The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-15
Bad News from tho Klondyke.

SAN FRANCISCO, September 10. The
Examiner prints an extra edition contain
ing the following news from Dawson
City:
OTTER POINT, B. c., September TO-
The steamer CleYelsnd has arrived from
st. Michael's, bringing with her from the
Yukon gold fields a story of distress and
disaster. The miners she has on board
and the officers in charge Of the ship tell
the story of the suffering at Dawson.
The winter has Just set in at the mining
city of the frozen North, and the two
great stores Of the place have closed their
doors. for they have nothing to sell. Those
who have been been seeking gold must
now seek food or starve.
While there may be q tendency to eX.
aggerate the actual condition of affairs,
there can be no question that famine
threatens the men and women who made
their way to he KlDndyke. Hundreds of
unruly spirits are flocking to Dawson.
Threats of violence are being made on
every side. The first signs of winter are
apprent on the Yukon, which is beginning
to freeze, aud in q few weeks will be
closed. Enormous prices are now being
paid for food at Dawson, and it Is i'm
possible that more than four vessels with
provisions can reach Dawson before the
river Is a mass OF 106.
On the Cleveland there are thirty-eight
passengers, men, women and children,
who have come from Dawson City. There
are few miners in this party that are able
to tell of prosperity. Most of them wish
to exaggerate their possessions, and if
one were to believe the stories they tell he
would say the treasure ship in which they
come carries five million dollars. Capt.
Hall, master Of the Cleveland, says that
be has 500, 600 in his safe. The purser be-
lieves that he can account for $3.50. 900 on
board,
The Cleveland has some of the passen-
gers ofthe P. B. Weare on board. The
Weare left Dawson City in time to con-
meet with the Portland, had she not met
with a mishap and struck on the flats
above Circle City. They report that on
July % the stores Of the Alaska CONNER
cial Company and of the North American
Trading and Transportation Company
announced that they had no more food to
sell. Three weeks before that the same
companies were unable to furnish outfits,
and when the announcement was made
that no more goods were available, con-
sternation resulted On the part Of the peo-
pie of Dawson, with gold seekers piling
in at the rate Of twenty to thirty q day.
Drunkenness, gambling and disorder
were rampant, and conservative observ-
ers predict the most serious consequent
ces. There is gold everywhere, but the
people of Dawson want food more than
they want gold now. At st. Michael's
there are not enough structures to &C.
commodate the crowd, and scores of peo-
pie are living in tents. If fortune faYors
four vessels will be able to reach Dawson
from st. Michael's before the Yukon Riv-
or freezes. They will carry provisions,
but it Is by no means certain that they
will reach the Klondyke. They offer the
only hope, however, for a renewal ofsup-
plies.
On August IS the Excelsior left st.
Michaels, Reports were current that her
treasure amounted to ~ million dol
lars, but there are none on the Cleveland
who can verify this assertion. The Ex-
celsior was caught on the dangerous flats
OF the Yukon, and broke two blades of
her propeller. 1t is probable, however,
that she left Onalaslsa last Monday to re-
sumo her journey to the South.
The Cleveland brings news that when
the Humboldt stopped at Onalaska on her
journey to st. Ilichael's the passtsr gers
were in open rebellion.