Evening star., 1898-09-19
IN KLONDIKE GOLD FIELD
Washington Poy Lahds There After Varied
Experiences.
Henry Leithner's Account of Journey
From Seattle to Dawson City
Shooting the Chutes.

| Henry Leithner. late Of this city, recently
! wrote his friends here detailing his ex-
periences during the Journey lately made
from Seattle to Dawson City, the modern
| Ell Dorado, fer gold-seekers. His letter Is
as follows:
| 1 arrived at Dawson City July 10, hav-
| ing started from Washington, d. c.. April
3, alone. l fell in company with German
and an Englishman on the boat, going from
Seattle to Dyea. We left Bennett June 20
at pm. and crossed Lake Bennett, a dis
| tance of twenty-six miles. The wind blew
| fearfully, but our boat was good and strong
and we sailed along in safety One scow
was sunk the same night at II o'clock.
! Arriving on the other side, We camped till
next morning, being two miles from Lake
Tagish. The wind changed and we rowed
| five miles to Windy Turn, a dangerous
| place, where we laid over till next morning
| and crossed it. The rest Of Lake Tagish
was good sailing. At the foot is police
| station and our goods were looked over
| and our boat numbered Four Indians
were there in chains for shooting two men
| on Lake Marsh one having been killed and
| the other left for dead. The latter craWled
twelve miles and made the report. He was
| shot through the arm and side After
| shooting them the Indians stole their out
| fit and sank the boats.
Between Lake Tagish and Lake Marsh
! is river five miles long. Lake Marsh is
two miles wide. We had a very heavy side
wind and our boat drifted.
White Horse Rapids.
| After leaving Lake Marsh we got into
crooked river whose current swffter.
We went within one-fourth of a mile of
White Horse Rapids and landed. A large
| number of boats lay there. There are two
tramways around the rapids that carry
things for one cent pound to the foot of
the rapids. The distance from canyon to
rapids is four and one-half miles.
The now very swift river narrows to 100
feet, and with deafening noise shoots
through the canyon. The water is high in
the middle of the stream and the rocks on
both sides are high and straight and look
| as If put up by human hands. After three
fourths of mile the stream widens, then
comes a sudden drop. 1t continues swift
| but level for about two miles then come
the White Horse Rapids. To stand on
| shore and watch the boats fly through is
| the most interesting sight ] ever witnessed.
In the rapids the boats look as If they
would upset every moment.
The Englishman knew one of the own
| ers of the tramway. We lightened our
| boat by taking out 800 pounds; we still had
4,20o pounds in it. We procured pilot to
steer, while the EngliShman and | rowed
to keep the boat straight. It was on the
| 4th of July that 1 shot through Miles Can
| you and White Horse Rapids, starting at
| 8 am and covering the distance in twenty
two minutes. 1t was the finest sensation L
ever experienced In the rapids we had to
| stop rowing. The waves hit against the
| sides of the boat SO hard it sounded like a
bass drum.
| Eight people were drowned there this
| year and sixty scows wrecked or more or
less damaged. No women are allowed to
| shcot the rapids. Some men steer their
! own boats, and pilots get s15, s25 $50
according to the size of the craft Some
| have made fortunes during the rush.
We had pretty good sailing after that
We crossed Lake lie Barge all right. This
| is considered TO be the worst of the lakes
| 1t is five miles wide and thirty-one miles
| long. Two men, one preacher were
drowned two days previous
We next came to Thirty Mile river the
most treacherous of all rivers. Its bed is
fuii of large boulders, it is very crooked
| ard It's current averages seven miles per
| hour.
Narrow Escape. .i~ .'
Here We had the narrowest escape of the
| trip. | steered, and when we were within
100 feet of a big rock l gave the boat
| quick jerk and it turned clear around stern
first. L thought that was the end of our
| trip, but no damage was done People
were patching their boats as we passed on
We saw one big scoW living broken in two
tFon landing we learned 1t was the same
scow loaded with cattle we saw at Windy
Iurn. Ihere were no more dangers after
that, except sand and gravel bars We got
stuck several times. Once we were In the
water for an hour. 1t was cold but we
worked so hard that sweat was rolling off
us.
The Five Finger Rapids were the next
attraction. Before shooting them we land
ed We did not consider it dangerous and
simply took slider. A mile below us
mere was another rapid, but insignificant
we had showers every day on our trim
one day there was a regular cloudburst
often we had to land and lay over on ;,c-
count OF the wind. The actual time travel
ing was 146 hours.
Dawson City.
Dawson City is at the mouth of the K}on-
dixie river on the Yukon. On the other side
of the klordke is Klondike CITY A bridge
that shakes when a dog crosses over it
connects both towns. To cross it costs so
cents each way.
This country like everything else. is now
overdone. People disgusted and selling
out. Those who want to go prospecting
cannot carry enough grub to last them in
going where the country is not staked but
th9re is gold here, and l shall have nv
share.
The thermometer registered % in the
shade two days this week The nights are
cool, but one read at all hours a. night