The San Francisco call., 1898-06-07
GOLD STRIKE
 AT WRANCEL Argonauts Discover a
 Bonanza. MINERS RUSH TO THE SPOT. SAID TO BE RICHER THAN THE
 KLONDIKE. Alaska Steamship Reports That a Number of Vessels Are Unable
 to Ascend the
 Stickeen.
MINERS RUSH TO THE SPOT.
SAID TO BE RICHER THAN THE
 KLONDIKE.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

VICTORIA, B. C., June 6.-The steamer Princess Louise, which has re- turned from Wrangel, making the re- turn voyage in seven days, brings news that the small body of men en- camped there building boats to con- tinue their journey via the lake and the Hootalinqua to the Klondike coun- try have made find richer than any strike that has been made for some time past in the Klondike mining dis trict. Needless to state, boat building was abandoned and all are at work on newly staked claims on the shores of Lake Teslin.
 While some of the men were walking along the shore in search of drift wood for a fire they noticed colors in the black gravel. On washing a few pans of the alluvial soil gold was obtained. After further investigation about a mile from the camp a place was found where several pans went very high, one giving about $500. The lucky man, whose name could not be learned, but who is said to be one of the carpenters employed at the Canadian Development Company's sawmill at the lakes, at once dropped the pan after securing his gold, and after stalking a claim rushed over to the camp of the mining recorder at the settlement and record ed his location. All his companions im- mediately followed suit, and on their reporting their good fortune at the encampment a number set out to stake claims along the shore.
 At Glenora and Telegraph, where at present there are about 2000 people, the widest excitement prevailed when the tA11 packed their outfits and started to the scene of the discovery. A downward river steamer brought word of the dis coVery to Wrangel, and mining excite ment seized Wrangelites, numbers of whom, according to the officers of the Princess Louise, have started inland ere now.
 The Princess Louise brings news that the spring freshets are bringing the waters of the Stickeen to a great height and making the current exceedingly swift. With the exception of four yes sels the fleet of Stickeen River steamers is now penned up above the canyon unable to get down the river owing to the swiftness of the rapids in the can- yon and the drift wood. The four ves- sels not penned up are the steamers Ramona, preparing to come down, as she is not sufficiently strong to ascend the swift-running river; the Monte CriSto, awaiting the arrival of shaft, she having broken hers; the Skagit Chief, which is ashore and from all ac- counts likely to remain so all season, a few miles below Glenora, and the Casca. The penned-up vessels will be unable to get through the canyon until the water goes down, which may be a week or two yet.
 An idea of the swiftness of the cur rent on the Stickeen can be ascertained from the fact that the steamer Vic torian on her last trip down made fully forty knots an hour and the engineers were at times obliged to reverse her engines to prevent her getting beyond control.
 Word Is brought of the drowning near Glenora of French miner whose name could not be learned.