The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-10
CURSE FATE IN alaska.
ARMY OFFICERS on SURVEY DUTY
PINE FOR WAR AND GLORY.
They Have Asked tn BE Recalled, But
Expeditions Cannot he Abaa-
doned - Must Remain at Prosafe

/ OF the United States army are OF IN the
| wilderness Of Alaska on a government sur
| veying detail. cursing the fate that sent
| them TO the land OF glaciers and god. and
| hoping that the powers that be in WASH
ington viii allow them 10 shift their de-
| tails and join the army OF invasion Of
| Cuba Some OF them have had as many
as twenty years of active and honorable
service and all OF them are filed with an
ambition TO earn glory and iaure!s in NOR
| tai combat with The Spanish oppsessors
| Of the Pearl OF the Antilles.
| Their formal application TO Maj. Gen.
| Merriam. formerly commanding the de-
! partment OF the Columbia, but who sue
| ceeded Gen. Shafter In command OF the
| department Of California for relief from
| Alaska detail were recently sent to him
| through Capt. w. r Abercrombie. in COM
| mand OF the surveying expedition through
| the Copper river district. All save two
| OF the twelve officers were turned down."
| as they viii probably express It. when they
| learn as they will In the course OF ten
| days or two weeks that the war depart
| ment has decided t TO be .mpractcabe TO
| abandon the Alaska surveying expaii-
| tons
The exceptions TO the order, which was
recently issued by Gen. Merriam direct
| ing the continuance OF the survey, ara
Lieut.. Guy II. Preston, OF the Ninth cav
airy and Lieut.. j. S. kulp. OF the medical
department. Lieut.. Kulp returned a few
| days ago from Copper river with Capt.
| Abercrombie and is now on his way to
| Washington to report for orders.
Before Capt. Abefcrombie left yaldes
| he was besought TO use every agency in
| his power 10 obtain an order from the
| authorities for the recall OF his comrades
| now III the north. To those brave men
| there Is nothing but hard work and plenty
| OF grief ahead Of them while chances of
earning glory and promotions IN active
service IN the field will ne gained by Their
| old comrades in their respective regiments
This Is why they are curslng their luck.
Four months ago when the war depart
ment first planned the survey of the triple
routes from tidewater TO the gold fields
| OF the Yukon basin. the detail was eager
| ly sought by officers, who then believed
that there was little chance OF war with
Spain. The men selected for the expedi-
tons were chosen on account of their 1T
ness experience and capacity for hard
work under trying circumstances and the
officers who were named looked upon the
fact as q testimonial 10 their abilities.
There was no little strife for the honor
OF being a member of the surveying ex-
petitions and when Capt. w. X. Aber-
cromb!e of the Second infantry; Capt.
Bogardus Eldgidge. OF the Fourteenth In
fantry. and Capt. E T. Glenn, of the
Twenty-fifth were selected Their friends
zhnweraj haYr
Then Alaska and its treasures. OF gold.
from Dawson In the k1ondike, through
the newly discovered fields of the Copper
and Tanana rivers ana Munook creek drew
the attention OF adventurous men all over
the country. Klondike news was readily
absorbed by Eastern newspapers and the
rush TO the gold fields was at its height.
Miners and prospectors were leaving Seat
tie al the rate OF /, 500 per week.
Every one knows OF the sudden change
in the center or gravity OF news when the
Name was blown up n Havana harbor.
The officers and men of the surveying ex-
petitions at Dyea end Vakies first learned
that war had broken out when the steam
er Valencia brought the news about May
%. Cour!ers carried the information from
the settlement at the foot of the Faides
glacier TO Capt Glenn and Lieut.. Pres
ton, who were hen some distance in the
interior. Back came their applications,
couchsa In the mos: urgent terms. for a
change In detail from Alaska 10 Cuba.
Some OF the officers. Il Is said. were almost
frenzied at the prospect OF peacab,y chas-
ing over the hills and daies Of gold-ribbed
Alaska for from four 70 SIX months while
| their comrades in their regiments were
earning unaying laurels OF the field Of
battle. Then there is ever in view 10
the army officer the chance os promotion.
Many OF the lleutenants and captains Of
! the regular army have been made coIone,s
| Of volunteer regiments. There WIS also
| a chance 10 do the heroic as Hohson did
| az Santiago de Cuba.
All this was felt by the officers 81 the
| surveying parties more deeply than NAV
| we'll Be imagined by a civilian. II Is said
that when Capt Aher~rombse left poFt
| Valdes 10 come 20 Seattle FOR additional
pack animals Capt Clear, WAC has Seen
! twenty years ~ hard and honorable ser
| vice. and others IN the exped ton a. the
/ mouth of the Copper river. came down to
| the landing AMI begged Capt, Abercrom-
| he. WITH tears IN their eyes 20 bring them
! saek orders 20 return ~ once ard Join
| their regiments at the front
Capt Ahe-c-omhle forwarded the april
cations together with kilograms sent hy
| individual officers 20 their influential
friends n Washington. asking them %
}ntercedc for them. TINS applications were
sent direct % Gen Merriam a san Fran
cisco ard IN dGs course of me the mat
ter WAS presented ~ w as2tnEtoG. Cen
Merriam has fo~Va rsied an order TO Capt.
Aoeseremb.e ara Capt. Glenn. saying that
'hH war department considers tina; ton
much money hax already been expended
on tire expeditions % testify their recall.
ana TIA, the work 90 Of ;he highest import
srce- Exceptions were r,-e n the cases
~ Lsut. J s Rglp and Lieut.. Guy II
Preston. TIE former returned NTH Cart.
Ahercrer,h5a and two days after hlS arrival
here lefs Tor Washington With 10y N his
hsavt st he chance Of psrt{cipat:t3g IN the
feht with Spain.
IAsa, Preston & not n sGch good luck
III stared MAY y wta a party % men
ara as geographical INSTRUMENTS fa~ or
Gle C.;y on the Yukon. lie Is wlth ;hs
parry - which Z J Cooper. a mining
fuzn from Cr5ppie creek. 60, = ths lead
er Owing % the fat taat TIRE reindeer
provided hy lsr Sheldon 10 kson proved
= failure ~ means % transport .
tie Inter -. the TAO expeditions which
mere - stsvt from Copper r-se~ arsi C1oE
sa.es f1~ tire Yukon were without mack
Z -a-e..