New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-21
II F. ~ + FN'Fssf tfEFST0sF
+ Natural Food ;
: And win
I Golden Health. ;
I Postum Cereal !
{ FOOD COFFEE.
THE ALASKA GOLD FIELDS
WHAT DIR. DALI, OF THE NATIONAL
MUSEUM. KNOWS ABOUT THEM.
THE CLIMATE A TRYING ONE-HoW
CorD COT

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington July 2O-Dr. william II. Dali.
one of the curators OF the National Museum, has
spent some time in Alaska, having been there
at different times geological expeditions He
was there two years ago, and while not having
! been directly at the Clondyke gold fields, has
been near there, and is thoroughly conversant
with the region in which they are located. Speak
Ing Of the recent large amount Of gold reported
to have been taken out and the richness OF the
! field, he said to-day:
! Il have doubt that the facts as told by the
press are In main. strictly correct. The Clon-
dyke gold fields however are not in Alaska
Territory. They are in the British possessions
! what is known the Northwestern Territory
The Clondyke River, which has been the map
! for about twenty years, branches from the Yu-
kon River, not far fror' the boundary between
| Canada and Alaska. The Canadian territory
has lately been divided into districts. a name
| being given to each but do not recall the name
OF this particular one. The Northwestern Terri
| tory, however, embraces them all.
The nearest way to reach the Clondyke
River, which is a very small stream. and the gold
| fields Is from Chilkoot Inlet. Steamers run
| from Sltka there and from Seattle and Tacoma.
| The distance from Chilkoot Inlet or rather the
head Of IT, to the Clondyke is about five hundred
miles To reach there IL Is necessary to cross
the coast mountains, and then the chain or
lakes and short streams which form the head
waters of the Yukon River. 1t is on these
streams that the gold is found. The country is
a rolling one, covered with grass.
There is a short. hot summer OF about four
months with practically no spring or autumn.
The ice begins to break up in the rivers about
May -. and navigation begins on the YUKON
River about the first week in June. 1t begins
to get very cool by tho latter part Of September
and is almost winter weather by October !. The
winter IL very cold and dry, with not more tran
three feet OF snow. There is only about three
inches of rainfall during the winter. and not
more than n foot fifteen inches the whoe
yesr round. 1t is n country in when IL IS very
hard to find food, there is practically 40
game Before the whites went into me region
there were not more than three hundred natives
They have hard work 10 support themselves OH
account of the scarcity Of game
Tho thermometer sometimes goes down to 6S
degrees below zero In January ana fepruarE'
While 7 was there slept. or attempted to sleep.
in a tent one night when the mercury registered
this but IT was Just a little too frigid for us.
The cold however, is not so intense as may be
imagined, and GS degrees there could not be com
Of furs in the winter. that used by the natives
and unless there is sharp Wlnd plo"iHs o"o
may keep fairly comfortable
When | was there / did not ma goid' pul
knew of it being taken out in profitable guam
tittes for fifteen wears or moro. 1t first dis
covered there in 1866. In 1880 when was up
in that country-my last trip was made two
wears aeo-the first party Of prospectors who
made the mining profitable started out. The
gold is found on the various tributaries OF the
Yukon. and have been within a comparatively
ebort distance OF the Clondyke fields / made
ore trip 10 Circle City. just over the boundary
of Canada.
"The collaborating belt Of Northwestern
America contains all the gold fields extending
into British Columbia. The Yukon really runs
along in that belt FOR Ave hundred or six hum
drcd miles The bed Of The main river Is in the
lowland OF the valley. The yellow metal Is not
found In paying quantities in the main river
but in the small streams which cut through tne
mountains on either side These prac'icaI.S
wash out the gold. The mud and mineral mat
ter are carried into the main river. while the
gold is left the rough bottoms or these sac
streams. In most cases the gold lies at the DOT
tom Of thick gravel deposits Inc sOin IS coy
cred by frozen gravel In the winter. During the
summer until the snow is melted. the surface
Ia covered by muddy torrents. When the snow
melted,
the streams dry up At the approach OF winter,
I'm order to get ct the gold, the miners find 1t
necessary to dig into the gravel formation:
Formerly they stripped the gravel on until
they came to the gold. Now they sink smart
10 the bottom Of the gravel. and tunnel along
underneath in the gold-bearing layer. Inc way
In which this is done Is interesting, as II has TO
be carried In cold weather when everything
ia frozen The miners build fires over the area
where they wish to work and keep these lighted
over that terrific y for the space OF about twenty
four hours. Then at the expiration OF this
period the gravel will be melted and softened
70 a depth Of perhaps six inches. This Is then
taken off. and other fires built until the gold
bearing layer Is reached When the smart ~
down that far fires are built at the bottom
against the sides Of the layer. and tunnels made
in this manner. Blasting would do no good on
account Of the hard nature OF the material ana
the charge would blow out just az out or gun.
The matter taken out containing the gold Is
piled up until spring. when the torrents come
down and Is panned and Graded by THESE IL IL
certainly very hard labor.
II see many reasons why the gold fields should
be particularly rich. The streams which cut
through the mountains have probably done so
for centuries wearing them down several hun
dred feet and washing out the gold into the
beds and gravel.
There are two routes by which the fields
can he reached. one OF which have mentioned
before from Chikoot Inlet over the mountains.
This is about five hundred miles. The other Is
IN the Yukon River from ST. Mlchaels, on the
west coast Of Alaska. which IL about fifteen hum
dred miles in length. or three times as far as
the other Flat-bottomed steamers run from st.
Michacre The return triD from the fields Is
much easier and has been taken b. the miners
who have made their piles md recently returned
IN tho Unite States with them by way OF Seat
tie. The Pacific Coast Steamship Company runs
steamers every five days from Seattle. The only
way In which supplies may be transported over
the mount aims the other way Is on mules, taxing
time and expense AS remarked before. 1t Is
country In which there Is practically no susie
nance and food mus, be taken to the gold helds
FEW TuOUsAND-DOLLARM MINERS HERE.
THE ESGILsflMAN WHO WANTS TO LEAD AN EX-
prpIr1oN NOT FINDING MANY RECRUITS.
Harry w Lamplugh. the Englishman who re-
oa,,lv sdvertsed for men 10 accompany him 10
the Alaska gold fields. ia meeting with rather In
different success. Doubtless the chief reason fer
his failure lies In the condition that each member