The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-16
SPRING REACHES ALASKA
The Breaking of the Ice in the
Yukon Is Celebrated.
HOW THE WINTER PASSED
Some Miners Were Killed and Others
Had Narrow Escapes-Work on the
Big Claims Is Being Pressed.
Mr.. Juneau Is Dead.

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 to-day. 1t covers the pc |
riod between the big fire and the open
ing of navigation May 25. A revised
estimate of the losses incurred in the
fire place the total amount at half a
million, about one-half the amount If
previous estimates.
The Yukon broke away from its icy
fetters in front of Dawson on 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 jammed at the foot of Third
street, and blocks of ice were piled up
mountain high. For a time Dawson
was threatened with a flood. After a
short time the ice broke with crash
and every one knew that the river was
open for good The breaking of the ice
marked the graduation of the Cheech-
arkes or tenderfeet into the ranks of
the sour doughs or old timers. The
event was celebrated with the firing
of guns and general rejoicing.
The Flora was the first steamer to ar
rive from the outside. She was fol-
lowed in a few hours by the Bonanza
King. Reports had been received from
the creeks and everything was satis-
factory. There was no evidence of
shortage of water, which caused so
much trouble last year.
On BonanZa'S EldoTado. hundreds of
men We're at work sluicing out gold.
The benches are showing up we'll. Some
enormous dumps of gravel were made
during the winter. These are now be-
n
better than was expected Dominion
and the ether creeks on Indian river
are also being cleaned up with mora
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 clean
4 up There have been a number of sales
| during the past two months and prices
! have held up wonderfully large
number of big and peculiar nuggets
/ have been found. One valued at $142
| was recently taken from 80, below up
| per Dominion.
The first week in May saw the COM
mencement of the collection of the
| crown royalty of 10 per cent Every eff
| fort is being made to compel the min
| ers to pay up the full percentage.
The list of mining accidents is unus-
| ually long. Frank Julbert was crushed
to death on May % by cave-in on
| claim II below Bonanza, on Magct
gulch His partner, Cesarra Pusatta.
was badly injured, L. Avrie of st.
/ Louis. Mo-, was suffocated by gas in
| his shaft on claim II. Gold Run.
German miner named Hecht of San
| Francisco, was suffocated in his shaft
near the Cliff House on Gold Run. An
i had fTn
| death in shaft on "a Below on Up
| per Dominion. He was taken out un-
| conSncious.
A miner in Gold Hill shaft became
| almost suffocated from gas. He sig
| raled 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 40 feet to the bottom
and death would have been sure had
| not a spike caught in his trousers and
| held him after falling a few feet. There
| have been a number of narrow escapes
| from drowning in the Yukon by reck-
less parties attempting to cross on thin
ice.
Gilbert Anderson of La Crosse, Wis,
has reached Dawson after most eX-
citing trip from the Copper river coun.
try 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. An
derson says that one or two of the
party We're frozen in the mountains.
but that the majority are building boats
on. Forty 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
te enants who would not obey the govern
ment warnings to sign leases or leave
were summarily elected by a band of
police under Sheriff Harper.
E. C. Allen, one of the proprietors of
the Klondike Nugget, is being tried on
the charge of crimnally libeling United
States Consul McCook.
Joe Juneau, one of the pioneers of the
Yukon, after whom the town of Juneau
was named died at Dawson May IS of
pneumonia. He made and lost several
fortunes in Alaska.
Arnold Brehmer of Seattle. WASH.
was killed May II by a fellow workman
in the Dawson brewery, William Ben
nett. They quarreled and Bennett hit
| Brehmer over the head with a beer
bottle, infiicting fatal injuries.
A deposit of limestone has been found
| near Fifty Mile and the people are re-
| jocing over the possibility of having
| plenty of disinfectant.
After an exciting trial before Gold
| Commissioner Ogilvie Messrs. Wade
McGregor and Norwood We're acquitted
| of the charge of accepting bribes and
the Illegal use of official information.
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