The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-11
DISASTER and DISTRESS.
Gold Seekers Must Seek Food or
StarYe to Death.
HUNDREDS OF UNRULY SPIRITS
FLOCKING TO GOLD FIELDS.

Slue-F1rst signs OF winter Aro <AP
parent-River in Few Weeks VIII Be
CIosed-Terrible State of Affairs Pho
tured in Late Dispatches.
San Francisco. September 10.-The Ex-
aminer prints an extra edition contain
ing the following news from Dawson
City:
Otter Point, B. c., September 10.-The
steamer Cleveland has arrived from ~.
M1chaels, bringing with her from tne
Yukon gold fields, story of distress ana
disaster
The miners she has on board and officers
in charge of the ship, tell the story OF
disaster and distress at Dawson.
The winter has set in at the mining
city of the frozen north and two great
stores of the place have closed their doors,
for they have nothing to sell. Those who
have been seeking gold now must seek for
food or starve.
While there may be q tendency to exag-
gerate the actual condition of affairs there
can be no question that famine threatens
the adventurous men and women who
made their way to the Klondike. Hun
dreds of unruly spirits are focking to
Dawson. Threats of violence are being
made on every side.
OAAo
on the Yukon, which is beginning to
freeze, and in a few weeks will be closed.
Enormous prices are now being paid Tor
food at Dawson. and it is impossible that
more than four vessels with provisions
can reach Dawson before the river is u
mass of ice.
Captain Hall, master Of the Cleveland,
says that he has $780,, ,0U0 in his safe. The
purser believes that he can account for
$3.50, 600 on board.
The Cleveland has some of the passen-
gers of the P B. Wear on board. He re-
ports that on July 25th the stores of the
Alaska Commercial company and of the
North American Trading and Transporta-
tion company, announced that they had
no more food to sell.
Drunkenness, gambling and disorder
were rampant and conservative observers
predict the most serious consequences
There is gold everywhere, but the people
of Dawson want food more than they
want gold now. At St. Michaels there are
not enough structures to accommodate
the crowd and scores of people are living
in tents.
If fortune favors, four vessels will be
able to reach Dawson from St. Michaels
before the Yukon river freezes They will
carry provisions, but il lis by no means
certain that they will reach the Klondike
They offer the only hope, however, for
renewal of supplies.
August 28, the Excelsior left ST. Mich
aels Reports were current that her treas
ure amounted to one million dollars, but
there are mono on the Cleveland who
can verify this assertion. Shortly be-
fore the Cleveland left for Seattle, the
United States revenue cutter Bear put in
to ST. Michaels with Captain Whiteside,
his wife, the first and fourth officers and
four seamen of the steam whaler Novach.
The Novach was caught in an ice pack in
the Arctic ocean. Of her crew 40 were
lost. Thirty -one were crushed in the Ice
and 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 to leave, but nine
positively refused to go. They were lost.
The Cleveland also brings news that
when the Humboldt stopped at Ounalaska
on her journey to ST. Michaels the pas
sengers were in open rebellion.