New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-11
FACE TO FACE WITH FAMINE
,,,1 OUTLOOK FOR KLONDIKE GOLD
SEEKERS.

SEEKERS.
nss n DAWSON ALREADY cLosED-wINTER
aro,.y on THE YUKON PLENTY OF GOLD.
p,.r TIE pEop.E WANT FOOD
DEATH ~ THE ARCTIC ICE.
L,,e Wash. Sept. 1O.--The steamship Cleve-
- eleven days from st. Mchaels, arrived III
..n straits at 80 this morning and was boarded
' .rosantatives of the Associated Press, VINO
IN waiting on the tug Sea Lion. She brings
49, a,o nassengers and about S4OOoD in gold-
lust Thirty eight of the passengers are from
-. gold fields and twenty-seven are carpenters
turning from St Nchael's, where they "e"'
70 construct boats. w.,
Tho s,ory Of the fabulous wealth OF the hlo'-
d;ye bonanza. EldOrado and other WiheS "0"i
,,a Yukon is reiterated by the returning hl'"ei9'
but the warning already given TO stay away
from the gold fields this winter Is eii'p''"
1y every one on board. They say tha' hu'i"i e"'
- people must go hungry this winter anu Una
many will certainly starVe' as the lo'u ''pp''
IN the country is far bel " what VIII be required
10 keep alive those already in Dawson CltE'
yy,ile there may b. a tendency to exaggerate
the actual condition Of affairs there can ne io
a..s,ion that famine threatens the adventurous
and women WIZ maui S'N'' ~'
vr,,aik. Hundreds of unruly spirits are flock
,nr 70 Dawson. Threats Of violence are neNhs
n,oAa an every side Indignation meetings
-, NTH uttered threats Of vengeance. are
hel1 ~ Il NichaeIs by those who have lt'Ir
bopes Of advancing 10 the river anu 'eS' Va
getting back 70 civilization.
rha first signs Of winter are apparent on the
-,,.or Yukon which is beginning to freeze ana IN
,o,. ,,aa<s Al, be closed. Enormous prices are
-. heirq Maid for food al Dawson, and IL is I'M
s,Dla that more than four vessels with pro
',.,o,s car reach Dawson before the river is Il
oss - 100 on the Cleaveland there are thirty
,,h, nassenCers men. women and children
oh, have come from. Dawson City. There are
to, miners in this party who are able to tell OF
rosneritv Most of them wish TO eXaggera'e
,h.,r possessions and if one were to believe the
s,orias they tell he would say the treasure-shlp
/, w,,cb they come carries S5,00o.0OO. Captain
Vail master Of the Cleavcland, says that he has
s,o0oo0 IN his safe. The purser believes that
he can account for $4,000 on board.
The Cleaveland has some Of the passengers OF
,ha p r Wearc on board. The Weare left
Dawson City in time to connect with the Port
land mad she not met with mishap ana
struck On the fats above Circle City. on July -
the stores Of the Alaska Commercial Company
and Of the North American Trading and Trans
portation Company announced that they mad no
more food to sell. Three weeks before that the
same companies were unable to furnish ou'h's'
and when the announcement was made that 10
more goods were available CONSERVATION re-
suited on the part of the people OF Dawson Win
gold-seekers piling IN at the rate OF twenty 10
forty day.
There is gold everywhere. but the people of
Dawson want food more than they want golo
now. At 81. Michaels, there are not enough
structures to accommodate the crowd. and scores
Of peoIl are living iii tents. Shortly before 'he
Cleaveand left 81. Michaels. two of the eXpedi-
tions, those of the National City ana OF the
South Coast held Indignation meetings, threat
ening dire vengeance upon those who had brought
them there and unable TO carry them
further. They had been left stranded at -.
Mchaels and cannot possibly reach Dawson
before next spring.
on August IS the Excelsior left St. Mchaels.
Reports were current that her treasure amounted
10 81 100000 but there are none on the CleaVe-
land VINO can verify this assertion. The EX-
cesior was caught on the dangerous flats OF the
Yukon and broke two blades Of her propeller
When the Ceaveland reached Ounalaska she
found the Excelsior undergoing repairs 1t Is
probable, however, mat sne leIt OuHd!dshd io''
Monday TO resume her Journey TO the south
Shortly before the Ceaveland sailed for Seattle
the United States revenue cutter Bear put into
81. Michaels with Captain Whitesde. his wife,
the first and fourth officers and four seamen OF
the steam whaler Nevach They are all that re-
main 10 tell the terrible story Of death in the
Arctic. The Nevach caught in an icepack
IN the Arctic Ocean. OF her crew. forty-two
were lost Thirty-one were crushed in the ice
or frozen to death. The Bear saw the vessels
signals OF distress near Point Barrow. and lost
no time in going TO her assistance. The captain,
his wife, two officers and four sailors were glad
10 leave the dsmanted, crippled ship but nine
positively refused to go. They were lost in the
desolate fields Of ice. and il is feared they have
perished With their comrades.
The CleaVeland also brings news that when the
Humboldt stopped az Ounasskd on her Journey
10 ST Michaels, the passengers were in open
rebellion They began 10 realize that IL would
he impossible for them TO reach Dawson before
next spring, and they knew that misery awaited
them St Michaels. There open threats
against W. D. Wood. the organizer and manager
Of the expedition. and is feared that he may
lose his life at the hands of his passengers