The San Francisco call., 1897-07-30

expedition by T. P H Whitelaw, the
wrecker, and Harry Holmes. The plan
is to take a sternwheel steamer along to
St. Michaels and go right up the river.
The gasoline schooner Chetco is engaged
for another expedition, and Eureka par
ty headed by the Fay brothers and Harold
Wandesford are fitting up a schooner
there, on the deck of which they plan TO
take an 1S-ton stern wheeler and barge
for the trip up the Yukon. The schooner
Elvira has been bought by William Camp
bell and others to so to st. Michaels next
month with sternwheel steamer on deck
for the river trip. Herman & Mills
have chartered a schooner on which 10
take the launch Hetty B and barge to
the Yukon.
A num- Der OF similar enterprises are be-
ing exploited and new ones come to the
front daily. Some are as chimerical as
the San Diego scheme OF going from Ju-
neau TO Dawson by balloon. Dispatches
say that party of $50 will leave Chicago
tomorrow night to come to San Francisco,
charter boat and skip TO Dawson.
The Yukon River route is the one that
majority would prefer, naturally, on ac-
count of its lack OF bardshIps; but the
passenger capacity of the river boats IS
small, and the last steamer by which pas
sengers can reach tae river steamers OF
The two big trading companies at St.
Michaels this year has gone.
So the Idea of sailing to st. Michaeis
with a river steamer on deck to go right
up the river, nearly 20J0 miles. to Daw-
son, is an alluring one. Some of the plans
4-vy n bic ha mt throrCh bl1t uvis
heads say that the chances are in favor OF
disaster. This has been even said of the
regular river boats that will make the
trip with the passengers of the Excelsior
and the Portland.
Tho:e expeditions which have Yukon in
view are pleased to get away during the
first week in August. Navigation closes
about the second week in September and
five weeks at the outside can be counted
on in which TO reach Dawson. The trip
TO st. Michaels near the mouth of the
Yukon is 26j0 miles and the Alaska Com
mercial Company's steamer Excelsior
makes it in about sixteen DAYS. Arriving
at st. Michaels the regular steamers
sometimes have to anchor three miles
trcm the port and lighter freight and
passengers ashore. Then St. Michaels is
nearly hundred miles up the coast from
the mouth OF the Yukon.
The speed with which a stern-wheel
steamer and barges could be put together
and made ready on the river for the trip
might be imagined, but not accurately
told. Then there are nearly 1000 miles of
river. Tue great stream wanders and rips
through de5olate region, and little posts
and missions are very far apart. There is
a constant fuel supply 10 be looked out for.
The two companies operating on the
river have woodyards here and there,
where their own steamers are quickly sup
piled. The stream at places runs at q
speed of eight and ten miles an hour.
There are snags and bars in the river, and
the bars shift frequently. Experienced
pilots always run the YUKON steamers and
Yukon pilots are scarce.
There are a hundred dangers of delay
and disaster for inexperienced crews, es-
peciaIly, to face, and they have simply
got to get there by six weeks hence or
they will not winter on the Kloudyke
But the expeditions go forward, and some
of them may get there a-Aying.
p Some OF the special expeditions are
planned for the Juneau route, the idea
being TO go to Dyea in special craft and
land the passengers and outfits for the
trip over the pass
One of these is the Chilcoot Pass and
Lake Transportation Company, which has
chartered the old missionary yacht Pit
cairn for this trip. This scheme includes
taking along boats 10 be packed over the
pass. together with 1850 pounds OF pro-
visions for each man.