The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-27
THE AGGIE,S VOYAGE.
NEWS FROM PRINCE IvIGrS AD-
VANCE PARTY.
The Post-inteliixencer's Special Cor
respondent Writes Interestingly
OF the Experiences of the seattle
Parfy-A Story OF Famous BsranoR
Costle-The Crime of q Jealous
Iover-on for Yakutat Bay and
Mount st. Elias.
SPECIAL Correspondence.


guard OF abe Italian Mount s.. Elias ex-
petition left Seattle aboard the Aggie, in
tow OF the tsghoat c. c. Cherry. on Sun
day, June s. about : o'clock in the morn
ing. There were fourteen persons on
board. all told. as follows: Capt. Green
leaf. Mate A. II. Grant. Steward James
MuihoNand. Major F. s Ingraham. Victor
Schnfd. Conrad Schmid Charles w.
Thornton. Carl Morford Clarence l.. An
crews. Frank F1orini Ralph Nichols, VII
liam Steele. Elm Ostberg. Benno Alex
ander.
Sunday afternoon all hands aboard
signed ships articles. On the pay roll are.
"a ahle-hodied seamen OF the port watch.
Benno Alexander and William Steele: os
the starboard watch. Elm Ostherg and
Charlie Thornton. The rest of the boys
are, when there is no work 10 do. gentle
men at leisure. cabin passengers. II need
able bodied sea farmers" Mate Grant
calls them. The Agile is built on speedy
lines, and made a splendid trip.
After short stop in Port Townsend We
continued our voyage. taking the inside
passage The beauty and grandeur of the
scenery during this trip surpasses all de-
scripuon. Your correspondent was at the
wheel about o'clock on Monday morning
when the lights of Blaine vanished out OF
sight, and waved a last adieu-at least for
while TO the Evergreen state. Many
were the clustering towns We passed on
both sides and the quaint Indian villages.
with their towering totem poles. were OF
great interest to the boys
Tuesday, toward nighifall We were
dropped By the c. c. Cherry. and then the
sailing part OF the trip commenced. All
"Wednesday We were becalmed Thursday.
IN the storm track TO the westward Of
Queen Charlotte island we encountered
heavy gale. William Steele, my shipmate
OF the port watch. became seasick. and
stood al the helm eight hours during the
night from Thursday to Friday.
Friday and Saturday We had splendid
weather and made good Roadway. Satur-
day morning Baranof island. on which
Sitka is situated, was in sight. About noon
we passed spar of the rigging of some
shipwIecked vessel Toward night the rev
enue cutter Corwin hove in sight; she bore
down upon US swiftly. and We had 10
heave 10. Two officers of the vessel board
ed US and examined our papers. From
them We learned that they had towed the
day before the dereiict of the hapless
schooner General Siglin into Sitka port.
ana from the description given 10 us We
knew at once that the spar we had sighted
before had belonged TO the Sigln.
Sunday noon found us at the base of
Mount Edgecombe. on kruzoff island, di-
rectly behind the little isle OF ST. I4azaria
Mount Edgecombe is an extinct volcano.
rising to the height OF 2,ss5 feet vertical
ly. with huge symmetrical crater. 200
feet in diameter and go feet deep. Near
ing II we distinctly see the gaping mouth
OF the crater and the steep ravines cut by
the rivers of lava, which for centuries
have flowed down TO its base.
At sitka.
Here We met the corwin again, which
towed US into Sitka port. We arrived at
Sitka about / o'clock on Sunday after
noon and dropped anchor a little off
shore.
As We draw near TO Sitka more beautiful
is the aspect. the giistening waters seem
more and more studded with rocky tim
bered and moss-covered islands, mr. and
spruce predominating. At last there rise
before US from a cluster Of quaint-look-
ing buildings the ruins of Baranoff cas-
tie. the former residence of a long sue
cession of Russian governors. Long long
ago a fair but faithless, princess was
murdered by jealous lover within its
walls. but now those witnesses of the
crime lie shattered. destroyed by fire some
years ago. In the center of the town tow
ers the emerald green roof. spire and
dome OF the Greek church, while in the
background rises the frowning Mount
Verstovia. 3.21s feet high.
Sitka itself. however uninvidng in ap-
pearance. is full OF interest. Baranofr
island, on the west coast OF which IL is
situated. is about 10 miles long and 50
miles wide
Our first sit was TO the Greek church.
The interior is richly decorated. mainly
in white and gold. especially SO the chan
eel, which is raised above the body OF
sla r.Es .srsh 10
broad steps. When We entered the church
there was an Indian service being held by
the priest. Anatole The interpreter
Hariampy Sokolof, stood beside him. and
from time to time translated into Indian
what the reverend father spoke in Rus
sian.
An Indian Village.
We visited the Sheldon Jackson museum
OF Alaskan curios. the Indian training
school, the Presbyterian church. the
several burial places. the romantic
promenades along Indian river. the United
States jail. the Baranoff castle hill. and,
last. but not least. the Indian village. The
shore in front Of It is literally strewn with
canoes OF all shapes and sizes. which are
carefully covered with mats blankets or
skins. TO protect them from the sun.
Here are old oil barrels tin cans. clothes
lines drying and decaying fish. rotten
vegetables. dead dogs and bedding set out
10 air--it needs il. too The sights and the
smell are sickening. Every house is sur
rounded by dogs Of undesirable mongrel
breeds.
There are now five revenue cutters In
Sitka harbor. the Grant. Corwin. Rush
Perry and Pinta.
Yesterday and today the major and his
men Went out drilling up along Indian
river. toward the mountains. with their
Arctic clothes. their heavy packs. alpen-
stocks and all We weighed the packs he
fore we started; they averaged about
seventy pounds
The almost nichtless day that prevails
IN this northern latitude is an enjoyable
feature. one virtually LIKES two days In
one The twilight IS Of such long dura-
tien that II can scarcely he said 20 get
dark AT all the last glow hardly dying out
in the northwest before the first flush of
dawn appears on the eastern sky
We noticed with pleasure everywhere
the weii-kRown sign: Read the Post-1n-
tellixencer. largest circulation in The
state''-and outside too. We believe.
Ne expect our prince on the City %
Topeka next Saturday. and then we viii
depart speedily for Yakufat hay ana
RENNO ALEXANDER.