The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-03
HOME FROM ALASKA.
Party Found No Gold-Had Some
 Thrilling Experiences,

Thrilling Experiences.
 Captain Evan b. Hughes, who left Mcriden February 2d with party of seven for the Copper River regions in Alaska in search of gold has returned to Meriden, his home,
 He says the only thing he brought out of the Copper River regions was whole lot of experience and about twen- ty-one pounds more of flesh on his bones than what he took in.
 The Merlden Republican says: Af- ter the party left Merden they reached Port Valdes on March 6 and from thera started inland. It took them two months to cross the summit of the Big Valdes Glacier which is twelve hun dred feet higher than Chilcoot pass. The distance to the summit was eigh- teen miles, and from there to the center it was twelve miles The journey over this glacier was very difficult as may be guessed from it requiring two months to travel thirty miles. and this thirty miles was covered without fire wood to burn, It stormed five out of the seven days and when it did not snow the wind blew hurricane.
 After reaching the timber line the party built two boats; one they named the City of Meriden and the other Char ter Oak They found easy travelling down Klutena creek, through the lake, into the river on the other side, which is also called the Klutena, but after dropping down the river five miles they had to give up their boats and go irto camp, the current is so swift. The riy- CT drops thirty-two feet in every mile and runs between clay banks five hun dred feet high. The stop was made at Omey rapids, below which it is not safe to travel The water of the river Is the color of milk water.
 MT. Hughes says there is no gold in the Copper River basin, as the land is all sWamps. He says the reports are simply an immense swindle gotten up by tie Pacific Steam Whaling company and the New York Herald. The worst part of the journey is the rough life you have to lead He says he has slept but four nights in beds since he left home. The mosquitoes are very thick and very fierce, and he has seen the
 
 cook without their getting into the meat. and he has seen a man catch half a hat full by simply swinging his hat through the air.
 The country is a fine one for the health. as notwithstanding all this hard work he gained twenty-one pounds and never felt better in his life The tenn perature has been as high as ninety de- grees, but he says he did not suffer once as much as he has to-day. The worst day he spent was when he came through the Yellowstone park, | when the thermometer was one hun dred and ten.
 Mir. Hughes says he realized he had | been led into the Copper River by false I reports, and concluding there was no gold there, decided to come home. 1 Some of the boys went prospecting 1 when they reached Amony rapids but ] he came out He started July 25 and ! made excellent time. Irwin Baldwin and Gunnie and John Fohlin came out 1 fifty miles with him. His trip cost him l a thousand dollars.
 l The rest of the party are going to try 1 to make Dawson City over the divide. | but<as the journey is three hundred and | fifty miles, it will take until next May to do it. provided they can start soon Captain Hughes brought some rocks l which showed slight deposits of gold His party narrowly escaped being | caught in the snowslde on the glacier, | which destroyed many lives Twice | they tried to push forward, but the
 storm beat them back, and the next day
 the slide occurred exactly where they | would have been encamped."