New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-20
POOR OUTLOOK IN ALASKA.
coND1r1oNs nc, KIONDIKE' REGIONS SET
FORTH UNOFFICIAL REPORTS
RELIEF WORK OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT IN
WINTER OF iss7-,9s DETAILED-cosT OF


Washington Feb TO-. Secretary Alger mas ua rams
r,i,,ed 10 Congress CO mplete report on Wv -
-, ~ tho War Dep srtmerr In the hIohu'he
oou,,rv undertaken und er act OF congress 90
result Of reports that ex, 'eme distress a'"oe Wv
miners followed the influx to the eo'u coun''S IL
,oo- zoe II embraces the LStaned reports OF cap
to,, p IL Ray and Lleuten ant W. +. hich"ruSo"'
- Nd charge Of the relic. work These reports
ot,o a erephic picture Of .9c conditions In the
Klondike it's possibilities as ven as us hd'uS"pS'
with that candor characteristic or military Reports
Some time has elapsed. however,, since the Reports
were written. owing in part to- the ulihcui''es %
official communication between the kiondiHe anu
washington Many OF the mill tary reports nave
NOT before been given and as whole they present
A comprehensive review Of the 'ohd'Ae s'u"''''
Secretary Alger says in his letter 10 Congress:
In accordance with The reguTst OF see' ion
Secretary Of War TO make a reprt IN dStlI 10
Congress at the beginning OF MS n,tH s and
donations or transfers under the pr visions OIL tl
eCi FOR The relief OF people in the Mining regions OF
Alaska. / have the honor TO state nat the dis-
bii.Gemcnts from the appropriation OF $1,000 nav
been made for relief subsistence Sunp'Ts fb in ~
Interpretation employment Of labor .ns 4 81 dr as
odontal expenses IN sum agg.ega1rI.' be-cyo at
appears from the seVeraI statements "0' o.
' Theqe was expended from this appropriation OF
s21Oo01 for subsistence stores and other misceilaa
neous property ne sum OF S--3;;'t 1 ,bpra was
transferred from these stores ior me Atm AIM ana
Lapianders ana issTgf 70 siG4 exclusive Of
r. 81 Ell ~ bald to thu Alaska Commercial Com
fading COMPANY for supplies issued froon thclI
Warehouses 20 the destitute by captain ray hi
Inc act subsistence supplies to the anount OF
@ ana so6 bc6 Saoun have been covered
mo the treasury as provided by law The pal
nice OF the stores and property IS IN the p sstsSlo
81 dlsbursinc of GERS upon which returns have not
yet been made.
WHAT THE REINDEER COST
The 81 head of reindeer were purchased ana
tiarsrorted from Norway 70 Haines Mission Alas
k for $50 $50 or about sl25 head The value
,ho,.frc OF he 22f head delivered by the War De-
rar,Dcnt 10 the Department. Of the Interior as
provided ~ said act was $io!o
There remains on hand OF said appropriation the
sum o. S4S6 81 distributed ioows The IN Snm Sf
nc hands OF Major i; TTie United S,a'eS ARM
Depot ny 'hc accounts have
bon settled the sum Of ><;@4 is in the hands OF
s,nsman Brothers. London 70 ne creoH "l riiS
Of ,hc United states Consul at Chrstian.a Nor"e
rn.r, is also filed in tie department. clam -.
s,;'@ preferred 10y Edward l.. Rosenfeld general
manager OF ih' snoN and Ice TsanSporla ti0al on,
ri.n Nm hy The Acting secretary OF War on De-
poriaion for subsistence stoaes. supplies and ma
t,giai iom ihS hcad OF .ynn Caai, 80 .r
uul,d and cancelled This cla--l mas been :ei -rreC
iy The War Department to Tho Department OF JUS
# is Therefore imprac at MS a 2. % d. e,
M Co -"d for The eral sottlc:ens o. the outstand-
ing aoities Incurred ~ The De1eriment IN Us f.
as indicated in ne act o. Decemt'r u. ~; and TO
mtot q situation which was Cel'raly believed 70
don.rl unusual mcasurts and ~ utmost prompt
nc.s ln behalf % humanity ,.
