The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-17
LEAVING THE KLONDYKE
OLD MINERS FLEEING FROM
INEVITABLE SUFFERING

They Predict Great Destitution and Star
walton This Win,er-Return of the Hum
bOldt With Fourteen PassengeIs-News
From tho Eliza AndersOn-Terrible Ex
perience on Her Trip up the Coast-knOwn
by Her Owners to bc UnseawOrtby-Held
by Customs officers.
Seattle, Wash, September 13.-The
steamer Humboldt arrived this morn
ing from st. Michaels. She brings four
teen passengers and about $4,000 in
gold The Humboldt also brings news
that the side wheel steamer Eliza AM
derson, from Seattle. which was re-
ported lost, is safe in Dutch Harbor.
The Humboldt was eleven days from
st. MichaeIs. The steamer Eliza An
derson is anchored in Dutch Harbor,
where she arrived on the 4th instant,
and is now delayed by revenue Off
GERS. Her passengers have by this time
entered the Behring sea on schooner
chartered for the trip. Two Of the pas
sengers on the Anderson were SO
frightened that they gave up their
search for gold and returned south by
the Humboldt. Mayor Wood, Of Seat
tie, who chartered the Humboldt, is
still at st. Michaels, but letters re-
ceived from him indicate that the stories.
of dissensiOn and strife between men,
bers of his expedition are untrue.
The Humboldt brings back advices
which reiterates the stories of the un-
told wealth of Klondyke and Yukon,
and verify the previous rumors Of the
shortage Of food supply in the interior.
''There. will be privation, sickness, star
walton, scurvy and death on the Yu
n ia returning
gold hunters all say.
Only seven passengers Of the Hum
boldt have money. 1t is impossible to
induce them to say how much money
they have. but the purser gives the
figures as: J. A. Manger, $500; E. Tur-
ner, $500; J. F. Creider, $4,000; w. Urqu
hart, 5000; J. D. Rogers, $4,000; D. F.
Atkins, $4,000; Captain J. Whitesides,
$4,000.
J. M. Secretan, who came back on the
Humboldt, and who has but very little
cash, says he came out to avoid star
walton at Dawson. He said: THUS far,
upwards of 1,5O0 men have pushed their
way over the passes from Skaguay and
Dyea and have arrived at Dawson
City. Thei influx Of miners over the
passes has frightened the old timers
in the interior, and all that can, are
coming to Winter in the states and
thus avoid what they believe would be
a winter of hardship, suffering and
probably murder and thievery."
w. B. Price, of Danville, ILL.,, who
went up on the Eliza Anderson and
who left that vessel at Dutch Harbor,
returned on the Humboldt.
He said: "The entire trip was Sc
ries of mishaps. The third day out
from Dixon's entrance bad weather
came on and the wind blew terrif1cally.
ho ho r6
leap in under it. During the first night
after the sOrm began the rudder chain
broke five times. OF course, after this
broke, there was no controlling tho
boat. Every minute it seemed she
would go over. The passengers were
thrown out of their hunks. The crew
was insufficient to work the pumps, SO
the passengers took them in charge.
was put in command and divided the
passengers up into squads of four men
each. Each squad worked two hours.
I also did the sounding to see how
much water there was. We kept this
up for forty-eight hours and during
that time the Anderson drifted back
fourteen miles. The second day of our
trouble the other vessels were in sight
Then the Merwin, which was being
towed by the Holyoke, along with the
Bryant and Polistofsky, broke loose
and the captain of the. Holyoke turned
about with the other two boats in tow
and picked up the Merwin. The next
place we reached was ST. Paul, on
Kodiak island. We should have taken
coal there to get to Dutch HarbOr, but
could not get it. After leaving ST. Pau
the sea was heavy and we were forced
to cruise along shore. We arrived
within 13O miles Of Dutch Harbor wher
the coal gave out. We were rigging g
small boat to send out for relief wher
we sighted a small fishing smack with
one man in it. He told us we coulG
reach an abandoned cannery about
twenty miles distant, where coal haC
been lying for five or six years. We hat
enough coal to reach that point Al
day long the passengers worked in 6
drizzling rain to take on the coal, ant
finally on September 4th we reached
Dutch HarbOr. Captain Hooper, o.
the revenue squadron, boarded us a
Dutch HarbOr, and seeing the unsea
worthy condition of the Anderson for
bade her to go further. 1t was no.
necessary for him to go below, bu
upon seeing that we had insufficient
life boats he gave the order to tie III
there. The passengers of the Ander
son, with the exception Of Mr.. Scot
and myself. raised 81 900 to charter tn,
schooner Parisoff to take the passen
gers from there to ST. Michaels. TIL,
conditions on the trip of the Anderson
from Dixon's entrance to Dutch Har
Dor cannot be pictured too wildly
1T was a remarkable statement tha
Captain Chilcott, one of the incorpora
tors of the company which runs tn,
Anderson, is reported to have made t,
Chief Bonnifield, of the Humboldt, thi
morning He is alleged to have said
Il knew that the Anderson was unsea
worthy, and especially for an oceal
voyage, but we were bound to get he
there any way. We sent her in charg
of one of the best captains on thi
cOast-Captain Powers. If anyOn
could get her there he could"
Very sympathetic
(From The ArgOnaut.)
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