Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-08-18
EDWARD LAKENAN
Tells How He Went Through the
Rapids-An Audrain Boy Enroute
for Dawson Citg-An In
teresting Letter.

Lakenan, brother of Joseph Lakenan,
of this city, will be of interest to our
readers:
YUKON RIVER, BELOW SIXTY MILE
CREEK, ON BOARD THE "UNcLE SAM
June s, .1s9s.-DEAR JoE:-We are
floating along 30 nicely that I con-
cluded to begin a letter before we
reached Dawson. We have been nine
days on the trip, and would have
made it about a day and a half quicker
had we not been stopped by the ice
on Tagish and Marsh lakes. We have
had an elegant trip, and made over
100 miles day part Of the way. Well,
of course, you all want to know how
made 1t through the Canon and Rapids,
and as it is all over now, and we got
through all right, I don't mind telling
you how it happened. We landed on
the right hand bank, just above Miles
Canon, took down the mast pole, ar
ranged our load, and decked the boat
over with canvas. We were travel
ling with two men who built their boat
where we did ours-nice fellowship
one of them was a little nervous on
rough water. Harvey and I took their
boat through the Canon first, and
landed between there and White
Horse Rapids, then went back and
brought u boat that far. The cur
rent is very swift here, and the water
roars and tosses in quite a leckless
manner. At times the bow would
shoot up in the air and then dip down
under the water, but "Uncle SAM
CHATS the name of boat) loated
we'll and dipped very little water.
This Canon is three.fourths of a mile
long, but it doesn't take long to 60
through. There is very little danger
in running this Canon with good men
in a good boat.
From the foot of Canon each party
took their own boat down and landed
down the famous White Horse Rapids.
We all went down, and after carefully
inspecting the rapids, decided to run
the boats through just as they were.
The danger in these rapids lies in rum
ming onto the rocks, although at the
foot, where all the water is crowded
between two narrow rock walls, it
looks like a small boat would be
swamped. The same three of us who
brought our boats through the Canon,
boarded the "Uncle Sam" and started
down stream like a racer, but instead
of trying to check the speed, two
rowed as hard as they could pull, while
the other steered. We went through all
right, without taking a gallon of water,
but, of course, everything in the boat
would have been drenched had we not
put the canvas on, for at one time the
water appeared to be six or eight feet
higher than the boat, on either side.
Aside from getting wet ourselves, no
damage was done, and we didn't mind
that. We didn't take anything out OF
the boat except the mast pole. Our
load weighs something over two tons.
Just as we got our boat landed below
the rapids, we saw sacks of goods and
other articles floating past us, which
came from q boat not two minutes
behind us, and was wrecked on a rock
just above the narrow place ia the
rapids. We started right back after
the other boat, and saw two men
hanging onto the boat that was stuck
on a rock in the middle of the current,
The other one was thrown forward
when the boat struck. He was seer
going through the rapids, but nothing
could be seen of him afterwards.
Both banks of the river were lined
with people, and we vert trying to
devise some plan to rescue the men
On the wrecked boat, when it swung
around off the rock and dashed down
through the rapids. When it drilled
near the shore one of the men jumped
off, and vas drowned. The other one
stayed with the boat, which soon
lodged on an island, and was taken of
in a small boat. Seeing all this made
Us feel a little bit shaky about running
the other boat through, but we landed
her safely below the rapids. Some
are so careless as to shoot the rapids
without going ahead to look. W.
knew that the rock was there before
starting the first boat through, and
took particular pains to avoid it,
Many packed their outfit around, OF
had the tramway company move il
for them; others gave a pilot S25.0(
to q their boat through, and still
others came through as we did. Had
a good wind and made fast time across
Lake Labarge, and since leaving there
the current has been good, with fail
winds for sailing part of the way. W.
have seen many wrecked and stranded
boats all along the route, but have
been particularly fortunate ourselves
"Uncle Sam" Is cheered and saluted
all along the route, and we are getting
tired answering the question: "How
are you making it with Spain? We
stayed at Stewart River last night, an6
are nov about IS miles above Dawson,
floating on a current that moves III
about four miles an hour. We have
taken most Of our meals on the boat
We made a little deck over the bow oil
the boat, where we set the stove an6
cook and eat while travelling. We dc
this partly to avoid the mosquitoes
They do not bother on the water, but
on the land they fully come up to my
expectations. VIII stop for the pres
emit and finish this letter in Dawson
June 9.-Got in last evening at
O'Clock, just in time to see the frs
steamer come up the river-not from
st. Michaels, but below Circle City
where it has been In the ice all winter
1t Is the "May West" which left Sar
Francisco for this place last August
1 am writing this q little at a time, a
there is no chance to send it out befor,
the boats can get to st. Michaels.
Prices are falling every day here a
the boats arrive from Bennett, and
look for them to be quite reasonable