The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-25

inc Fass temporarily Blocked by the
Large Army of Laborers and No Pros
pectors VIII BE Allowed 10 Advance Tn
I'll the Work of Opening Up the Trail Is
Completed-Few Succeed in Getting Over
Chilkoot Pass.
Seattle, Wash, Aug. 25.-Balked by
an impossible mountain barrier, with
the prospect of spending a long Alaska
winter in an inhospitable section, where
blizzards and storms have free play for
nearly six months of the year. the 5000
miners at Skaguay have assailed the
Skaguay trail with dynamite and an
army of picks and shovels. Two thou
sand men were placed at work on the
trail. and it was closed to travel until
the army of workmen could get it
opened for all. This news was brought
down from Skaguay on the steamer
Rosalie, Captain Oliver arriving Mon
day. On the Rosalie was Frank Clan
cey of this city. who came after sup
plies for his pack train. Clancey says
that there are at least 10000 people at
Skaguay, Dyea and on the trail by this
time.
Long and Tiresome Trip.
No more than one out of 100 of those
unfortunate people will penetrate the
Yukon before the Alaska winter sets
in. Three weeks ago the first train over
the pass crossed with safety, losing one
horse. Instead Of thirty-six hours,
which the projectors of the route said
would be required to make the lake s.
IL took the train six days to make Tia"
round trip, and the horses belonging to
George Ames were completely exhaust
ed The muddy pathway over the
mountains was enough to strike terror
to the heart of an ordinary man, 10
say nothing of a horse laden with 2I0
pounds Of freight. Since that time the
trail has been impossible. Weary
weeks Of waiting on the part of thou
sands Of gold hunters at the base of the
mountains brought desperation. The
executive committee, d. j. Mckinney,
chairman, was called together.
Trail Closed To Travel.
1t was decided to at once close the
trail until a new pathway could be
blown out of the solid rock with dyna-
mite. The mass-meeting confirmed with
one voice the action of the committee.
Notices were posted all along the trail
warning miners to get out of the way
on pain Of severe punishment. The trail
was then closed to all travel. Under
the leadership OF the committee the
army of miners attacked the mountain
barrier lying between them and the
gold fields Of the Yukon and Stewart
rivers Until this time bat FIVE parties
hoH a ha
were strung along between Skaguay
and a point fourteen miles up the
mountains Fortified with 100 pounds
of dynamite, work was begun, and the
hills re-echoed with the detonation Of
the army blasting it's way through the
rugged slopes Of the Alaskan range
Ten Thousand at Skaguey.
At Porcupine hill, where so many
horses have been lost, a railing of legs
was built to secure a footing for the
beasts. Five boats have landed their
passengers at Skaguay since the Ro-
sale sailed, and the colony numbers
now close to 10000. Mr.. Clancy says
that even the lucky few who get over
the summit before the Yukon freezes
will not be able to get boats at Lake
LinderTnan because the sawmill there
is entirely incapable of filling the de-
mand. The schooner Moonlight was
stopped here as she was preparing to
leave the harbor in tow of the tug
Colman. She had a huge deck load,
listed to port and in her hold were six
ty passengers, with little chance under
the circumstances of their ever seeing
the Yukon. Inspector Bryant ordered
the deck load removed.