Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-08
JOURNEY TO YUKON REGION.
Exhaustive Data Concerning Land
Where Gold Is Found.
DR.. George Dawson Describes
Varied Interior of the Country.
Gives Particulars as to Mountain
Ranges, Lakes, Rivers and
Rapids.-Ohcial Report to Cana
dian Geogical and Natural His
tory Survey.
From the WASHINGTON Starr

(From the Washington Starr
One of the most interesting reports
of the Yukon region, and Of the ways
in which to reach it, is that OF Dr.
, George NJ. Dawson, who was sent
there by the Canadian government to
make an investigation. The report is
contained in the geological and nat
ural history survey of Canada.
The expedition under DR.. George
Dawson covered fully every detail
which would be of interest to the per-
son intending to visit that country.
Particular attention is paid to the pas
sage over the coast range mountains
from Taiya inlet There are three o.
these. the Chilkoot, the Chilkat and
the White pass. All Of these were
gone over and every detail reported.
The report also embraced much valua-
bile information regarding the chain
of lakes which form the headwaters
of the Leves river, one of the branch
es of the Yukon.
WHITE HORSE RAPIDS.
An excellent description was given
of the terrible White Horse Rapids.
An extract from the report in regard
to these is as follows:
white Horse Rapids and Miles can
Won form together the most formidable
obstacle TO the use Of the Lewes as the
route into the interior, constituting an
interruption to navigation OF two and
three-quarter miles in total length.
White Horse Rapids is three-eights OF
a mile in length. The worst rapids
are at the lower end of the White
Horse rapids, where the river scarce
" exceeds 100 feet in width, with low,
baSaltic banks, and the force OF the
NXater is very great.
In the upper part of the White
Horse the watef>.c,c.yS between basal
tic cliffs scarcely exceSSIng twenty
feet in height. but sufficient to rem
der tracking precarious and difficult,
while the occurrence Of numerous
rocks in midchannel makes the rapids
dangerous to run. The portage is en-
the west bank, and it is usual 10 carry
both boats and cargo over it.
Between the White Horse and the
foot Of the canyon the river is very
swift, and at one place, a mile above
the latter, the set of the stream is so
strong round a rocky point as to rem
der it advisable to make an additional
short portage of $50 feet. This port
age is on the east bank, and at the low
err end very steep ascent has first
to be overcome. Here a sort of eX-
| temporized windlass has been rugged
up by the miners for the purpose Of
| hauling up their boats.
The canyon is cut through a hOr-
izontal or nearly horizontal flow OF
basalt, and is not more than about
100 feet in width, with vertical cliffs
averaging about fifty feet andtnever
| exceeding 100 feet at the sides. 1t
opens out into a species of basin in
the middle, but the river is elsewhere
inaccessible from the banks. Ter
raced hills rise above the basalt walls
on each side OF the valley, but are lar-
ticularly abrupt on the west bank.
| The river flows through the canyon
with great velocity, but is unimpeded
in its course, and it is, therefore, not
very risky to run with good boat.
The White Horse rapids is, however,
much more dangerous, and though
some Of the miners have run through
| it-generally accidentally-it should
! not be attempted.
LAKE LEBARGE VALLEY.
'The great structural valley, which
is occupied by Lake Labarge and by
! the river above it, up to this point,
/ runs on above the canyon as a wide,
important depression, bearing nearly
due south, and appears to be uninter-
rupted till it joins the lower end of
Bennett lake, thirty-two miles dis
! tant. The course of the river, how
ever, DIVORCES to the southeast, in
which direction also a wide valley
runs, and in twenty-three miles, fol-
! lowing the stream, the lower end of
Lake Marsh is reached The valley
/ though extensive between its limiting
! slopes, is not regularly bounded by
| parallel ranges, like that first men