The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-31
Bottom Of Blue Lake Said % Be
Coated With Treasure.
THE pAnDE BASIN COUNTRY.


0stA3s tA0 EAVtsAi q AaA&2as ~ Tao ix-esl
northern town to have . gold excitement
Dawson. Rampant City. skagway. Wrxn-
rel and even Juneau. have had their own
specia sxcitements during the last few
months. and from tha reports brought
hare yesterday on the steamer Cottage
tbs governor OF the territory II interested
IN the new discoveries. which are In the
Pands basin. and eorroborates the reports
Of excitement ard strikes.
Henry L. Wilsy OF San Francisco. IN
ex-ehief engineer OF the California Geolog~
6itka taking gold. He came back from
pante basin few days before the Cottage
City sailed on March g. with the report
thai the bottom of Blue lake was coated
richly with gold. and that the mountains
in the neighenr1ood Of the lake were flied
with gold bearing quartz veins sich runs
from 500 10 t90o 10 the ten. With an average
value OF $50 In 1t any wonder that an
Githa wants 10 so into the Pande basin
country?
Wiley has been I'm Alaska for some time
and returned 10 Sitka on March "a from
tho Pande country. lie went out TO inses~
tiGate q quartz proposition for b. r.
MuhIrHan cashier of thu United States sub
treasury at New York. He took samples
from niaefeen places on the ledge and sur
rounding ground. In taking the samples
3 shallow pit WAS dug and from three to
five pounds Of gravel ard quartz taken.
In eachssafnpEe rs PEI cent. Of surface gray
81 vas taken. One test went AZ high a.
500 per ton. None were under Sf00 and the
ten assays made averaged $3.50 per ton. The
aaaying WAS done at Siska BY John W.
DadIey.
Wiley says that there IL every evidence OF
gold bearing rock in the country surround
lng Blue lake. Lodges of quartz being Vial
bile In every direction. His opinion. formed
after scientific investigation. IL that the
PAnde basin was once canyon. which was
closed up BY some volcanic action. The
streams continued to run into the canyon
and the waters slowly formed Biae lake.
An enormous glacier far ao0ve the lake
has for years been acting as an arastra.
grinding down the gold bearing rock which
forms tho sides OF the basin. A. there Ii
no outlet. this finely ground gold must
have been deposited IN the basin. along
with tae sand and gravel.
According TO measurements made by WI
ley. the lake has area OF i6o acres. From
eoundings taken through the Ice. It's depth
IL $50 feet. The mountains surround IL on
almost every eide. rising TO height OF
from fdD0 to 2.s0o feet Wiley believes that
there Is 8 great depth OF gravel and sand
below the iin-foot sounding. He thinks that
gold In large quantities Will be found In
thIs gravel and sand. OF which there Is
19.0O0DN tons. according to estimates. The
wafer in the lake Is dead. and It's surface IL
now covered with Ice varying in thickness
from TO six inches
The rande basin country is very hard
10 reach. and especially so at this time OF
che year. Wiley says that IL took his
party three days 10 reach riue lake. dis
lance OF eight miles from the landing.
There is no regular trai' and the party
was compelled 10 travel over the mos
grown hills deeply covered with snow ana
30 climb some terrible cliffs The build
sns OF trail to the new district win be a
serious difficulty.
The Cottage City left Sitka on March IS
and made the trip down in four days. She
made the round~trtp run between this city
and juneau In ten DAYS. which Is very
good time considering The number az stops
she was compelled 10 make. THE steamer
HerYncsa was passed in Wrangel narrows
at anchor In waii-protected place She
had broken shaft. and with be compelled
10 remain there until a tug IL sent after
her. She had a number of passengers
aboard but did not need assistance. The
Elder was passed near juneau. She was
not damaged by coming I'm contact with
bar In Taalsh narrows and was proceed
lided with an iceberg in Taku Inlet. Her
stem was injured somewhat but sae went
on north.
John Kelley. Harry Brooks ard ]. n, &.
Corbett are IA he tried at the next term
Of the United States court at Sitka for
murder IN the first degree. They are ae-
cuse1 of having shot and killed Sam Parks
al pyaa few weeks ago, Kelley and
Brooks are now IN Jail NJ StlSa. Corh~tt.
who Is suffering from an injured shoulder
Is ett!i In the hospital at Dsea, All three
are considered had men. and the officers
believe they have enough evidence 10 con-
vies them 1t il said that one OF the trio
has made = partial confession
The North Pacific. which left here March
Il with ever 100 passengers. reached jul
nsau IN safety. bat after ar extremely
hanarseus trip. Much rough weather was
encountered and some OF her passengers
who were frau1 the interior states were
hfe~nresefvers during the greater part ct
che trip They were uaacrus' orned TO salt
water and the merest white cap fright
ened them.
The Cottage Ctty brought dawn forty
passengers including Gov. nrsdy.
NEW RAILROAD ron VANCOUVER.