Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18
BRAlNERD TO Be IN CHARGE
Win Probably O. to the Nondike With
Supplies.
Seeretary Ayers Preparations to
Send Relief to the Miners
Bids to Re Asked

1t Is probable that Captain David L.
BI ainerd Of the subsistence department of
the army will be placed in charge of one
OF The relief parties that Secretary Alger
Will send into the Klondike region with
pIovisiors He is now on duty at the
army building in New York city and has
been ordered to report without delay to
General Merriam. the commander of the
department of the Columbia at Portland,
gre oh the way he will stop in Washing
ton Tor consultation with Secretary Alger.
captain Brainerd is chosen to take par-
tlcuiar charge Of the commissariat DEPART
nieht Oh the expedition, a duty for which
me Is particularly well fitted, not only bv
req son Of his present station in tba army
out because of his arctic experience Can
en- 6raiherd was sergeant in the old
s.snal corps and accompanied General
Grecly on his arctic explorations II was
largely owing to the heroism of Rrainor5
.iat the small remnant Of the Greelv party
was enabled to prolong life until succor
arrived. w
In addition, Brainerd held the honor I'M
til Nansen's later feat of having made the
farthest Forth ever reached.
he Will 80 to Dyea, or Skaguay, or Chill
cat river with two officers. to lie selected by
General Merriam, to arrange for the relief
expeditions, and If the others. as is cx-
pected, ind 1t necessary to return to Seat
lie TO report, Capt. Brainerd will remain on
the ground 10 carry out the ARRANGEMENTS
Secretary Alger and Gen Miles are giving
much study 10 the best means of getting in
supplies to the miners in the Yukon coun-
try. and 1t has been decided to ask bids
Tor Tire delivery of stores directly at Dyea,
Skaguay or Chilcat. This is believed to
be better course than to have the goods
delivered at one of the seaports in wash
1ngton or Oregon or California Already
great deal of rivalry has sprung UP among
the towns on the coast for the honor OF
being the shipping port of the stores and
the business that will follow, and by re-
curing bidders to deliver their goods di-
rectly in Ala ska, the War Department vii!
be saved the necessity of making a choice
among them.
Secretary Ayers estimate now is that no
less than 3,OOO,00O pounds of food stores
Will be required for the expedition, and this
1act makes the transportation problem a
very serious one. 1t is estimated that
reindeer cannot safely be loaded with more
IMAM 200 pounds, SO that no less than
thousand head of these animals would be
required as a pack train if they were the
sole reliance.
tarys attention Is that Of securing the con-
sent of the Canadian government for the
passage of the relief expeditions over that
part Of Canadian territory which must
necessarily be trayerSed in reaching the
miners. 1t will be necessary to obtain a
permit for a military expedition to pass, for
one thing, and also to secure remission
of duties on the supplies that are to be
carried in. 1t is probable that to attain his
object in the shortest possible period of
time. Secretary Alger will go himself to OF
tawa In few days and deal directly with
the Canadian authorities instead of relying
on the slow-moving processes of diplomacy