Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-08-19
BIG CROWD AT DYEA.
SUPPLIES CAN BE BOUGHT
CHEAP.
Many Prospectors Become Discouraged
and Abandon the Attempt tn Reach
Kiondyks-Grsat Dangers to Be En-
countered.

San Francisco, Cal, Aug. IA
gruesome chapter OF the difficulties
and the accidents with which the ad-
venturers who are rushing to the klon-
dyke are met on every hand IL related
by the Chronicles correspondent at
Skagaway, under date OF August Ind.
He advises all who intend to go to the
new gold fields to stay ut home until
spring. Three San Francisco men,
who started out on a boat up the river,
We're upset on the night preceding the
date of the letter, remaining on u log
all night, and We're rescued with diff
Guilty by an Indian. Three other men
lost a skin. good part of their goods,
and all but lost their lives in the
treachcrous current.
Men are abandoning the route over
ChilkOot pass. and many will now go
by way of White pass. The original
charge OF IS cents pound for carrying
freight over ChilkoOt pass has been ad-
vanced to b cents, and another ad-
vance OF cents is expected before the
week ends. There Is creek which
has to be crossed many times, and
many have lost their goods In these
crossings by Insecure packing. More
men are coming into camp daily. -Four
arrived at Dyea on the evening of Aug
ust 7th. after rowing In an open boat
from Juneau, distance Of 100 miles.
Harry Hunt. the Chronicles corre-
spondent, says: 1.-The rush by all reg
ular lines OF transportation Is simply
enormous. What the consequence will
be dare not think. There are con-
fiictlng reports OF the state OF the trail.
Some people claim that whole outfits
are being packed through to Bennett
lake. while others affirm with equal
confidence that no one has yet been
through and returned. The usual
method Of landing freight at Dyea Is
by lighters Mt high water mark. Last
night the Islander discharged n large
amount Of freight Mt high water, and
MS the canon In which Dyea Is located
Is very fiat, scow had to go quite n
long way, with the result that she was
stranded high and dry and did not get
of till high water to-day.
I'VE formed company Of thirty
men who We're stranded on sandbar
and doomed to wait for the flood tide.
as the river between us and the main
land is ten feet deep. Our plight was
nothing compared to that OF the pas
scngers on the Queen. Mexico. Al-Ei
and Islander. There Is no wharf nt
Dyea. The passengers and freight are
landed among the rocks. Nnvign ton
from Dyea by canoe to the end OF tn :
creek Is blocked. Above there are
more packers.
"Dyea is n very small place. situated
in narrow canon. the bottom OF
which is very level and through which
two streams traverse. The sides of
the canon are very steep and precipi-
tous, and it is impossible for one to
walk the sides or even to climb them.
The vessels have named cannot get
very far up. For three long days some
of these passengers were there without
food and water. I am told incidentally
1t rained near Dyea all the time. and
men and women We're alike without
shelter, but when YOU tell this 1t Is not
believed outside of here.
1T Is possible to pick up entire out
fits here much cheaper than what they
could be purchased in the states. A
number of men started with 1000 to
1900 pounds of goods, and the price
now asked for packing caused them
to come to the resolution to pack their
own goods. Now one ton Of groceries
in wagon does not seem very large
affair, but when you see It in a pile Mt
Dyea and realize that the only way to
remove 1t is by packing 1t upon your
back In lots from fifty to 100 pounds.
you have no idea how large Is the
amount and how heavy 1t seems.
"The George w. Elder is here with
800 passengers, bound over Chilkoot,
the rest being put Off at Skagaway
bay. The Danube is expected to-
night, and daily small steamboats, and
schooners, canoes, row boats and ev-
erything In the shape of boat that Is
capable of taking the trip are coming
from Juneau. One has to be on the
ground to realize what this stampede
means. Men, women and even chill
dren are on the trail, and how 1t will
end I cannot tell"