The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-19

washlnston. septsuhsr io.- ~. oysn
Weaver. Actinx comnisstcnsf X Ittoss y
day gavc TO the Ass0risted Pres 4 eocy n
Of niost graphic lettsf % ~ k6rTors q \
tho trip acro4s ALASKA 70 ths Itlondiks gola 4
zelda, The letter had Just besn rscelve4
from samuel q. Durham. staticAl ~
pert Of the soysrnment's department. u
labor. who had been assigned w Cons
missioner Wright 70 mako "A investisA-S
ton Of the opportunities which The gold
rcsions In tho Yukon valleys adjololnS
British territory afford for the rsinnnefA-
two employment Of American labor and
capital The letter Il In part a Follows;
To tho Commissioner Of Labor. Washing.
ton; ~
Lake Lindsrman. Aiaska. August se.--
az noon)--Sir: left Dyea Monday
morning At II o'clock and arrived hers
Indians startcd ahasd Of E,a, hut have
seen nothing Of them since the start from
Dyea and Mn waiting for them here. When
l reached the foot OF the summit terrible
storm was raging on tho pass and ! pre-
sumo tho Indiana went into camp scnte>
where ON the other side TO await better
weather.
II has been alternately storming ana
showing constantly ON tho summit since
Tuesday morning and the situation II ag-
gravated by piercing wind OF thirty miles
velocity. had an awful experience COM
ing across the summit. ! started out with
n hand bag strapped OIL my back, thinking
that as II weighed only forty pounds
would carry It. l managed to struggle
along to the head OF navigation for ca
noes, sixty miles from Dyea. apent the
night ct Sheep Camp. twelve miles from
Dyea, which rs merely collection Of tents,
and started for tho summit at s o'clock
Tuesday morning In drlszling. cold rain
employed a packer To carry my grip from
| there TO Lake Linderman, paying him SIG.
| At tho foot OF the summit we met per.
! haps 100 Indians and white packers. who
had cached their packs ON the trail above
and We're returning to Sheep Camp to await
| an abatement OF tho Storm We wero
warned that 1t was dangerous to attempt
| TO get over, but M the wind WINS blowing
| tho wey We were going. We decided to
| 20 ahead, rs felt sure my packers had
COMO en-. and wanted to be here when
| they arrived.
| The distance from the foot Of tho SUM
| init 10 the top is eaid to be three quarters
| Of a mile. but It seems like hye miles.
| Tha tran ascends at an angle OF As de-
| ErocE, skirtinR prccipices where false
| step would hurl one 1000 feet below, cross
Ing the face of the glaciers as smooth ~
| glass and In many places traversng thu
| polished surface OF great granite bouldern
| hundreds OF feet In extent Every hundred
| yards or so mountain torrents. fed by
| the glaciers and on tho present occasion
| augmented by the rainfall. rush across tho
trail and have to be wadcd, the water Of
ten coming to- the knees Add to this
4 gallo blowing nifty miles an hour, slect
and snow rushing horizontally through tho
air and tho temperature Mt 80 degrees and
you will have faint idea of the horrors
OF my passage across tho summit. After
struggling up a steep sscent OF twenty
flve or thirty feet would be forced from
sheer exbausti0n to rest for moment. but
would scarcely stop before the chilling
wind would cut mo TO the marrow and
would have to continue my course to keep
from chilling to death.
Before I reached the summit was wet
20 the skin and my boots were full OF wa
ter and the added weight OF the water
made 1t almost impossible to proceed. I
finally reached the camp at tho head OF
Lake Lndeman nbout o'clock In the
evening having been eleven hours In COW
ering twelve miles so thoroughly ex-
haustod that could scarcely drag one foot
after tho other I had letter from .
friend to gentleman who Ia In camp
here and was kindly received by him
aud made as comfortable possible in
his tent.
As my Indians had not arrived ! had
no change OF undertaking and was
forced to accept his offer OF a suit OF warm
underclothlng and these supplemented by
a half teacupfui OF brandy brought the
warmth back TO my body. | remained all
day In bed yesterday. too thoroughly worn
out to move. | had SONG symptom Of
pneumonia. but with the exception Of
some soreness am feeling fairly well this
morning This climate is very treacherouss
changes being very sudden.
At present the condition Of affairs on
both trails is terrible and hundreds Of men
are bound to starve and freeze to death
10 they continue TO come this way. I
passed at least q thousand men between
Dyea and here and not more than 100
have got their outfits this side OF the sum-
init. Every hfty yards along the trail arc
piles OF goods and I suppose there are
provisions 10 the value OF 100000 scattered
along the trail.
Wages OF carpenters are 312 so day anu
board. Everything is high In. price when
you can get II at all Whisky Is SO cents
a drink and IS bottle and poor stun at
that.
A packer has Just arrived from Sheep
, Camp who says he passed my outfit on the
road and that II will probably reach hero
| tonight, the weather having Improved on
the divide. AS ! have an opportunity to
send mall by him close this letter with
the explanation that IT has been written
under great mental stress and physical
suffering.
Some movement ought to be made at
once for the relief Of the suffering which
Ia bound to occur at Dyea and Skagaway.
Every steamship that has brought people
Will have all II can do for at least two
trips In carrying the unsuccessful people
back TO civilization and there ought to b
some way for them to perform the service
without compensation.
Il Samuel q. Durham.