The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-01
Sixty Prospectors Return to
Seattle Today
After Spending the Winter in
the Copper River Country.
MANNED AND BRUISED.
Frozen, Minus Their Limbs and
Black With Scurvy.
Chilkat Indians Go on the War
Path.

Seattle Wash, May 1-Slxty prospec-
tors arrived here today from copper
River. Alaska. on the steamer Excelsior
They brought with them repetition
Of the stories of privation and death
and many bore evidence on their BODIES
of the ravages of seuryy and frost =
man named Young hObbled OF the yes
sci on the stumps Of Two legs Anotner
named Alex Powell had but one foot
F C Goodwin OF Oakland CaIa-'
whose legs are black with seurvy and
whose knees are bruised by contact
with the ice tells an interesting story
OF his experiences which were similar
TO that of others
While camped in the interior his part
ner. Wesley Scheidice of Grand Ridge,
III fell sick with scurvy and soon be
came unable to travel. Goodwin strap
ped him on a sled and started for the
coast After four days of almost Her
cuIean labor he arrived at the mouth Of
the Chitna river. but his partner was
frozen stiff on the sled He buried him
in the snow.
Continuing his journey to the coast he
came across q tent in which there were
two men sick with scurvy- They were
Dixon Hutton of Memphis and T 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 dragged them to
the coast. Others are sick but their
names are lacking
Just before the Excelsior left Valdez
a big slide was reported on the glacier,
but no particulars were learned
The government expedition under
Capt. Abercrombie was arranging to
begin the construction of a road into the
interior when the Excelsior left. Relief
parties with provisions and anti-scOr-
butics had been sent into the interior
Skagway. Alaska. April "A. via Seat
tie. Wash. May The Chilkat Indians
are on the war path Last Sunday
from their several villages along the
Chilkat river and marched TO Rocky
Point. eight miles from Haines Mission.
where eight white men were blasting
OF 25 miles. The Indians drove the
whites away Word was Immediately
sent 10 the United States marshal and
commissioner at SkagWay and to Capt
Cheatman in command Of the troops a
Dyea- Sixteen soldiers under command
of a sergeant were at once sent 10
Haines Mission It is understood that
parties who are opposed TO the con-
structiOn of the new trail have melted
the Indians to make trouble
ABERCROMBIE'S REPORT.
Washfngton- May I.-Acting Secreta-
" Meiklejohn has received a report
from Capt AbercrOmbie. who is COM
maHding the expedition investigating
the Copper river route to the Yukon
river country The report comes from
Capt Robinson, quartermaster at Seat
tie Wn., who says that the following
message was handed him by the pur-
ser OF the steamer Excelsior which ar
rived yesterday from Valdez. Alaska:
Ny expedition disem mbarked today
April % Hospital organized for the
care Of destitute miners who are now
coming out of the interior by the route
you contemplate opening as a military
road While the conditions are dis
tressinS so far as the destitute are con-
cerned- the worst is over 4 full re-
port follows.
'tABERCROMBIE.
Commanding