The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-03
ALASKAN RELIEF PLANS
GEN. MERRIAM ANNOUNCES HIS
PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE.
Proposed Disposition of the Troops
That Will He sent to the kIondike
New Customs Regulations.

WASHlNGION, Feb. 2.-General Mer-
riam, commanding the Department of CO.
lumbia, has notified the acting secretary
Of war that he has completed the details
of the relief expeditions to be sent out by
the government to the gold regions in Alas
ka and to the Klondike. These are as fol-
lows: Major J. r. Tucker, Fourth Cavalry
is assigned TO command and to take tenn
porary station at Dyea, where he is to
establish camp and supply depot. Captain
George Ruhlen, assistant quartermaster, is
designated a quartermaster and commissary
of the expedition, and is to report to Major
Tucker at Dyea. Captain y. l.. Brainard,
commssary of subsistence, has also been
assigned to duty at Dyea purchasing
and disbursing officer of the expedition.
Captain Bogardus Eldridge, with detach-
ment consisting of Lieutenant w. T.. Clark
and fifty enlisted men of the Fourteenth In
fantry, together with first lieutenant. +. NJ.
Kemp, an assistant surgeon and two ell
listed men Of the hospital corps, fully armed
and equipped for escort duty, in the interior
of Alaska, with one hundred rounds of
rifle ball ammunition per man, are ordered
to proceed from Vancouver barracks to
Dyea and report TO Major Rucker. First
Lieutenant Guy II. Preston. Ninth Cavalry,
i'll charge, with Lieutenant James Ryan,
4NlHlI 0dFdlIy, duO tie pdCh lAdliio llOAAA tAN
department of the Platte forage sufficient to
last till May 81, are also ordered to duty
at Dyea. Orders have been given to the
chief commssary of the Department of the
Columbia to ship by steamers from Port
land and Seattle about Feb. 5 twelve thou
sand complete rations, with proper proper
ton of subsistence stores and property and
also tandem and single sleds, to Major
Rucker at Dyea.
General Merriam to-day wired the acting
secretary Of war the following points from
the reports of Captain Ray: "He strongly
recommends the restriction of emigration to
Alaska this year; says no one should be
allowed to enter without two years supply
of food recommends military post at the
mouth of Tanana river with light draught
high power steamboat to patrol the Yukon
with attachments of troops; also overland
route from Cook or Valdes inlet to the
mouth of the Tanana. He seized all sup
plies at Fort Yukon Oct. 80 to prevent cap
ture by armed mob of about eighty men,
and says the mob was influenced by delib-
crate robbery and not by hunger. Nothing
but a provisional military government will
meet the necessities this year. Full reports
by express to-day
sued regulations governing the entry and
transportation of merchandise destined for
the klondike region and Northwest Terri
tory of British Columbia, by way of Juneau,
Dyea and Skaguay or other customs ports
in Alaska. 1t is provided that imported
merchandise arriving at any of the ports
en- route for the Klondike may be forwarded
without payment of duty in charge of IL GUS
! toms officer at the expense of the importer,
or on the filing of bond for its exporta-
ton equal to the duties and charges Or,
the owner may make a deposit with the
collector, the same to be refunded on the
certificate of the deputy collector OH the
frontier line that the goods have been ex-
ported; All imported animals or merchan-
disc abandoned on he
seized and forfeited to the government UNI
less the duties are paid thereon. All arti-
cles carried by pass sngers which are in use
and which consist of wearing apparel and
personal effects necessary for the present
comfort OF such passengers are exempt from
duty.
The secretary has also issued regulations
concerning the navigation of the yukon
and Porcupine rivers and their tributaries.
They provide that the transfer of cargo and
passengers from a river or seagong vessel
from a port in the United States except an
other port III Alaska, or from any foreign
port. to a vessel destined by way of the
mouth of the Yukon or Porcupine rivers or
their tributaries, shall be permitted only at
the port of st. Michael, under the super
vision of customs officers When deemed
necessary these officers are required to
beard amy vessel bound to the United States
within four leagues of the coast for the pur-
pose of demanding it's manifest and enforc-
ing the laws and regulations of the United
States Vessels entitled by law to engage
in the coastlng trade of the United States
may proceed from one point in Alaska to
another in the manner prescribed by law
for the entry and clearance of vessels
within the same customs district The inn
pcrtant feature of these regulations is the
requirement that any American vessel en-
tering ST. Michaels with passengers or car
go for Alaskan ports, and which does not
desire TO proceed must transfer her cargo
to another American vessel. If destined to
port i'll British Columbia the transfer
may be made to either an American or
British vessel. Foreign vessels from "a for
eign port entering st. Michael with a cargo
destined for Alaskan points on the Yukon
or Porcupine rivers, may either proceed or
transfer her cargo to an American vessel
only. When the cargo and passengers are
destined to points in British Columbia the
transfer may be made to either an Amer
lean or British vessel. The same general
requirements are provided for vessels de-
scending the Yukon or Porcupine rivers
from ports in British Columbia the en-
trance to be made at Circle City British
vessels plying on the Yukon or Porcupine
rivers or their tributaries, between ST
Michaels and ports i'm British Columbia may
touch at places in Alaska on the Yukon or
Porcupine rivers or their tributaries for the
purchase of fuel or supplies or in distress.
under the supervision of an officer Of the
customs.
Assistant Secretary SpauIdng has been
officially advised that the new Canadian
regulations allows small American river
steamers to be carried in sections through
Canadian territory free OF duty by either
the Dyea or Stikine route to the head
waters of the Yukon, and from those points
| they may carry cargoes or passengers to
Circle City and other places in Alaska Such
steamers of course. cannot engage in the