The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-01

\
The United States gunbcat Wheeling
with her eight rified guns sticking out OF
| her side ports, steamed into port yester-
/ day afternoon at e.3o O'Clock and anchored
/ I'm the stream. She had been ordered down
| from Sitka to take north the United States
geological survey party which is now gath
| er.ng in this city. For three months the
| Wheeling has been cruising in Alaskan
waters, from Yakutat on the north to the
British Columbia line on the south. She
is now the only representative of Uncle
Sans white squadron north of San Fran
cisco She will be in port but very few
days.
Has war been declared against Spain?"
was the question that was put to the Post
Intelligencer reporter by the sailor met
with when he boarded the Wheeling yes
terday. The officer of the deck asked the
same question. and so did every one else
on board until Commander Sebree's cabin
was reached. Since the war clouds doomed
up the officers and men OF the Wheeling
have been bemoaning the fate or rather
the order of the navy Department that
gave them the embarrassing duty OF cruis-
ing in Alaskan waters. The Wheeling $
sister ship. the Marietta which was
launched at San Francisco along with the
Wheeling last July, has been ordered to
accompany the big battieship Oregon to
the Atlantic coast. The Wheelings Off
GERS hoped that they would find orders OF
similar nature awaiting them here. and
were much disappointed when they found
that the voyage back to Alaska had not
been called of.
Commander Sebree said to a Post-Intel-
lgencer reporter:
For the past three months we have
been cruising from one Alaskan port to
another under orders from the navy de-
partment, which always tries to have a
war vessel in northern waters. We left
San Francisco on January /, and expec ed
TO be in the north for six months at leas:
On the up trip We started in at ST. Mary
island and touched at every Alaskan port
as far north as Skagway. Then We Went
to Sitka and. taking. Gov. Brady aboard,
went to Yakutat bay.
"A report reached the interior depart
ment last year from some source or other
that the Indians at Yakutat We're likely
to give trouble this year to the whites
who expected 10 go into the interior by
that route. As my orders provided for a
trip to the bay il one could be arranged.
We sailed there after leaving Skagway
On going ashore we found that there was
very little ground for expecting trouble
from, the Indians. There We're very few
of ther1 there in the first place, and they
seemed 10 be disposed to leave the white
people alone.
.s:rhe Indians believe in witchcraft, and
last year tied up one OF their tribe for a
he n
ing hewitched another member o. the
tribe who had been taken sick. he was
tied Up as long as his supposed victim
was sick The one said TO be bewitched
recovered by chance, or the othsr fellow
would probably have been killed Inc
Indians had broken no Federal law. so
we simply made report on the witch
craft matter. The Indians are not dis
posed 10 work for nothing, but as long as
they are paid we'll for what they do or
are left alone by the whites there VIII
be no trouble.
eAfter returning To Sitka from Yakutat
we took Gov Brady 10 Skagway and
Dyea / was ashore a both places ana
found large undesirable element in both
towns a man did not necessarily get into
trouble by going out ON the streets, but
If he wanted trouble he could get II.
There are a number OF very fine people
at both places. Those that l talked with
said that one could live tIlege as safely
as in any other town e he Kept out OF the
rum shops and looked after his own busi-
ness Several of the representative men
told me that they did not find II necessary
TO carry guns. / think II was an excellent
move to send troops north. There are
SO many men out of work and without
means that they would have made things
very interesting had the troops not been
sent.
my orders to come TO Seattle were dated
March ]. but did not reach me until March
20 They were brought 10 Stka on the
Cottage city, and The Wheeling sailed as
soon as we could get to the wharf 10 take
on supplies We left Sitka on March u
ard arrived AZ Port Angeles last night,
My orders read: BE in Seattle by April.
]. II possible / got here. but on a mar
row margin. The trip down was pleas
ant one. except off Dixon entrance, where
we were struck iy a terrible gale. For
over eight hours we had TO GO al half
speed 10 keep the wheeiing's nose out OF
the water. j; win take several days AZ
least 20 get the outfits Of the geological
survey party or board / do not know
just when we viii get away"
Comma nder Sebree is tired OF Alaska.
and much preferred talking about the
Spanish troubles. When asked the prob
able disposition OF the Wheeling in case
OF war he said:
lit is hard to say just what the navy
department would do with the Wheeling
II war should be declared against Spain
We would hardly have time 10 yet around
20 Cuba before hosilities would he az an
end. Ter ! don't think IL would take long
10 settle the matter. The department