to both Attorney
General McKenna and Secretary Gage
that there was not likely to be great suf-
| fering among the miners in the vicinity
of Dawson City for food. This opinion
he expressed upon the information In
possession of the Canadian government.
He did think, however, that there might
be severe suffering on account of the ex-
cessive cold, as large proportion of
those who rushed into the mining region
| last summer were unacclimated. More
over, Mr.. Sifton is not sanguine that
relief expedition. such as this govern
ment contemplates, could get through.
The Canadian government, with all the
| facilities in its possession, has not yet
been able to get in twenty-five tons of
provisions dispatched some time ago.
He pictured in a gloomy way the i'm
mense difficulties in driving reindeer
through the narrow defiles and passes
over the snow and ice.
| Mr.. Sifton, in his talk with Secretary
Gage, also referred briefly to the ques-
ton of duties on miners supplies, but
nothing significant was said on either
side, so far as could be learned.
| Mr.. Sifton has been through the passes
| in the Alaskan country, though not in
the winter season, and he says he does
not think the snowfalls would level up
the passes for transportation purposes,
as has been suggested. Mounted police
of the Canadian government have been
taking in relief supplies via Skaguay, it
has been stated in the course of the con-
ference on the subject, and they are
building caches for the preservation of
the goods about rs or 100 miles apart.
E. S. Rosenfeld, general manager of
the company controlling the newly de-
vised snow and ice engines, today SUBJ
mitted a proposition to the secretary of
war for the transportation of $50 tons of
government supplies from the head of
Lynn canal to Dawson City at 25 cents
per pound of weight. All accouterments
and rations of the army detachment, not
exceeding fifty tons, are to be carried
free both ways. The scheme contem-
plates sending the trains over one of
these three routes: The Dalton route
from Haines' mission, the Chilkoot route
from Dyea, or the White pass from
Skaguay.
| Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British am
bassador, sent an official communication
today to the secretary of state, announc-
| ing that the British government will per-
NIT the detachment of the United States
army accompanying the relief expedi-
ton to cross the British territory in
making the trip. The detachment will
be accompanied by representative of
the government as an escort while pass
ing over British SOIL
THE KLONDIKE COMMITTEE
OTTAWA, Ont, Dec. pa deputa-
tion of Klondike miners will be received
by the minister of customs on Wednes-
i
met Major Walsh and party encamped
on Salmon river, where they will have to
remain until next March. There is said
| to be no possibility of an advance be-
fore them. At the time the thermometer
registered 72 degrees below zero. The
delegates also wire reassuring news as
to the situation at Dawson. They say
that all danger of famine has passed for
III A ct 11,,a II q
the miners made their way down the
Yukon to where food supplies were OBJ
tainable from the stranded steamers
The mounted police then made such
disposition o: the provisions remaining
at Dawson City as will enable all hands
to pull through the winter comfortably
enough, as regards food.
ALASKAN BULLION
| SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 29.-The
Alaska Commercial company's schoon-
er Pearl arrived from Unga island today
with $4,000 in bullion aboard from the
Apollo mine. The captain spoke the
schooner Arago at Sand Point. The Ara
go is on a cod-fishing trip and reports
that the fish are very scarce.
BRAINARD BUSY.
| CHICAGO, Dec. 29.-Captain d. L.
| Brainard, who is to head the govern
ment Klondike relief expedition and is
now at the Virginia Hotel, is busy pre-
pering and sending to papers in ST. Paul,
Kansas City, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland
! San Francisco and in this city, adver-
tisements for proposals for supplying
| the food
The advertisement calls for the de-
livery of 100000 pounds of food at Skag-
uay not later than February 9Th. The
more important items are $4,000 pounds
of bacon, 10000 pounds of flour, 5000
pounds of beans and peas, 1000 pounds Of
butter and 1000 cans of condensed milk.
Captain Brainard said it had been de-
cided not to try to use condensed foods,
except milk, both for the reason that it
was felt that this was no occasion for
trying experiments and because the
foods advertised for would be found
more suitable to the needs of the occa-
sion than condensed foods. He said he
would leave Vancouver Barracks in a
l day or two and that it was expected the