The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-17

about fifteen feet square" said Mrs. Blu
chanan, and one of the boys who had been
listening to the recital, piped in with Zone
got up and then there were nine" and the
mother confirmed her sons remark for
the one woman said she could not stand
such close quarters and she went to some
9SllgL Pidce' Ihey stayed three days at
Metlakahtla- Meanwhile boats We're sent
up ana down the waters in hopes of sight
In the City of Topeka, which was due to
pass there about that time. The feeding
OF SO many guests was a serious problem
70 the people of the place. The stock of
one edlbIe, canned beef, was exhausted the
flrst day and other products disappeared
each of the other days in like manner.
Among the persons saved was a missionary
years. He had a wife and small family.
me children did not know English but
SPOKE SPOKE tn, the language of the Esqqimaux,
tnelr money and their tickets, as we'll as
thelr clothes. A collection was taken up
among the passengers and part of it was
USED 10 buy flannel and other material. The
women sat down and made clothes for the
children and quite an outfit for the wee
Dabyi the youngest of the family. The
remainder of the money was given to the
missionary and in addition two sisters, who
were OF the party. gave him SOC.
On the third day. which was Sunday, the
CITY Of Topeka came in sight and was
nailed. She was a smaller steamer than
the City of Mexico but with crOwding the
people of the Inflated steamer could be
taken aboard. The men who had cabins
generously gave them up for the women
and children and, with the men of the City
OF Mexico, took steerage quarters, while
some occupied beds on the dining room
tables. When at last all found themselves
safely bound towards home there was re-
laXaton and the best was made of every
thing. Storage passengers are not al
lowed privileges of first-class cabins, and
the men who were travelling below were
maze the butt of many harmless joke.
Several days later the final goodbye to
shtpboard was made at Vancouver and not
I'll then did the nervous strain under which
the passengers had been laboring for so
long show itself. Tears of gratitude and
joy were shed. Coming back to civilza-
ton the passengers began to feel the loss
clothes and, talk about 6 mile from a
lemon, we We're about five hundred miles
from a tooth brush" Purchases had to
be made for the homeward journey.
WENT UP WITH KLONDIKERS.
After the tale of the shipwreck and the
rescue there were other subjects brought
up in the conversation with Mrs. Buchanan.
Her party went to Alaska on the steamer
with $50 men, bound for the Klondike, and
in the party were Joaquin Miller and Mr.
Livernash, representing New York papers.
The men had outfits for the mines and
provisions for year. In the latter line
were all kinds of evaporated articles of
food. The men wore heavy clothes, great
boots to the knees and having strong
spikes in the soles to assist them in climb
ing. The men bound for the mines were
interesting. There were many professional
calIngS represented old men and young,
men just from college and others of coarSer
grain. They carried saws and tents. The
stations, Dyea and Skaguay, are not more
tnan four miles apart. The men did not
always know where they wanted to land.
Some would get off at one place and wish
they had gone on. After their outfits We're
landed the Indians would charge them
anywhere from 10 cents a pound TO so cents
AT Dyea there are only two or three
houses. The people sleep under tents. The
iran from Dyea is almost impossible part
OF the way and the men have to get over
the mountain with tackle. Some of the
men We're enthusiastic about their pros
poets, but for the most part they were
once on the trail. They carried what they
could, but they could not begin to carry
all their loads, some weighing 1000 pounds.
Parties of six and eight would form, four
to go ahead with all they could carry and
the others would stand guard over what
could not be taken. The parties then di-
vided, to remain with loads at either end
and twice over the trail they would have
to go for every load that was taken. The
country seemed to be perfect tangle of
woods.
The trip to Alaska in the month when
this party went was ideal. 1t is likened to
back of the islands are the mountains ris-
ing, peak above peak, all snow crested and
IdIe
at night during the. summer Arms or
fiords stretch deep into the mountains
Dyea is on a ford. Over the sides of the
mountains come the streams made by the
melting SHOWS and the sides are 50 pre-
cipitOuS that the waters lather and foam
as they fall. On the trip. to Alaska, after
Vancouver was passed, the passengers of
the City of Mexico landed at the Mary
islands, where the United States custom
house is, at Fort Wrangle, where many furs
were bought. and most of which went down
with the steamer; Also at Juneau, Dyea,
Skaguay and Sitka.
INDIANA BANNER LOST.
Among the stories of the trip and the
wreck some have a humorous side. There
was a woman on board who had a baby
but not too much mind. Some one took
the baby and told the mother to dress
When she made her appearance to go down
the rope ladder to the lifeboat she had her
best bonnet in her hand. The purser told
her she could not take it, but she hung on
He finally took the box and tossed it back
into one of the staterooms Later he went
into the stateroom to gather up some blank
cts to throw into the boats and he saw the
bonnet and box in the middle of the floor
1t is said that he took particular delight
middle. To the credit of the sailors, it must
be said that they never saved a thing of
their own.
One woman found that she had on two
dress skirts. a coat, and her leather belt
around her neck Among the things Mr.
Buchanan lost in his trunk was the ban
ner which was awarded to Indiana at the
Y. p. S. G. E. convention for good citizen
ship. Hoping to save eXpressage for the So
ciety he was asked to bring it personally
In trying to account for the wreck of
the steamer it is accredited to the unlucky
number of thirteen passengers, who sat at
one of the tables of the City of Mexico on
her outward and as it proved, her last
trip.
One exciting experience. previous to the
wreck, was "a man overheard" The
steamer whistle blew a sudden and pc
culiar blast and the captain knew what it
meant The passengers rushed to the side
of the steamer and saw far behind them
the head Of a man above the waves swim
ming for his life. He was a half demented
before if he might jump overheard. The
captain answered that he had better wait
till morning, little thinking that the man
meant what he said. The speed Of the
steamer was slackened boat was put out
and the man was rescued. A sensational
story was printed in some papers that this
man was locked in cabin and went down
with the steamer. but he was not. and no
one worked harder in saving others lives
as we'll as his own as the man who thought
life was not worth the living "a few days
before.
MRS. s. Nj. STALLS STORY