The record-union., 1899-07-25
ALASKAN NEWS.
Stickeen River Steamers Bring
Edmonton Trail Survivors.

WRANGEL. (AlaSka), July 20 via Sc
attic, July 2D.-The Stickeen River
steamers Strathoona and Casca arrived
here yesterday with fifty-seven sur
vivors of the Edmonton Trail to Daw-
son. These unfortunates had been on
the trail nearly two years, and related
tales of hardship and demonstrated the
non-feasibility of both the land and
water routes overland. Under orders
from the Canadian Government the
Hudson Bay and other trading COM
panies have sent out relief parties to
bring in the several hundred sick and
starving still struggling along the
Laird and Pelly Rivers During the
past winter it is estimated that fifty
died of, scurvy and as many more
were drowned, while others returned
to Edmonton. Strong language is used
in decrying the Misrepresentation
sent to newspapers by agents of the
transportation and trading companies
operating at and above Edmonton. as
well as Canadian officials WHO recon-
mended the route as a practicable one.
The majority of the survivors are
without funds. The a;ority are
American citizens, and the local au-
thorities are notifying the Washington
officials of their destitute condition.
Among the returning survivors are: o.
l.. Ingles. G. C. Oaman. Los Angeles;
L. Stevens. San Francisco; J. p. Mans
field, Los Angeles; j. n. Hamer, Los
Angeles; w. Dick, Los Angeles: s. L.
Shannon, California.
SEATTLE, July PA Times" Spec
ial from Vancouver, 3. c., says: C.
r. Maltby, who arrived here yesterday
from Dawson, was fifteen months on
the Edmonton route. With about 100
other prospectors, he wintered at Wind
City. When he left in January six
teen men were sick with scurvy. He
heard in March that DIR. Mason of Chi
cago and w. Gouchie, son of Chicago
banker, were dying. There were about
fifty men stranded there, scurvy strick-
en- and frozen. f. Harris of Hamil-
ton, had both feet frozen and they
We're amputated at the ankles. Two
Russians named Boorman, from Cali
fornia. were dying with scurvy. They
We're living on the siftings of sour flour
only. J. Patterson, son of Lieutenant
Governor Patterson of Manitoba; j.
Coatsworth, a Chicago lawyer, and Ce-
Gil Merritt, Toronto lawyer, We're also
stranded in Wind City in March. All
would have been well if the Indian
guides could have been induced to nav
igate beyond the divide, after reaching
Wind City, but there they stopped say
ing that savages, ten feet high, roamed
through the mountains and crushed
men between their thumbs and fin
gers and ate them up. The Indians
reported several parties lost in the
mountains. These men will never be
heard of again. 1t was after the In
dian guides left them that they strayed
into the section of country where there
was no fuel and there froze to death.
The parties quarreled among them
selves, owing to uncongeniality and di-
viding provisions, they took different
routes. Many remnants of parties
were host in this way, for in their an
ger they left the Indian guides with
the main portion of the party and wan
dered away to the mountains to be-
come lost.
Mr.. Maltby urges that the Canadian
Government take action against those
who are, responsible for advertising the
Edmonton trail as feasible route to