The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-02
HORRORS OF ALASKA
RETURNING GOLD SEEKERS HEAR
EVIDENCE OF THE AWFUL
SUFFERINGS EXPERIENCED
MANY MANNED FOR LIFE
Gaping the Cold Were Stricken
with the Dreaded Scurvy, and
Return Minus Legs or Arms-Re-
lief Expedition RepOrts-UrSent
Need of SuccOr.

Need of SuccOr.
SEATTLE, Wash, May 1.-Sixty pros
pectors arrived here today from Copper
river. Alaska. on the steamer Excelsior.
They brought with them q repetition of
the stories of privation and death. and
many bore evidence on their bodies of
the ravages of scurvy and frost. A man
named Young hobbled off the vessel on
the stumps of two legs. Another named
Alex Powell had but one foot.
f. c. Goodwin. of Oakland, Cal. whose
legs are black with scurvy and whose
knees are bruised by contact with the
Ice. tells an interesting story of his ex-
periences. which were similar to those of
others While camped in the interior, his
partner. Wesley Scheidecker, of Grand
Ridge, Ill.,. fell sick with scurvy, and soon
became unable to travel. Goodwin strap
ped him on sled and started for a
doctor. After four days of almost hercu-
lean labor he arrived at the mouth of
Chitna river, but his partner was frozen
stark and stiff to the Sled He buried him
IN the snow. Continuing his Journey to
the coast he came across tent In which
there were two men sick with scurvy
Ihey were Dixon Hutton, of Memphis,
Tenn, and L. B. Rawlings, of Little Rock.
Ark. Another man happened along at the
same time, and he and Goodwin put
rawlings and Hutton on sleds, and drag
ged them to the coast Others are report
ed sick, but their .narnes are lacking
just before the Excelsior left Valdes
a big slide was reported on the glacier
but no particulars were learned. 1t was
rumored that party Of prospectors were
coming out from the interior, and it
was feared they might have been caught
in the slide
The government expedition, under Capt
Aoercrombie, were arranging to begin the
construction of a road into the interior
when the Excelsior left. Relief parties
with provisions and anti-scorbutics had
been sent into the interior
WASHINGTON, May 1.-Acting Secre-
tary Meiklejohn has received report
from Capt Abercrombie, who IS COM
handing the expedition investigating the
Copper river route to the Yukon country
The report comes through Capt Robin
son. from Seattle, Wash, who says that
the following message was handed him
by the purser of the steamer Excelsior
which arrived yesterday from Valdes,
Alaska:
My expedition disembarked today,
Of destitute miners. who are now COM
Ing out of the interior by the route you
contemplate opening as military road
While the conditions are distressing so
far as the destitute are concerned the
worst is over. A full report follows
-"Abercrombie, Commanding"
SKAGUAY, Alaska, April 2, via Seattle,
Wash, May 1.-The Chilkat Indians are
on the war path. Last Sunday twenty
bucks, armed with rifles, gathered from
their several villages along the Chilkat
river, and marched to Hooky Point, eight
miles from Haines Mission, where eight
white men were blasting rock for trail
to =Kfakwan, distance Of twenty-five
miles,. The Indians drove the whites
away. Word was Immediately sent to
the United States marshal and commits
sfoner at Skaguay. and to Capt Cheat
man, In command of the troops at Dyea.
Sixteen soldiers under command Of a
sergeant were at once sent to Haines
Mission. 1t Is understood that parties
who are opposed to the construction of
the new trail have melted the Indians to
make trouble. The Dominion Telegraph
company is making rapid progress with
it's line from Lake Bennett to Dawson.
! The line has been located fifteen miles
! down Lake Bennett, and poles have been
| distributed almost to White Horse Rap
| ids.