The Anaconda standard., 1897-12-22

those VINO go in over the SHOW a 1u-
kon sled is necessary. This is a strong
skeleton sled, and may be purchased at
any regular outfitting point. Many take
dogs to help draw sleds, but all can not
do this. II it Is done special provision
must be made for food for the animals.
After the lakes have been reached. the
remainder of the route is the same for
both passes, consisting of about $50 miles
of lake and river navigation to Dawson
City, at the mouth of the klondyke. II
is fifty miles further to Forty Mile, and
Circle City is 300 miles down the river
from Dawson. The new town OF Ram
part City is still about 500 miles further
down the Yukon. at the mouth or Mu-
mock creek, not far above the point
where the Tannanah flows into the great
river This entire lake and river jour
ney is made in strong boats, usually
built out of timber whipsawed by the
Yukoners on the banks of Lakes Under
mann and Bennett. There is small
sawmill there, but it Is unable to cut
enough timber to fill the demand.
Doubtless other mills will be taken in as
soon as the tramway is completed, but
miners should not rely upon this, but
should take an outfit of tools and ma
terial for building boat. as well as
oars and row locks. Efforts to take in
boats over the pass last fall were un-
successful, even when they were taken
in section. Though it might be easier to
do so over the snow, it is doubtful II IL
would not consume as much extra time
and labor as the building of boat
would require. When the trawmay Is at
work, specially constructed boats will no
doubt be taken in to advantage ana
valuable time saved.
The route leads through Lake Linder-
mann, miles: portage to Lake Ben
nett, l mile; down the lake, "A miles;
through Cariboo Crossing to Lake Ia
gish, miles; down the lake. 10 miles, by
river to Lake Marsh. miles; across the
lake, passing Windy Arm, ~ miles.
| Those who go in the winter ana early
spring can proceed to this point by
drawing their boats on sleds, but there
they must wait for the ice to break up
before proceeding down the river in
their boats unless they intend TO go
through in light marching order, drag
ging a sled over the snow and ice.
| Twenty-Five miles below Lake Marsh is
| the dreaded Miles canyon, and just be-
low this place are White Horse rapids.
Both of these places may be safely run
| in the boat il the utmost care IS exer-
cised. Many boats have been wrecked
here and their contents lost, While sew
eral unfortunate men have been drown
ed. No one should attempt these diff
fcult passages without first having care
fully studied the situation. Thirty miles
further down the river is Lake La
Barge, 80 miles long. Five Finger rap
| ids are 163 miles below this lake ana
! Rink rapids are three miles further.
| These are the last of the specially dan
| gerous places, though care must be eA-
! ercised during the entire journey.
AS to other routes from the coast,
| there are but three that have any
| prominence and none of them Is as yet
sufficiently known to make it advisable
| for the ordinary gold seeker to attempt
| them. One of them is the Dalton tran,
| leading northerly over the mountains,
| Just west of the Chilkoot pass and
! paralleling the lake and river route Tor
about 300 miles, finally striking the 4u-
| kon below the most dangerous rapids.
1t is claimed that this is the best route
! for railroad. but it is yet to he shown
how practicable il is for general use.
! The government will probably attempt
to send in a relief expedition by TINS
route early in the spring.
| The Taku and the Stickeen routes, one
starting from Taku inlet, near Juneau.
and the other from the Stickeen river
| near Wrangel going up the river lo0
| miles, and thence overland converge at
Lake Teslin. Small river steamers can
navigate this lake and pass down the
| Hootalinqua river to the Yukon below
the rapids, and thus to Dawson and be-
yond 1t is claimed that such steamers
| will be built on the lake in the spring.
and that trails will be opened up to the
lake and pack trains put ON, to be FOL
lowed soon by railroads; but until this
| is actually done, the gold seeker would
do well not to intrust himself to the un-
certainties of those routes. The discoy-
| cry of gold on Hootalinqua river has
| been reported
Undoubtedly the most comfortable
and easy way to reach the Yukon mines
| is by steamer from one of the Paelnc
coast ports to the mouth of the Yukon.
at St Michael, and thence by river
| steamers up the stream, the distance up
the river being 1.422 miles to Circle city
and 1,772 to Dawson City. The trouble
with this route is that the river is nav
| igable only three months in the year,
and then only by small river steamers,
| because of frequent bars. The ice
| breaks up about the Goth of June, and
! forms aga41 about the same time in
| sCptember There are now several
steamers on the river belonging to the
| Alaska Commercial company and the
North American Transportation and
Trading company. both of which have
| trading posts on the river with head
quarters at St. Michael. Both compa-
nies are building several new vessels for
| next years traffic.
The outlook for this route next sum-
ner is that the number of steamers on
the river will be utterly inadequate to
/ accommodate the persons who Will be
landed by thousands at st. Michael by
steamers and sailing vessels, though
| there are DTOJtclS On IOot lot
building steamers on the river in the
spring or towing them thither. As ev-
cry vessel on the river will probably
run in connection with some regular
ocean line, and as the probabilities are
that the ocean lines will carry more pas
sengers and freight than the river
steamers can handle, it would seem as
though the only persons who will stand
any show of getting through to Dawson
by this route will be those who purchase
through passage from the starting point
to the destination for themselves and
supplies. Those who pay passage only
to ST. Michael, or who reach that point
by independent steamers or vessels. will
probably be unable To proceed any fur
ther. Notwithstanding that this prom
iseS to be the condition of affairs next
summer, doubtless thousands of men
will take passage in all kinds Of craft
for st. Michael. without providing
means for getting beyond that point