Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-03-04
ALASKAN NUGGETS.

ma have proved unavailing.
Martial law has been declared at
Skagway and it is being maintained by
u. 5. troops.
Neither man nor dog can now face
the cold winds and live on the Cana
dian route to the Stickeen mines.
One of the latest victims of the
scourge at Skagway was the postmas-
ter. The victims average Is day.
The steamship Joan, lately down
from Wrangel reports exceedingly
rough weather. Passengers at one
time resigned themselves to death, but
the steamer pulled through.
A herd of 20 reindeer has arrived at
Seattle, owned by an English syndi-
cate which has located several grub
stakes on the Yukon. They intend to
send the deer over the trail with a
years supplies.
Skagway is said to be controlled by
a couple of hundred toughs, and pas
sengers by the Oregon on her last trip
down report that Il more disguised and
homesick crowd was never carried
from that delusive country.
Skagway is reported to be very
sickly town. Cerebro-spinal mengin-
tits is epidemic, attacking mainly
middle-aged people, from 20 to 50
years of age. Seventeen deaths were
reported in one day from that cause.
GOLD son rol,or ,,ho l,s :t -
turned from the famed mines of the
Yukon says that to SO men out of 100,
" day is better on the Sound than
$5 at Skagway and he advises every
body without ample means to stay at
home.
The crowd of people at Wrangel
n,akos any degree Of comfort impoesi-
bic. People are sleeping ON boards,
on verandas and in the snow. For q
diet of pork and beans and space to
sleep on the floor, $3.50 per day is
charged.
The Oregon, on her trip down,
sighted, in Seymour Narrows, a steam
er on fire flying distress flag, but be-
fore assistance could reach her, she
had put into the bay, extinguished the
flames and proceeded on her way
northward. Her name could not be
ascertained.
The Government has been so long
getting ready to relieve the distress"
at Dawson City that there is no longer
need for relief and Secretary Alger IA
vors abandonment of further effort
and a sale of the provisions that have
been purchased, to save as much of
the government appropriation as pos
sible.
The steamship Elder had all exceed
ingly rough trip on her last voyage to
Alaska. One of the officers of the boat
says that it was only by special inter-
position of Providence that she was
saved from the fate of the Corona and
the Nevada. The Oregon, likewise,
barely escaped destruction by a
scratch. She was for "a hours on her
beams'-ends on the mudflats of Juneau
harbor, and the passengers and crew
in infinite peril. The same steamer,
on her way down., lost her propeller.
The bodies of no less than 400 horses
and mules lie ON the trail leading out OF
Skagway. They lost their lives sliding
off in their endeayors to cross it. The
pass when it is navigable is unsafe, for
if a man or horse makes misstep he
is gone. If pack animal slides off
feet first it is possible to save the pack,
but it is necessary to shoot the animal,
as it is impossible to get the beast back
on again. If the animal rolls down
the mountain side the pack is lost and
the horse is killed in the descent.
One of the causes given for the NOR
tality at Skagway is that the water
drank flows down the mountain side
which is lined with the bodies OF
miners, horses and mules that have
lost their lives by cold or accident.
The effect is fearful. A person is
taken i'll in the morning, and is dead
by night. When spring comes doubt
less the pestilence will, if possible, be
still more fearful. Deaths have like.
wise occurred from actual want of
food. Men who are willing to work
for their board are turned away.
There is not the slightest semblance
OF law and order in Skagway. Day
light hold.ups are numerous. One
day marshal was standing on the
corner and saw man held up. He
went to his assistance and the marshal
was filled full OF ahot by the robbers.
Then they coolly finished robbing the
man and walked away. The I'M
fortunate marshal was carried out of
the city and buried by putting a
quantity OF moss over him. Nothing
was done about it and there was
no attempt to ascertain who did the
killing.
The Snow and Ice trains will, ac-
cording to big advertisements in the
Portland papers, leave that city early
this month for Dawson City, carrying
passengers, with meals, berths and 800
pounds of freight, for $500. 1t is not
expected, however, that the train will
start from Portland, but that the pas
sengers will be shipped northward to
take the train at some point in Alaska
for the interior. This train will be
headed by the famous snow locomo-
tive described several months ago in
this paper, which thaws out track
for itself by a hot cylinder as it pro-
! crosses.