The herald., 1898-01-12
MANY MEN
MORE MULES
Are Ready to Start for the
klOndike
RETURNING MINERS TALES
MAY PREVENT THE SEN DING OF
RELIEF
RETURNING MINERS TALES
The Latest Letters From the Gold
Fields Say That Much Suffering
Is Inevitable
Associated Press Special Wire

ASS 0ciated Press Speclal wire
PORTLAND, Ore, Jan. 1.-THE gov
ernment relief expedition will start for
which sails from here January 23 for
Skaguay and Dyea. Arrangements were
completed today with the Pacific Coast
Steamship company, by Gen. H. C. Mer-
riam, commanding the department of the
Columbia, for the transportation Of the
men, mules and supplies. The advance
party will consist of sixty men from
the Fourteenth infantry and with them
they will take the 100 mules and 250 tons
Of supplies. Capt. Ruhlen of Fort Riley
will have charge of the transportation
MAY NOT GO
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-A telegram
was received by AdJt. Gen. Beck today
from Gen. Merriam, commanding the
department of the Columbia, at Van
couver barracks, that may have some
effect upon the policy of the war de-
partment in extending relief to the min
ers in the Klondike. The general re-
ports that the passengers on the two
steamers which have recently arrived
from Alaska all state that the miners
will get through the winter in safety.
RELIEF NEEDED
SACRAMENTO, Cal, Jan. n.-An-
drew WATSON, ex-collector of the port at
Seattle, who is now at Dawson City.
n. w. T., has written letter to his wife,
who is now in this city, in which he
tells some interesting things about af-
fairs in the Alaskan gold fields. He
writes that one day in the latter part OF
caused by a raft's going down In the
ice, loaded with beef. the men crying
out and offering $1,000 for line to land
them, which was not possible.
One day he counted 35 boats rushing
down the river with the Ice, but 1t was
impossible to lend any assistance. Oh
November Is the thermometer was 2i
degrees below zero, with but little hope
of it's going higher for eight months
The days were short there being no
light except between 10 a. m. and p. m.
Wasson says: Il am afraid there will
be great suffering and loss of life here
this winter as provisions are not to be
had at any price. Many hundreds went
down the river to Fort Yukon, where the
steamers are stopped with provisions,
and hundreds are still going up. Many
who go out will remain, while others will
return in the spring with provisions We
can expect no relief now until next June
or July, when we look for steamers up
the river from st. Michaels. The condi-
ton here is terrible. Wood is $50 a cord.
1t burns out about as fast as one can
put it in the stove. A newspaper of re-
cent date would sell for any money.
Writing paper and envelopes have given
out Letters are being written on wrap
ping paper and sent out to be put in en-
velopes and stamped. The mines will
not be half-worked this winter on ac-
count of shortage of provisions. There
are about fifty women here, the most
forlorn lot on earth. The climate is SIM
ply terrible. Men should not come here
with the idea of working, for none but
the most hardy can stand this climate
and then money Is necessary to make
money here. The mail will be regular,
now that the ice is good. 1t Is ten feet
thick at present"
LATE LETTERS
SEATTLE, Wash, Jan. 11.-A letter
from Dawson City says:
Advices from Circle City as late as
November 18th stated that the steamers
p. b. Weare and Bella on their way down
were frozen in there. The steamer Vic
toria, from the mouth of the river, Is also
there. Two or three hundred people who
started from Dawson for Fort Yukon
were stranded there, but most of them
procured sleds and continued on their
way to Fort Yukon, which is ninety
miles distant. Circle City, owing to the
unexpected increase of population from
Dawson, was almost devoid of grub. OF
the 1877 residents of that camp nearly all
were calculating on sending to Fort
Yukon for supplies.
Briefly, were it not for the supplies at
Fort Yukon, which to a certain extent
are an unknown quantity, the situation
at Circle City would be far more desper-
ate than at Dawson City.
Joaquin Miller arrived at Dawson from
Circle City on December 4th at II o clock
He was very badly frozen, having lost
a part of the great toe of his left foot; his
left ear was sloughing off and both cheeks
1ve days before in company with Har-
old Canovan Of Canada, late of the Coast
Survey. They started from Circle City
without dogs. having been unable to
secure them. They pulled their out
fit on a sled.
Mr.. Miller brings story Of great suf-
fering along the river by parties who
were caught in the Ice on their way to
Yukon, but who had not yet reached
Circle City. He reports also the death
of Charles Anderson, a young man from
N. Y, who accidentally shot
himself while in boat about fifty miles
above Circle City.
GLOVER GETS GOLD
POMONA, Cal, Jan. 11.-A letter has
come from Dawson City, written by ex-
VIM. Glover, formerly Of
Nevada and later Of Ventura County,
to his brother James of Ontario. It