The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-17
New York German Klondikers
and Their Troubles.
DISASTER ALL ALONG THE WAY.
Record-BrcnkfnE Journey. Reset
With Fire in the baggage Car.
Big Storms. Broken Car Wheels,
Huge Mountain slides and Bad
Bridges-TSenty-se Members
of the Party Arrive in Seattle.

AL that remains OF the party OF forty
Germans that left New York on February
arrived in this city yesterday morning
on their way 10 Alaska. The expedition
goes under the name OF the Schram klon-
dixie Gold Diggers' Mutual Benefit Club.
and the members OF the original party
are scattered all along the line between
New York and Seattle. They were hard
iy out OF New York state when the bag
gage car in which their outfits were be-
ing carried caught fire. and practically all
OF their Klondike goods were destroyed.
Most of those who have not yet reached
Seattle are staying in Chicago TO fight
the railroad company. The others have
settled at the rate of Sl0o head, and
Will leave on the AK on Friday. They
had wonderful experiences with big
storms, broken car wheels. slides, big
mountains and bad bridges. The story OF
= their trip will ill many pages of paper
when the long letters. started this morn
ing TO relatives in the delicatessen shops
and beer garden on the East side, New
York, have been completed
Twentyseyen of the East-side gold dig
gers are registered at the National hotel,
and all helped the leader OF the party
tell the story of tho trip 10 a Post-Inteili-
gencer reporter last evening. They first
told about their procession before leaving
New York, and how the little barher's
wife hauled him from the wagon and re-
fused to let him leave her. They told
OF the glorious day they had spent in 4
Staten Island brewery drinking beer be-
cause the weather was too cold for the
hey nj
incidents had been disposed of to their
satisfaction. the following story Of their
trip across the continent came out:
"Our trouble began" said the leader,
"soon after the Canadian customs officials
had sealed up the baggage car in which We
had placed our outfits. We Were going
around curve when we saw smoke COM
ing out from around the baggage car. We
pulled the spring line but the train was so
much in a hurry that he rolled on a while
longer. In pulling We broke the line but
finally the boss OF the train stopped him.
But no one would open the car. 1t was
sealed up and they were afraid OF the
customs officers. Then one of the men came
and broke open the door We tried 20
pull out our sacks Of clothing but only got
four of them out OF the car when the heat
and smoke drove us back. If they had
opened the door at once we would have
saved most of our stuff. The engine was
tied UP TO the burning car and pulled him
TO the next station. Oh, II was q grand
sight, that blazing car but IT was all of
our things that were burning up
Then he told of the Injustice of the rail-
road company. They made their claims
varying from $3.50 10 $500 EACH to the claim
agent and the company offered them 40
per cent. which they actually refused.
They were being kept at the Clifton house
and hoped to make compromise but the
company would do no better than $t0o for
each outfit. The party that is in the city
accepted this, but the rest OF the forty-ono
ere in Chicago with the intention nj fight
ing il out.
They came out over the Great Northern
and tell a great story of the incidents OF
the trip. At one place they say the "moun-
tains fell down and that kept them back.
Then the post wagon lost his wheels
which got across the track and stopped
things" In another place the engineer
was afraid 10 cross bridge in the noun
tains on account of the tornado that was
Tweepng down the gllcn. Altogether
they have had about as exciting a trip as
:" usually met with In crossing the con-
tinent. They bought their provisions
here yesterday and are now taking in tho
town while waiting for the Al-ki. All OF
the twenty seven go around together and
the men are attracting u good deal of at
ttntlon. Unlike many or the Fasteners
they are saving their Alaska clothes for
Alaska and are stil dressed in New York
clothes.
They expect TO 40 to Juneau. then across
the hills TO Lake Tesln and down to The
Lewis river. where they VIII prospect.
There is not "a mining man In the party.
The two prospeetors that started stayed be-
hind In Chicago to fight the company
Their doctor also remained behind. Nearly
all other German trades ard tt~afssef.fss
are represented in the crowd that came