The San Francisco call., 1899-08-11
HORRORS OF THE
EDMONTON TRAIL
Thirty Survivors Arrive
at Wrangel.
TELL TALES OF SUFFERING
GOVERNMENT AND THE PRESS
CENSURED.
One Party Lived on Bacon and Red
Squirrels for Two Weeks - A
Hundred Men Still on
the Trail.
TELL TALES OF SUFFERING
Special Dispatch to The Call.


WRANGEL, Alaska, Aug (via Seattle,
Wash, Aug. 10).-The Stikeen River
steamer Strathcona arrived here to-day
with thirty survivors Of the Edmonton
trail.
They are: M RandIeman, Chicago; j.
Cliff. Vancouver; w. T. Mum, Missouri;
e. H. Lyons Missouri; w. Coulter, Mani
toba; NJ. Ostg, Chicago; G. Velger Can
ada S. w. Morgan, Silverton. Or; II.
Fenk. Los Angeles; G. Gaffney, Los An
geles; H. Berton, Salt Lake City; w.
Hinman Chicago; c. Jefferson, Asbury
Park, N. j.; ]. Moore, San Francisco; M.
Melvy, Ohio; ]. McGilvary. London, Eng
land; E. Reed, Canada; o. Reed, Canada;
]. Levin. Ottawa; ]. Hackney, ottawa;
E. II. Dunbar. Seattle; w. H. Dunbar,
Seattle; M Tall Canada; z. II. Tall,
Canada; NJ. w. Weisman, Chicago; A. II.
Tiger, Prince Albert Province, Canada;
C. Stiefel. Chicago; w. H. Wells, Mis-
souri: D. Robertson, Vancouver; l. G.
Tomlinson, Tacoma
All these men came in with the pack
trains sent out from Telegraph Creek and
Laketon by the various trading companies
last spring.
These unfortunates tell heartrending
stories of hardships endured and comrades
lost and abandoned and strongly denounce
the trading and transportation companies,
newspapers that so profusely advertised
this route as a feasible one to the klon-
dixie gold fields.
To outward appearances these men GER
tainly give evidence of the awful suffer-
| ings undergone since leaving Edmonton
eighteen months ago. Most of them are
sickly looking, with unkempt boards and
greasy clotheS-pictureS OF physical ana
financial wrecks. Several are prematurely
gray and bear the marks Of scurvy.
A few have just enough money TO reach
I 10 tr,r-4r fha ma TOrft a re-
without funds. The citizens of Wrangel
have appealed to the United States Gov
ernment at Washington, but up to this
date no aid has been received. There are
now about twenty-five destitute miners
here. Many had narrow escapes from
starvation along the trail from Fort Simp-
son to Mud River and Fort Laird. A. II.
Tiger and party lived on red squirrels
and bacon for nearly two weeks.
NJ Ostig, c. F: steifel and M. w.
Chicago owe their lives to bear that
they killed just as they had run out of
provisions about twenty miles from
Laird Post. William Schmidt and Fred
Swift of the same party left camp at
Laird Post last spring 10 trap and have
never been heard from since. NJ. Randle-
man of Chicago was lost in the woods
above Fort Laird last fall and was COM
PEELED to live on bacon for three weeks:
Perry Wells, brother of w. H. Wells,
who was one of the passengers on the
Strathcona, died of scurvy at Telegraph
Creek
1t is estimated that there are still more
than 100 men scattered along the trail be-
tween Laird Post and the Pelly Banks, and
relief parties have been sent out by the
Hudson Bay Company. The last report
brought to Laird Post was that many
were dying of scurvy and hunger. 1t is
estimated that there are thirty or forty
sufferers at Telegraph Creek awaiting
the next trip of the boat. The sick that
had to be carried stretchers had not
yet reached Glenora when the Strathcona
sailed.
About twenty miles above Devils Port
age two unknown men were found frozen
to death last winter. man bearing the
name of Johnson from New York was
found dead in tent near the source of
the Mud River last fall. This poor fellow
had as a covering only half of blanket,
were these words opposite to the date,
February 10, 1897; II died of hunger"
All along the route from Fort Simpson
on the Mackenzie River to Fort Laird men
with frozen limbs were assisted, while
some, too weak to help themselves, were
necessarily left behind by those more
Scurvy ragged in all the camps more or
less, but there are few deaths from this
disease reported. A number Of Canadians
who attempted TO cross Cutland Trail
from Fort Simpson to Fort Francis last
fall have never been heard from, and it
is likely that they perished from cold.
Beaupree was the name OF one or these
men, and he hailed from Ontario.
Provisions were scarce and nigh at all
the military posts last winter, and at sew
eral, including Laird Post and Fort
short rations during the months of April
and May of this year. Flour sold at $35
per sack, bacon rs cents per pound and
the daily menu for several weeks. Many
owe their lives to the relief party under
Scott Simpson sent out by the Gosca
Trading Company, that reached Laird
Post May %. This daring party left
Laketon in March and made most peril
Gus trip across Dease Lake with dogs.
AS the ice broke up one of this rescuing
party was drowned and nearly all the
dogs and sleds were lost.
The majority of the returning gold
seekers took the Mackenzie water route
south from Edmonton Coarse gold was
found in several small streams and gold
colors were often seen, though not in
sufficient quantity to work.