The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-14
SECRETARY ALGER's REPORT.
Answer to the Senate Resolution
Asking About the Food supply.

Answer to the Senate Resolution
Asking About the Food supply.
WASHINGTON, Dec. BIN answer to a
Senate resolution recalling for such inform
alton to the War Department possesses
relative to the lack of food supplies on the
Yukon river, Secretary Alger to-day sub
mitted letter reciting his action in send
ing Captain Ray, Eighth Infantry, to that
country to investigate, and inclosing copies
of that officers reports, the features of
which have already been published. Secre-
tary Alger says
From these reports it will be seen that
as early the 1st of September, and while
en- route up. the Yukon, Captain Ray was
in receipt of information to the effect that
unless SONS relief expedition was sent TO
the mining district starvation, or at least
great privation would be inevitable. From
other sources, including dispatches from the
Chambers of Commerce of Portland and
Tacoma, which, while unofficial, the de-
partment believes to be thoroughly reliable,
it is ascertained that since the 18th of
August but 165 tons of provisions have
reached Dawson City by river and that the
with two thousand tons of supplies for that
place, were obliged to discharge their
freight at Fort Yukon, four hundred miles
north of Dawson City, owing to the lowness
of the river between these two points. 1t
is also learned from three independent
sources that the population of Dawson and
mated to be not less than five thousand
and probably was much in excess of that
number. and that of the population of DaW-
son City and in the country tributary there
to a large number of American citizens
are reported to have insufficient food to last
them through the winter and that many
are absolutely destitute.
when it was ascertained at Dawson by
special messengers sent from Fort Yukon
about Sept. IL that more supplies could
reach the mining district before next sum-
mer via the Yukon, seven or eight hundred
people are reported to have gone four hun
dred miles down the river in boats to Fort
Yukon, journey requiring from twenty
three to twenty-eight days travel, where
it is estimated there are about seven tons
Of provisions cached; and that at Minook
Creek, about six hundred miles from Daw-
son City, and at Fort Hamlet, $40 miles
from that place, down the river, the two
ira ing, companies on whom the miners de-
pend wholly for their winters supply, were
compelled, owing to lOwness of the river, to
unload. respectively 1l0 and 200 tons of
provisions from their six boats bound from
st. Michaels for Dawson.
THE latest information from the mining
district bears date of Oct. H. when it is re-
ported there was not on sale in the stores
of Dawson or those accessible to the mining
region a single pound of bacon, beans or
flour, and that those miners who had been
in the territory contiguous to Dawson, de-
pending on the stores there for their usual
winters supply found it impossible to pur-
chase any supplies whatever except in rare
instances from friends or individuals who
thought they had surplus. and the cost
of food for the bare necessities of life even
under these circumstances was exorbitant
and almost prohibitory. ffty-pound sacks
of tiour selling at 500 to $l25.
Although there are many tons of sup
plies at Fort st. Michaels, about l. 40 miles
from Dawson City, down the Yukon it will
be impossible to get any food from that
point before next summer. The only possi-
BILE route by which supplies can be trans
ported into the mining district at the pres
ent season would be either by the Chiikoot
or White Pass through Lakes Linderman
and Bennett and down the Lewis and Yu-
kOn rivers over the ice, or through the Chill
koot Pass and over Dalton's trail, approx
mately 700 miles and $50 miles respectively
from Juneau, requiring from thirty to thir-
ty-five days travel from Juneau-a most
hazardous and perhaps impossible trip al
though it is believed it can be ACCOMPLISHED
From the best information that can be OBJ
tanned. it is believed that the use of rein
deer will be the means by which the sup
plies can be got through If at ALL 1t is
therefore recommended that reindeer be
purchased in Lapland to the number of
five hundred and permission granted to
bring reindeer drivers from that country
this upon the information that it requires
much skill to manage these animals 1t is
believed that supplies taken into that coun-
try need not to any great extent be furn-
ished as a gratuity, but that many of the
miners will be able to pay the cost of such
supplies