The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-19

mail on up to Dawson, and that there
was no use in bringing 1T on to St
Michael until the boat was completed
The miners wanted to compel ex-Mayor
Wood to send after the Alliance at
once. and one word led to another un-
TIL the ex-Mayor of Seattle would have
been roughly handled had it not been
that the soldiers interfered. When we
left st. Michael the mail had not ar
rived and the majority of the miners
had gone back up the river again
Il nave been stationed at ST. Mi
chael for four years and during that
time I have never seen the river as
low as 1T was when we left, while old
residents told me that in ten years
they had never seen so little water in
the Yukon at this time of the year.
There were about forty vessels lying
at st. Michael and those who had dis
charged their freight and passengers
into the river boats would be all right
They will get back to their home
ports. Those that had not discharged,
but were waiting for river boats to
come along. will probably have to re-
main there over the winter or else come
back with their freight and passengers.
The big British steamer Garonne from
Victoria, with $500 tons of freight, was
lying five miles outside of ST. Michael
harbor. Owing to her draught she
could get no closer, and as her goods
were all in bond there was no chance
or dlScharging them. so she will have
to take her load back to Victoria, B. c..
The steamer National City arrived
in port after a stormy passage After
getting through Unga Pass and into
Boring Sea she had to face a regular
Arctic storm. They say that the river
steamer James Eva, which she was
towing, broke in two and went down.
Her hog chains snapped with the work
ing of the vessel, and when they went
there was little to hold her together.
Captain Hatfield, his wife and the other
passengers, who were on the James
| Eva, got aboard the National City in
safety. When we left ST. Michael they
were on board the bark Rufus E.
Wood, which the Alaska Yukon Trans
portation Company is using as no.
tell
Continuing, Mr.. Anders said
Among the safe arrivals was an outfit
on which l wouldn't travel very far by
water. 1t was the river steamer Clara
which Yves towed up by the Samoa on
the barge Monarch. They had a rough
time of it, but got there all right. AL
the transportation companies will lose
money this year and the chances are
/ that very little freight will get up the
river. None of the steamers being built
at Dutch Harbor for the Alaska EXplo.
ration Company will be ready in time
for this years trade, and only one OF
| the Alaska Commercial Company's
steamers will be ready in time. The
latter company is all right, as far as
transportation goes, however, as 1t has
all its last years fleet on the river
In letter to the Lynde- Hough Com.
pany Captain HERMAN says that the
James Eva broke in two and went
down and that the steamer Port also
lost her tow from Dutch Harbor The
captain of the bark Rufus E. Woot
wrote to their owners to the same eff
/ feet. Robert Don, who built the river
steamer Leah for the Alaska CONNER
cial Company, also says that the Jane:
Eva went down, while Captain Hayne.
Of the st. Paul and Captain Erksine
the pilot, state positively that the rive
steamer is lost. In the face of all thi.
the Alaska Yukon Transportation Com
pany asserts positively that the Jane.
Eva is safe and sound at st. Michael
They say that the purser of the St
| Paul has reported her safe arriva
there to Louis Sloss ST.; that four mi
ners who came down on the st. Pau
saw her at st. Michael, and are hurry
ing through their business here in or
der to catch her on the return passage
Captain Hatfield has been heard from
indirectly by the officers of the com
pany, but not word comes from hin
in regard to the loss of the vessel. Thi
| the president Of the company consider
| as conclusive proof that nothing haC
happened to the steamer
The bark Rufus E. Wood had stern.
| wheel steamer on her deck when she
left San Francisco, but 1t was washed
overheard in Boring Sea. The lashing.
broke and away it went. 1t belonged
to the Osborn party of gold hunters
from Redlands.
The Conemaugh took on several river
steamers at Seattle. They were bull
of iron and were piled up higher thar
the steamers pilot house. They were
washed overheard in a storm and 6
barge that she was towing broke adrif
and was lost.
Robert Don, who left here last Sep
TENDER for ST. Michael, came back or
the ST Paul While he was away hi
superintended the construction Of the
steamer Leah and two 600-ton barges
for the Alaska Commercial Company
Mr.. Don thinks the chances for pas
sengers and freight getting up the Yu-
kon are, to use his own words, "very
SLIM" IF they get rain all will be
well, said he yesterday. IF they
don't there will be no more river
| steamers get up the Yukon this year
The first boat down was the st. Mi.
chael. and when she crossed the Yukor
flats there was only two feet of water
on them. The next boat reported two
and half feet of water and the las,
one down, the Belle. had three feet ir
which to navigate. At that point the
river remained stationary, but will be.
gin TO fall right away If there is nc
rain. You see, the ice went out very
early this year, and that means very
little water on the flats, or, in fact
anywhere else on the Yukon. With
three feet of water the first lot Of
steamers may be able to work over the
flats, but should the river commence
to fall there is very poor outlook fo1
getting passengers and freight to Daw.
| son.