The times., 1898-01-14
TOO LATE TO DO ANY GOOD.
1t Cannot Reach Dawson Until April.
If at ALL

Inc 0efdy OF the war department III
starting the proposed feIief expedition
to the Kiondike by awaiting the ar
rival of reindeer. when under the plan
of Gen. Miles horses from Montana
might nave been used for the expedi-
tion and the caravan started by this
time, has been criticised
1t is believed by many experts that
the Government has now lost it's Oppor-
tunity to render any aid, notwithstand-
ing the fact that it has 81, 0G0. 900 at it's
disposal appropriated by Congress for
that purpose, and that all chances OF
affording any relief are gone The
fact is. it is questionable whether the
War Department went to work in the
proper manner when it engaged in the
undertaking.
Secretary Alger. until the time of his
recent illness. manifested the greatest
interest in the matter of relief. and
even directed Capt +. III. Ray. of the
Eighth United States Infantry. and
Lieut.. w. p. Richardson to proceed to
Alaska for the purpose of obtaining the
real facts of the situation He went
at his task with his customary energy.
but in his desire 10 promote the work
IL seems that he adopted the least prac-
ticable way Of accomplishing anything.
kJellman. a Norwegian familiar with
the management of reindeer. was sent
TO Lapland to purchase about 500 f
these animals. and DIR. Sheldon lack
son. of this city, who has been Commits
sioner Of Education in Alaska for many
years. was subsequently sent to aid the
Norwegian.
1t is improbable that the 800 or more
reindeer viii arrive in America before
the middle Of March. II Will take a
week to transport them TO Seattle and
six days more TO send them TO Dyea
where 1t Is proposed that the start be
made. This would make Il about. April
i, when the caravan would leave.
The plan of Gen. Miles. who has made
a special study of the situation of
affairs in Alaska provided for the use
of Montana horses for the expedition
Though ignored, it is regarded the
more practicable He claimed that
they would be able to stand the Arctic
winter Just as well as the reindeer.
These horses could have been OBJ
tanned for the start to be made in
time for the expedition to get near to
Dawson before the spring break
up of the Yukon During the time that
Miles was in command of the depart
ment of the Columbia from 1883 to 1885
he sent three successful accommodating
expeditions into Alaska and Montana
horses We're used to great advantage
on the trips
The first was under Lieut. Frederick
SchWatka. in 1888; the second under
Lieut.. Abercrombie. in 1885. and the
third under Lieut. T. II. Allen in the
same year One of the ideas of Gen.
Miles was to drive cattle over the
passes and kill them after their arrival
at or near Dawson. or if they could not
be driven all the way 10 drive them as
far as possible and then cut them up
and carry them the rest Of the wav.
The distance to be Travelled from
Dyed to Dawson by way of the fam
Gus but hazardous ChilcoOt Pass is 900
miles, and the greater part of this dis
tance viii become impossible by he
time the reindeer expedition starts
The idea OF the Secretary of War
was to have the expedition ready 70
make the journey long enough before
the spring opening of the river to al
how the trip TO be made to Dawson over
the ice This can hardly be done pow
because the river will either be without
ice at all or else covered with a saw
tooth surface that cannot be Travelled
by reindeer.
Reindeer can travel over the snow all
right. but not over such a surface as
that Of the Yukon during the ice jam
just previous to the spring thaw- Then
again there is no food for reindeer over
any known route. and il their own food.
moss is packed on their backs. there
would be no room for anything else. II
they were turned loose to forage for
themselves, supp1sing there were
enough moss To- sustain them X would
take half a day To round the animals
up for the march, and this woul1 make
a Eig loss of time. If the reindeer We're
used successfully over a more favora-
bic trail good results might be obtained.
but over rough road like the one laid
down for the caravan they are stub
born and unreliable. They are Liable
to stampede, and even native handlers
of them are unable To do much with
them Nansen. the arctic explorer. Is
among the number holding this view
Some students OF the situation seell
TO think that the most feasible way uf
relieving the miners would be by stock
ing supply stations all along the way
fIOm DaH son to Dyea on the princlPie
that it would be more practicable ana
exDedient to have the miners travel to-
ward the relief party than have TIE
party travel toward the center OF sui
fering. The miner unemcumbeTed with
tie load that the relief party carries
could reach the supplies much quicker
thar the supplies could be conveyed 10
him.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Government is delaying is expedition
10 await the arrival Of the deer Pri-
rate parties are fitting out relief eXpe-
ditiOns on a small scale IN order ["
reach the gold fields in time TO make
sr5aU fortunes with the provisions they
iii take. \ large number of such eN-
pediIions are being fitted out. ana some
are already on the road. 50 that oy the
time the Government relief party a.
r!yes it will have many competitors -
the field.