The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-15
Rock Island msa Building a
Steamer EeFe.
TO OPERATE Or YUKON RIVER.
Party of Twenty-Five ia Embark Ia
Her for DAVIS oG--sie IL ia he COM
piefed Ina sixty Uay.-A hole state
Of liiiHois stirred With Excite
Men of Every Rank are sustsen-

Bright and early yesterday ncrnIag q
crew % fiftesa sasp.rigssts began work
on the hall OF a ssas sscamer that Is 10
ace service On The uksn river The new
vesseI Is being built on ms tide fats Just
Iorth Of the extensive Asrsa plant assi
her builders are usu Ct Rsck Island. III.
who are 10 embark in the business u
transportation ard mining ca the yaa IN
and It's upper tributaries.
r. y. KahIke. 81 Rock fs.aaG Il n the
head of the party Of sAip builders. The
men for the mos; part have fesn In the
employ OF bis nrm. K4isise Brothers, ea-
tablished ship builders % Rock Island
Tho company organized to operate s.er on
the Yukon was formed segafai Meeks ago
By prominent capitalists. professional men
and mechanics Of Rock island. Twenty
I've Of the incerporators Iiii sease snat
city for Seattle On tAslr wey s. IT,. gosd
fields early in May Afsar purchasing al
their supplies II provisions and clothing
In this city they viii 90 70 IL Michael "a
One OF ire big Alaska liners leaving here
late IL May Or in the first week in June
They will dssemnark At the mouth OF the
Yukon. and boarding their steamer, az
steam up tfS river 10 the gold fields
According TO AR k2hlke Tbs whole II
the state % flsigois AaE been worked 10
70 pitch CT feveffsh excitement over
the tales tod q the richness Of she ,nues
OF Alaska and the Elnuaike. Nearly the
who,e town of isoek Island assenabisli at
the depot when tae party OF Ineesaauics
boarded the train for Seattle SEINE men
In the crowd wanted ~ ray the Officers 81
the company which had sent the nla;i
sl.4o for the cllaEee 81 being one of The
party that Is hound Tor the gold feds
Men Of various aEoeatious ID lie. air
Kaiilke stated ars members IF the party
OF twenty five that VIII embark on the
steamer for Dawson. There aye doctors
lawyers. real estate men, merchants and
fnsehanies- Al % the members az tho
party contributed cash 10 the venture IN
this way shc sum II - 80 being raised.
The nrst step after the necessary fnuaa
were raised Was ia send an advance rsD-
re2sntaiive t. the Pacific coast 20 cheese
spot where the steamer ahGull 10 hi,iH
and To which the rastnhers 81 the party
were to come 10 OUTFIT for their long STAY
IN The north. Fer tais purpose a veteran
navigator was selected in the psrssn az
Capt. W. G. kuaaek. who reached scat
te from Rock Island about three weeks
ako. Capt. knaacx Is a practical man
and an experienced navigator. II Eid .at
take him long To discover thai in seat
lie IVES ccntsrsa the ma torify of the
Alaska transportation Zines and that here
the bulk Of the great business incident II
the tremendous migration TO the gold fields
WAS To be transacted For that reason
and fer the further reason that tn this
city we're 10 be found better shipftsfld ing
facilities thar anywhere on the North Pa
ctfte coast. Capt, Knaaek determined thar
II would be "a the best interests az eIs
company to have the steamer butt here
Accordingy he notified the officers Of the
company az Rock Island ard ordered the
materials and selected the site for the
construction Of the steamer. Everything
Was In readiness ~ begin work when
Mr. kahlke arrived Saturday nigkt with
force or fifteen mechanics
l. expected that the steamer will he
completed within sixty days 2hr q 10
BE- hrst-eiass vessel IN every respect IL
fsa With powerful engines and supplied
with electric lights. scare lights. steam
steering gear aud at - the latest devices
Known 20 sAip building. fier Dimensions
are: Length. iss feet: hea1n. 81 feet. sac
VIII be mcaelct ~ az - carry TIE great
est amaun; Of freight wiih the least draft.
Loaded lighi. she viii draw less than two
feet Of water
Ia addition - taking steamer north
With Them. the Rock Island party wRl
have ssean barge wfth a saaa pump.
ard deck hoaee lifted with living ac-
cotnme3atipus. II g pare " their scheme
% @otk the hars 81 some IF the Yukoa.s
tributaries for gold. living on the steam
barge and prospecting ~ saHadssTnr rev
discoTeries IN the summer.