Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19
MILITARY SUPPLIES LOST
Wreck Of a Steamer Bound for Yukon
River Posts.
Measures Taken to Forward the
Necessary PrOvisions Authorized
by General shafter.

A dispatch from Gen. Shafter has been
received at the War Department, giving
Information of the wreck of steamer
with supplies for troops in Alaska. Gen.
Shafter forwards a dispatch from Seattle.
which states:
SEATTLE. August IL.
"Adjutant General. Department of Cali
Following just received from J. b. Rue
bury. quartermaster agent, St. Michaels,
Alaska. with request to wire you. Informs
me that the freight per steamer Jennie. in
transit on barges to Yukon river posts.
was wrecked of st. Michaefs on the Both
ultimo: Major part of the Fort Egbert
Rampant and Circle City freight has been
saved and will go forward tonight (Au-
gust 50
To Replace the Lost Freight.
The Seattle dispatch gives list of the
articles which were damaged and states
that the report from Ruebury says that
it will be impossible to replace the loss of
freight for Fort Egbert this season. its TO-
cation being above the Yukon fats; but to
secure the live stock against any possible
shortage during the winter he borrowed
and forwarded provisions from the Alaska
Commercial Company. with an agreement
that the quartermaster at San Francisco
return the amounts to the Alaska company
AT st. Michaefs at the earliest opportunity.
Inc situation is such that it is preferable
TO nave the damaged supplies. for Fort Egg
bert replaced this season.
They will go as far up the river as prac-
ucabie and be stored for the winter and
sent forward with the opening of naviga-
ton next year. 1t is stated that the Fort
Gibbon freight is entirely lost Articles
strewn on the beach will be gathered and
stored at st. Michaels, but the commercial
value of these goods is almost nothing. 1t
was impossible to inform Major Ray of
this accident at once. The auartermaster's
g i'm 1,11D lat TO-
ton be taken to reSupply Fort Gibbon with
the stores lost in transit. He says there
will be no danger for Fort Gibbon, provided
the freight can be landed there on or
about September Il, and that persons well
versed in the navigation of the Yukon
river confidently expressed themselves in
that manner. The beef cattle for all posts
have been saved.
Necessary Purchases Authorized.
Quartermaster Robinson at Seattle, in
sending this dispatch to the headquarters
of the department of the Columbia, says:
THE ships manifest referred to is in my
possession. Col. Allison, chief commissary
of the department of the Columbia is in
Sea tile. The steamer I.akme is here and
also the Alliance. loading freight for St.
Michaels. and will take a consignment of
200 tons or more if desired, starting Sunday
or earlier. if freight is ready. The Alliance
or i4akme will take freight at regular tariff
rates. Agent Ruebery is in error in stating
the name of the steamer, as it was the
Louise, not the JEANNE, that had cargo of
the convoy.
The Alliance is quite a fast boat.
Schwabacher & Co. inform me they can
duplicate the ships manifest today il au-
thorized Necessary order to Alliance and
authority to ship per the Alliance is seem
ingly all that is required. -
General Shafter, in forwarding the above
information to the War Department, says:
"Quartermaster and chief commissary. de-
partment of Columbia, have been directed
to purchase the stores imperatively needed
for immediate shipment and Capt. Robin
son directed to ship them by the Alliance"