The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-16
Dawson Celebrates the Opening of
Yukon River.
ARRIVAL OF STEAMERS
INDICATIONS OF PROSPEROUS
TIMES IN GOLD FIELDS.
Dumps Are Planning Out Much Better
Than Expected-List of Mining
Accidents and Deaths Unusually
Notwithstanding News From
Copper River-Royalties.

Seattle, Wash, June 15.-The first
news from Dawson and the interior of
Alaska to be received since travel over
the trail closed about six weeks ago.
reached here today. 1t covers the pc
riOd between the big fire. April 20, and
the opening of navigation. May %. A
revised estimate of the losses incurred
in the fire place the total amount at
half a million. about one-half the
amount of previous estimates.
The Yukon broke away from its icy
letters in front of Dawson May Z. or
nine days later than last year. The
steamer New York was carried ashore
by the ice and nearly destroyed. The
wheel of the Willie Irving was crushed.
The ice damned at the foot of the
Third street and blocks of ice were
piled up mountain high. For time
Dawson was threatened with a flood.
After a short time the ice broke with
a crash and everyone knew that the
river was open for good. The breaking
of the ice marked the graduation of the
"Cheecharkos" or tenderfeet into the
ranks of the sour doughS," or old
timers The event was celebrated with
the firing of guns and general rejoic-
ing.
The Flora was the first steamer to
arrive from the outside. She was fol-
lowed in a few hours by the Bonanza
King. Reports had been received from
all the creeks, and everything was sat
isfactory. There was no evidence of
shortage of water. which caused so
much trouble last year.
Much Gold Taken Out.
On Bonanza and Eldorado. hundreds
of men were at work sluicing out gold
The benches are showing up well. Some
Of vol
during the winter These are now be-
ing washed out and are panning much
better than was expected. Dominion
and the other creeks on Indian river
are also being cleaned up with more
than satisfactory results. a great deal
of summer work will be done this year
on EldOrado if the flow of water will
permit
Work is going on night and day on
many of the big claims. The Berrys
are working three shifts. They will be
among the first of the big owners to
complete the cleanup. There have
been a number of sales during the past
two months, and prices have held up
wonderfully well. A large number of
big and peculiar nuggets have been
found. One valued at $142 was recent
ly taken from 80 below upper Domin-
ion.
The first week in May saw the COM
mencement of the collection of the
crown royalty of 10 per cent Every
effort is being made to compel the min
ers to pay UP the full percentage
The list of mining accidents is I'M
usually long. Frank Julberti was
crushed to death on May % by a cavein
on claim II, below Bonanza, on Maget
gulch. His partner, Cesarra Pusatta,
was badly injured. L. Avrie of st.
Louis. Mo-, was suffocated by gas in
his shaft on claim Il. Gold Run. A
German miner named Heihl of San
Francisco. was suffocated in his shaft
near the Cliff House, on Gold Run. An
drew Nelson had narrow escape from
death in a shaft on 81 below, on Upper
Dominion. He was taken out uncOn-
scious.
A miner in a Gold Hill shaft became
almost suffOcateG from gas. He
signalled his partner to pull him to the
surface. He just reached the top when
he SwoOned and fell back into the hole
head first. 1t was forty feet to the
bottom and death would have been sure
had not d spike caught in his trousers
and held him, he falling only a
few feet. There have been a number
of narrow escapes from drowning in
the Yukon by luckless parties attempt
ing to cross on thin ice.
Perils of Copper River.
Gilbert Anderson of La Crosse. Wis,
has reached the city after a most ex-
citing trip from the Copper River
country through the dead of winter. He
brings news of the safety of a large
party of miners who started over the
divide into the Tanana country. and
were believed to have been lost. Ander-
son saws that one or two of the party
were frozen in the mountains, but that
the majority are building boats on
Firty Mile river to continue their
journey. He does not give the names
of those who persisted.
The climax in Dawson's water front
controversy occurred on May 16. The
tenants who would not obey govern
ment warnings to sign leases or leave.
We're Summarily elected by a band of
police under Sheriff Harper.
+. c. Allen, one Of the pTOprietOrs of
the Klondike Nugget is being tried on
the charge of criminally hbelling
United States Consul McCook.
Joe Juneau, one of the pioneers of