The herald., 1898-02-04
EXPLORERS ARE ORDERED OUT
TO BLAZE THE WAY VIA THE
COPPER RIVER
By the Time the Blazing Is Done the
Canadians Will Be Running
Palace Cars
Associated Press Special Wire

w NASflNGION, FEB. 3.-The SeCre-
tary of war has telegraphed instructions
to General Merriam, commanding the
department of the Columbia, February
1st, to organize and send an exploring
expedition over the Copper river route
in Alaska for the purpose of ascertain
ing whether practicable summer OIL
winter route, wholly within the territory
of the United States, for mail and sup
plies, or for mail alone, could be found tc
the mining regions on the Yukon be-
tween Forty Mile creek and Circle City
The organization of the party and Sc
lection of officers to command 1t Is left
to General Merriam. In case a practi-
cable route can be found. instructions
were given to SO mark 1t that it could be
followed hereafter. The party is to
take, as far as practicable, such supplies
as may be found to be practicable to re.
lieve any persons in distress that may
be encountered. The natives of the Cop.
per River valley have been reported as
aggressive, and the officers in charge
will be expected to use their efforts to
conciliate them. The party will be in
structed to proceed as far as practicable
toward Circle City and If it is deemed
advisable, to communicate with the re-
lief expedition taking supplies to the
Yukon, and the two parties will cooper
ate in the work Of exploration. The ex-
pediton probably will make an entrance
by Port Valdes or Prince William sound
unless it be found that some other point
is more advisable.
THE CANADIAN ROUTE
NEW YORK. Feb. S.-The Canadian
Parliament. which meets today, will be
asked to sanction without delay a gov
ernment bill for the construction of a
railway from Glenora to Telegraph
Creek on the Stickeen river to Teslin
Lake, distance of 1876 miles. says the
Ottawa correspondent Of the Herald.
The road, which is to be completed by
November. will be the first railway maxi
ing for Klondike.
Between Telegraph creek and Teslin
lake the government of British Column
bia has begun wagon road, over which
transportation companies will run stages
and pack carts. The Stickeen, from
Wrangel northward, flows thirty miles
through United States territory, but the
free navigation of the river was con-
ceded to Canada by the treaty of 1871
and the bonding arrangements entered
into by the United States government
and the government of Canada will per-
NIT goods to be shipped from Vancouver
and Victoria via Wrangel without
breaking bulk
There Is uninterrupted navigation
from Teslin lake to Dawson City, a dis
tance of 600 miles, from May 18th to No
vember 18th. The Teslin or Hootalin-
qua river flows out of Lake Teslin and, on
being Joined by the Big Salmon, is
known as the Lewes. At Fort Selkirk
the Lewes is Joined by the Pelly and the
two form the Yukon.
The route has been selected by the
Canadian government as the shortest
and best route to the gold fields.
The total distance from Vancouver to
Dawson by this route is 1850 miles. 1t Is
an all-water route, except for the 1876
and Teslin lake.
When the railroad over that section is
finished, it will be possible to reach Daw-
son from Vancouver or Victoria in a
week, with no greater amount of dis
comfort than is experienced on voyage
across the AtlaItic.
Rates on the railway will be regulated
by the Dominion government, and will
be reduced 25 per cent at the end of three
years. The Canadian Parliament will
not grant a charter to any competing
railway from any point on the interna-
tional boundary for a period of five
years. The contract provides that the
contractors shall keep the existing wag-
on road in good repair until such time as
the railway shall be running and afford
every facility for the transportation of
! passengers and freight.
TICKETS TO DAWSON
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 3.-The
Southern Pacific company has obtained
the privilege of selling through tickets
to Dawson and all points in Alaska from
any city in the United States, over the
route of the Alaska Commercial COM
Dany, while the Pacific Mail company
has placed its steamers at the disposal
of the Commercial company.
~