Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-03-18

small bridges, and some Improvement
on the road leading out from Skagway
There has been tramway project ther,
but no progress has been made with it
The indications are that the Skagway
tran Will not be materially better thar
1t was last summer, when it was block.
AIDED and rendered practically impas.
sable by 5000 or 1000 people and theil
outfits. OF course, as long as the snow
lasts in the spring the trail will be a
better one than when the traveller has
encounter mud and boulders, which
were such an obstacle year ago.
AS for the trail from Dyea, which is
the one experience has proved to be
the best, two tramways are are under
construction for the transportation of
goods. One of these has a tram rail
road from Dyea to the base of the sum.
NIT ridge, and an electric bucket sys.
tenn across the summit to Lake Linde-
mann. The other has two tramway
cables leading from the first and Sec
ond divides and ending at Lake Linde-
mann. Connection between the last of
these and Dyea will be made with
wagons and pack animals. Neither
OF these enterprise is ready for opera
tion, and the possibilities are that they
will not be before the first of Aprii.
when IN complete operation, their COM
bined capacity will not exceed 400 tons
per day. Assuming that bv the use
of pack animals 100 tons per day could
be taken over the White pass from
skagway, this leaves the total capacity
OF all facilities provided for both passes
at 500 tons per day. This means 100
days for transporting so, 900 tons that
Will be accumulated there by the first
OF April. In other words, accumula-
tions could not be cleared away before
the middle of June. The probabilities
are, however, that during the months
OF April and May an equal quantity of
new freight would demand attention.
lii this calculation no allowance is
made for the freight which could be
taken on sleds by individuals and by
the aid of dogs. This would be in
considerable. In fact, with such a
mass of humanity and of goods, it
would be almost impossible for freight
to be moved at all on those narrow
portions of the trail where the right of
way would be the subject of dispute
and contention. If people interfered
with each other last fall so as to create
a blockade on both trails with less than
5000 people attempting to go over, it
does not require great flight of i'm
agination to see the utter blockade that
would be created by 90, 900 people.
One who intends to go to Alaska may
we'll stop and consider what his chances
are likely to be in such mob, and
whether he would not do better to seek
some other route or some other obiec-
tive point than the Klondike region.
VI course, transportation facilities from
The coast ports to Alaska have been
provided for Dyea and Skagway, but
doubtless as soon as this blockade SO |
develops that intending gold hunters
iemand to be taken somewhere else.
steamers will leave the Dyea and Skag-
way routes and seek other ports, such
Is Copper river and Cooks inlet. AT
hese places there is room for all. No .
harrow canyon trail confines the gold .
lunter to particular route, but there
8 opportunity to spread out over a
vide expanse OF country, now practic-
lily unknown. but reported to be rich
n gold. There are said to be low
'asses through the mountains from
10Th Copper river and Cooks inlet,
eading over to the Tanana and to the
ead waters of Birch creek, by which
he now promising gold fields on the
American side of the line may be more
asily reached than by the route across
he Chilkoot pass and down the lakes
nd rivers. The government is now
tting out an expedition for Copper
lver. Undoubtedly these routes will
e opened up the present season by
even should not the great
tream of travel be turned in that direc-
on.
There are already indications of a
esire on the part of gold hunters to
bandon their idea of going to Dyea
nd Skagway, and TO stike out for the
opper river and Cooks inlet. Be-
ond doubt this tendency will rapidly
lcrease as the crowded condition of
le passes becomes better known. At
resent the only facilities for reaching
opper river and Cooks inlet is the
nited States mail boat operated by
le Pacific Coast Steam Whaling Com
any from San Francisco, the two
nall steamers now on the route from
Drtlaud to Copper river, and the small
Gamer running from Port Townsend
Copper river. These steamers are
ready inadequate to meet the demand l