Tor The supplies furnished 20 ~ destitute people
az. miners from M. stocks ~ these commerrlas
comr,aio- Cap'ag ks' ioo@ 49, =" n many Oh
mem o; The United states and hy him delivered to
the WAY lc.ar n"ni
THE OUTPUT OF GOLD AT DAWSON.
The last o, the military reports Is from ueuten-
ant Richardson. anl IS dated July : last. 1t sums
up gepera conditions as follows:
The output o. gold from the Dawson district for
the .ast Winters work dsg7-S0 viii not exceed So.
Clp.tr. InOie cONservatlvcy estimated AT from
o Bsws6 20 TO- b at h s2 Time I' it, ron ZOO to
5000 by far the larger part Of whom are still living
Small boats arrive continually from the Upper
rive. ayor1Ang Tor one twety-iour hours IN wh'n
Bics, OF the small boats coming down bring sur
Plus of provisions. including FISH. vegetables, eggs
and fruit. and il is 70 these small but numerous,
additions 10 the supply of the commercial com
rTe@~n, lime a few Of the prevailing prices at
Dawson. which obein with slight mobilization at
meal ,ham and eggs. bread. butter and coffee.
ranjs al % a pound A stew Of fresh oysters, 80.
a restaurant Wirc card gives Champagne, $40 a
%aqda and 6 6Tycr a So G an hour good COOK
So day. ordinary labor. 8 80 an hour These
oupu, OF money from the cGrtry. the present
abundance Of supplies there and the limited field Of
only small proportion of the people now there
situation j. growing daily worse. The streets are
thronsod with crowd Of idle men. Many belong
70 the class who are not looking Tor work, ana
these. many Of whom will doutsless float down
dangerous element as the winter approaches IN
less controlled II must be said TO the credit OF the
and is to-day with all is motley population and
vicious clements most ORDERLY ana law-abiding
Gown Contrary TO report found comparatively
little sickness there.
Lieutenant Richardson also tells of the extent of
prospecting. the new leads being worked. the new
towns spr!nging up etc. As showing climatic con-
diuons to be contended with he says:
sIXTY-Two DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
The following average temperatures were taken
In the winter and spring:
Hoyem6er Is 1872 : degrees F below taken m
January 1895 q degrees I. below taken S a. m.
February, 1895. % degrees z. below. taken a m.
X XS IS Gefress F a a6oSy ta SkS p
May, l.eS. AZ degrees +. above, taken y m.
thermometer registered GO degrees below zero The
coolest period OF seven days was from February u
70 e wnen the thermometer showed an average Of
ol-7 degrees below no severe weather was
perienced after the end Of February.
In Captain Rays last report. dated May last he
said in part:
deem It Of the greatest Importance FOR the de-
veopment of the country that roads should be
country. not only from the Yukon to the open sea
in country, which Is Of the greatest i'm
get into The Interior with their supplies Under ex-
ising conditions persons can enter the country only
by the one great highway-the Yukon River-aud
they cannot hope TO be landed at any point in
Alaska earlier than July !.
The gold-b bearing districts are from fifty 10 one
hundred and fifty miles back from the main stream
There are summer trails. except foot trails and
provisions and mining tools can only be transported
on the backs OF men.
! do not ind anything either in Alaska or the
Northwest Territory to Justify the great ruoh Of
people 10 that country or the enormous invest
nent now being made IN transportation. trading
ard mining companies. In the Northwest Territory
no discoveries of extraordinary richness have been
made since that OF the klOndike, and the claims
almost entirely confined 10 Bonanza. FL Do
RADIO Dominica, Honka and Sulphur creeks with a
few claims Bear Creek. IN this district all rich
claims are well known and held at high prices