The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-18
WRITES FROM YAKUTAT BAY
ST. PAUL GOLD SEEKER SENDS
A MESSAGE HOME

Tells of the Terrible Experience of
the Members of the Party Aboard
Sailing Vessel, Which Conveyed
Them From Seattle to the Alaskan
Coast Thought They Were
| Doomed to Death
| j. Schneider Jr., Of TAT Olive street,
received the following letter from his
father, j. G. F. Schneider who in COM
| pany with number Of ST. Paulites
left here for Alaska Feb. 5:
"Yakutat Mission. March II, 1898.
ITO the Folks at Home:
ION Friday, March II, at $50 p. M,
we arrived at Yakutat bay, but could
not make the harbor until Monday, $3.50
p. m. We anchored about 1900 feet
! from shore at the mission on Monday.
There are about 200 Indians here, who
| commenced to come on board as soon
as they sighted us, in little canoes,
rather dugouts, which are made of
| large heWed redwood logs. From three
to six Indians were in each canoe, pad
ding like good fellows.
In one canoe were man and four
| boys, from six to fifteen years of age,
barefooted and no caps on, and only
two thin shirts. They offered us moe
casins and trlnkets for sale. They
|
| had never seen horse before, this be-
ing the first to come to this part of
the country. Most Of us were seasicll,
| but all are we'll again.
| Our other pardner is Carl Fierhelm,
| from Oregon, a rancher and a good,
stout fellow. and, if it had not been for
| him, our poor dogs would have suf-
fered terribly, as Frank, myself and
the others of our party were not tit
to attend to them properly. Out of
twenty-five we only lost one dog, Kar-
do, and he was not we'll after we left
Seattle. The rest are in good shape.
Now We are waiting for the arrival
of the tug, which will take US fifty
| miles farther to Disenchantment bay
From there, we have to go over the
glacier along the Alaskan river, will
pass Mount Elias on the left, going
through a corner of the Northwestern
territory; then we will go either on the
Chittyua river up the Copper, or over
the Scoloi pass to the headquarters of
the Copper and down the river, where
we will stop and make our prospecting
A couple Of Indians came back from
the glacier and said it is in fine con-
dition; no cracks in it. which will save
many extra miles of travel. These In
dams have taken in some parties Who
have come from Copper river, Valdes
pass and Orca, where there is no get
| ting through. Many people are lying
there since last fall, and cannot get
over the glacier There is too much
snow. 1t looks as if our road will be
well Travelled this season. On the 7th
or Sth of April the regular mail serv-
ice will be opened from Seattle here
and up the coast; so you can address
all mail to Yakutat Mission, Yakutat
Bay, Alaska
I'VE will leave our names here. There
stores &c
Scandinavian and one by an American,
X. w. Beesley, and we will make some
arrangements with him for our mail
Both stores here are all sold out, as
they have had no supply in since fall
The Indians fish and hunt for a living.
and are peaceful people. Cod, herring,
hallbut and smelt are abundant We
are in great hopes; they even find gold
mere in the sands on the beach, but
In no great amounts. Still some people
are working at it, and doing quite we'll
NOW, about our trip; we had a ter
flole experience, and all thanked God
When we got into the bay. Some of
us nave been on the seas, but none
nave ever seen the like of our past ex-
periences. We shall never go on a
sailing vessel, especially the way we
were packed. In the first place there
were TOO many passengers, ninety eight
all told, and there was too big a load
freight, of which about fifteen tons
were stored on the top of the deck
cabin which made the vessel topheayv.
and the boat rolled from side to side
Otherwise the boat was staunch and
good sailor. But who can sail if there
is no wind, and make Roadway with
adverse winds. There was no chance
however, for us to charter a gold
steamer to go up here, as nothing but
salllng vessels make this port
We started out from Seattle on Feb.
70, at $50 p. M, made Port Angeles,
where we laid Sunday. On Monday we
went fifteen miles. So we went some
times ahead and then back again. We
saw the mountains behind Sitka five
different times. Then on Monday
March Z, storm overlook US, and we
scudded along at the rate of forty miles
an hour. 1t was a wonder we lived
through this blast. The waves rolled
over the boat, and at night all the pas
sengers were obliged to leave the deck
cabin, and it looked as if the deck ca bin
and everything would go overheard.
All deck passengers and baggage
were put in the hold. My bunk was
one of the lowest in the hold, and was
under water for three days. Every
thing was wet, and for three days no
cooking could be done. Hard tack and
cold tea constituted the bill of fare.
other terrible storm, but calm settled
by sunset. Now it is all over. Most
all or us were alarmed at times, think
ing that we had seen the last and would
go down to watery grave. Our cap
tain had too much liquor on board and
had the tremors for three days. Thanks
to the first mate, who was an able sal
| lor, we escaped death.
During the first storm DIR P,ne,s
Of re- fol
attempting to rescue the animal the
! doctor was almost washed overheard
| Ii 1T had not been for the colored cook.
VINO caught the doctor in time, we
| would nave seen the last Of him. One
! OF the sailors was blown overheard. bur
was saved.
March Ia. All the dogs Of Horman's
party, the Gopher Mining Company of
| ST. Paul, were taken ashore in a scow
today, but they had terrible fights with
| the native dogs, so I decided to keen
mine on board.
About sixty miles to the north of us
lies the largest glacier in the world so
| far known, Mount Mennier. Mount
Elias and Mount Logan form a grand
sight. They only seem to be from
eight to ten miles off, but in reality
they are some hundred miles away
the morning sunrise here is grand, and
cannot describe 1t to you in this let
| ter, but will try and tell you all about
| 1t upon my return home
"a young fellow from Boston named
d. L. Bloch, twenty-one years of age.
and foolhardy young man, Yesterday
! took boat about 10 o'clock and went
for row, as everybody thought. The
first thing we knew, he was out of
sight, and has not returned by night.
He was in his shirt sleeves 1t was
| GROWING orly