The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-13

Headquarters of the Army, Washington.
1t is proposed to send relief expedition into
the Kondike country for the purpose of
giving relief to any one who may be found
IN destitute or suffering pdition in that
secuon. | presume that the expedition will
travel with steam locomotives so far as prac-
tlcable, reindeer and pack animals sledges
QIaWn by mules, as the case may require.
Ihere viii be small escort of perhaps fifty
men, more or less. AS to the details of the
expedition and its precise movements, these
are matters as yet somewhat indefinite, which
Will De determined upon further consideration
or the conditions that may be found TO ex-
list Very truly yours, Nelson A. Miles.
In order to supplement the above
statement with additional particulars
the correspondent called on Gen. Miles,
who has personally given great atten-
ton to Alaskan affairs. He said that
while he did not like to commit him
self to positive details, in view of the
constantly changing plans, at the
present time it was the intention to
have two expeditions sent-one by the
Dalton trail, while the other would go
over the Copper River route
Russian troops under Prince Mac
santoff occupied Alaska when our
government bought it," said Gen.
Miles. The command of the territory
was turned over to Gen. Rosseau, and
for several years was occupied by Unit
ed States military forces. The troops
were gradually withdrawn and the
territory turned over to the treasury
department in 1891. Subsequently the
territory was occupied by civil govern
ment, with governor, marshal, etc
During the military occupation of the
territory very little knowledge was OBJ
tanned of the United States.
During the time from 1883 to 1885,
while l was in command of the de-
partment of the Columbia, 1 sent three
expeditions through Alaska. The first
was under Lieut.. Frederick Schwatka,
in 1883; the second was under Lieut.
Abercrombie, in 1885; and the third
was under Lieut.. H. T. Allen, later in
the same year. Lieut.. Abercrombie
conducted an expedition up the Copper
river valley, and Lieut. Allen went Up
the Copper river, thence across the
divide and down the Tanana to the
Yukon, thence to Boring sea.
1t is now estimated that there are
approximately 5000 men either in our
territory or in British Columbia, inn
mediately adjacent to the boundary. It
is quite probable that there will be
great suffering, if not many deaths,
before relief can reach them, or sup
plies can be sent to them in the ordin-
airy way at the opening of water COM
munication in the summer of next
year.
LAS nearly all these men are Ameri-
cans 1 think that the army has right
~ been called upon. The distance
from water communication in an air
line to Belle Isle as follows: From
the mouth of the Yukon river, 70O
miles; from Chilkoot pass, 42O miles,
and from the mouth of the Copper
river $40 miles. The distance in fol
lowing the windings of the great Yu-
kon river navigable for 1000 miles, is
LOO miles, and from the Chilkoot pass,
us miles. The latter course also fol-
lows the windings of the upper Yu-
kon. The distance from the mouth of
Copper river is much shorter and more
direct, but as the route has never been