Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-09-16
HOME FROM
ALASKA
EDWARD CLARK RE-
TURNED TO-DAY
FROM COPPER
RIVER.
NO GOLD, BUT MUCH
EXPERIENCE.
Had a Hard Trip. but Re-
turned Safely.

Edward Clark of this city who went
to Alaska last February to seek for the
yellow metal returned to Barre this
morning.
Mr.. Clark was accompanied on his
expidition by two other Barre men,
Frank Brandt, who is up the Copper
River ret, ana William Murdoch whom
he parted with at Seattle and expected
to find here before him.
The expedition left Seattle on a
steamer carrying 150 passengers but
only Al stayed aboard for the trip to
Orca, Alaska. The others were fright
ened and turned back. The steamer
had hard luck, stirling icebergs, islands
and encountering two gales and nearly
foundering.
Orca is about ten miles from the Cop
per River. From Orca some went oves-
land by sledges to Alganik, the last set
tlemcnt. This place is simply two or
three huts by the river side.
Another method of entering the river
is to go by boat from Olca in tho open
sea to the mouth of the river and then up
From Alganik the expedition proceed
eL with sledges OH the frozen river fox
about one hundred miles further when
the river brokey up about June 1st' and
they had to 60 the rest Of the way by
boat.
The Copper River rises near the
source of the Yukon and instered OF
having several thousand miles in which
to reach the sea level has 10 drop tht
whole distance in going about three
hundred and fifty miles.
The country here is very mou"t'l"
Gus, high ranges bordering the river Oh
both sides rise abruptly from the water 81
that it is impossible to land for mile
aud miles. The Copper river is yer.
swift throughout its entire length AM
at point about forty miles above Al
vanick there is a rapid three and on
: half miles long that runs at the rate Q
' forty miles an hour. -.
r Along the sides Of the river anu III
:. ing depression in the mountain range
are numerous glaciers; one. the M''e'
travels down the incline at the rave
two feet day. Passing up or 90"
the river past some of these glaciers
0 very dangerous, for occasionally ln'
0 lions of cubic feet of ice 60 splashh'
0 into the river. Mr.. Clark says that tt
c valdes glacier was literally black VII
men when he went up, who were carr
ing overland past the dangerous place
Progress up the river is extreme
s,ow Mr.. Clark reports that 1t to-
two and half months to get up u
river the first hundred miles ADO
the big rapids, however, 'here
twenty-five miles of river that can
sailed up.
Tho wind here blows a living ga
C. going up the river in winter ana 40,
a !, summer. The expedition went aoe
cc ope hundred and seventy miles up
river in all but did not find any pay'
vo yold There is float gold every"ne
I,t # is too fine to save. In digging
tho he'd rock the water rushes III
s,1s tho mine. There is an abundal
Of copper ore here but the h'ns
Metals is conspicuous by Its aose'l
] A. the mouth of the river Mr.. Ci"rk 5
" uorsons who had been in the co"n
for thirteen years but had never k"o
Of any gold brough: down the Cop
" River. His party was sure II was
there however and so continued 0" v, ,
wov, It is not very cold up there.
I Clark M says that many made the mist
! of taking to many clothes :,
The trip was hard and LOOK ~ ~
fine Tut the experiences VIII "
lair pleasant remembrance. In inc W
mart Of the river the party waoeo ~
rowing from sandbar to sanaOar'
o,.o ,yst to the waist every day.
=, v,ramc swiftness Of the rlVcl "'o~