The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-27
WHERE THEY SUFFER-
The Situation In Dawson City Is PItlabis.
No Food In Sight and NO Escape from
Etl,rvntinn

wv Noou ~ 9tIht anu ho AaoAPe H9Hi
Starvation.
sKAGUAY, Alaska, Dec, II, via Sc
ATrLE, Wash, Dee. 2s.-John Lindsay,
OF Olympia, Wash, who has just arrlv-
ed from Dawson City. says there will
surely be starvation the,e this winter.
He examined Into the food situation In
a thorough manner, he says, and after
satisfying himself that there would be
starvation. he sold his outfit and In
company with Frank Ballaine, OF olym-
p!a, Wash, Tom storey, Of Victoria, b.
c.. and Bob Glynn. OF Seattle, started
out on foot, each man drawing sled,
carrying about one hundred and forty
pounds OF provisions, LIndny says the
Dawson people believe that there is no
great amount OF food at Fort Yukon as
has been alleged The river rose sutil-
oienay and remained open long enough
to enable food supply to have been
brought from Fort Yukon had there
been any there,
The people Of Dawson, believing that
there was not ample food supplies at
Fort Yukon, refused to go there, prefer
ring 20 remain in Dawson. No more
than three hundred or four hundred
people took advantage Of the transpor-
tation company's offer to tnke the peo-
pie TO Fort Yukon free Of charge.
When the miners AZ Dawson found
that no more provisions would reach
the town by the river route. they an
nounced that meeting would be held,
! 10 take steps FOR apportionng the pro-
visions in the town. Those that had
plenty, they said must share With
those who had none. Captain Conston-
tine, OF the northwest mounted police,
interfered and told the miners that no
such thing would be permitted. The
meeting was not held.
Lindsay says the output Of the mines
will be greatly curtailed this winter be-
cause of the scarcity of food and light.
Coal oil sold for A5 a gallon and candles
are as high as $50 box OF one hun
! dred. Even " the men were able IA
work their claims they cannot get light
to do go.
These statements are born out by all
returning Klondlkers. quite number
OF whom have reached here the past
week. Few of them, however, take a
gloomler view Of the situation than
does Mr.. Lindsay.
Dr. q. L. Bradley. Of Rossburg, ore,
says that food Is scarce, but he does not
think that there will be actual starva-
tlon. Neither DIR. w. s King, Of Mer-
ced Gala; p. j. Holland OF Butte;
Thomas Storey, of Victoria, or Robert
Glynn, OF Seattle, all of whom arrived
here this week from Dawson, the most
OF them having left there on November
.. As an instance OF the scarcity OF
food in Dawson. Lindsay states the case
OF DR.. Van Zandt. formerly OF Spokane
washington Van ZGndt Is an elderly
man and being without provisions or
money. he offered a gold watch for n
sack of -four. He could not get II and
! remarked to Lindsay: God only knows
how ] am to keep body and soul to-
gether"
Lindsay says two hundred or more
miners are prospecting at the mouth Of
Stewart river. but nothing Is known as
yet what success they achieved.
Henderson Creek, five miles below
Stewart river, and forty miles from
Dawson, Is a promising stream, and II
is being developed this winter.
The weather about the Stewart and
! Big Salmon rivers has been bitterly
cold, seventy degrees belOw zero being
recorded at Major Walsh's camp, twelve
miles below the Big Salmon, on No
vember 90
The Yukon river between Dawson and
Fort Pclly froze completely over on
November lS The river Is piled full OF
ice IN great ridges as high as an ordi-
nary house and roadway will have t.
be cut through II before dog or horse
teams can operate upon It, The outlook
therefore. for taking supplies down tc
DnBson in the immediate future Is moi
Gooi
Inspector Of Minis McGregor left hera
q week ago with number Of dog teams
and horses to make the attempt to
reach Dawson with about twenty tons
Of provisions, but nothing has since
been heard Of him.