The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-19

Passengers from Dawson On the Ai-Ki
bring edVtces up 70 January - AID cAsef
among the items 81 nsws Is the report
OF the arrival IN that city cf Lieut. Cast
ner. % the Fourth United States infaEa-
try. VINO started almost : year aga ETcza
the southern coast ~ Alaska ID explore
the interior and ind, Il possible. 40 all
American trai3 10 the Yukon
When Lseut. Cashier arrived IN Dawson
he had travelled over Leo mites on soot
through the snow and Ice ef the Arctic
region TIE lieutenant was one % Three
officers assigned 10 the same duty. In@
trio divided routes and started ont. and
% the three the last "a reaca DAWSON
is Cashier, bat he brings with him great
e. results than those o. the combined es-
forts Of his competitors.
NAsn the expedition started cut II was
expected that Lseuts. Low. Cashier and
ous other would keep together. bat tae
party soon reached a point from which
It vas impossible 20 proceed IN body.
II was then Lieut.. Cashier, taking two
men, went forward into the frozen fast
hess Of the Arctic. seeking out a trail
To follow the windings OF the party In
and cut Of glacier CLUTCHES. across uH-
known rivers and through houa9seSs for
ests would be TO write a history Of toe
unknown Alaska To tell how the party
OF three pushed on. living first on half
rations. then killing one after another %
their pack mules. until ssat one remained
Of the five. is merely 20 Indicate the hard
ships faced in an endeayor 10 blaze Il
way fer those who might come after
them. and 10 leave warnings here. there
and everywhere IN order that those who
followed might avoid the periis which
II cost suffering and privauen. TO say
nothing O. risk OF life, TO knew.
The story % the search for trail reads
a h@T
had believed 10 exist impossible. Lieut..
Cashier and his two companions started
TO reach civilization Taey put their pro
visions. guns, etc, on a raft and set 10
sfeat on the Tanana river in an unknown
region. The raft was wrecked the second
day. and all the provisions, rifles, axes
etc. lost All that was saved was a coil
Of rope. Vita the ropes another raft
WAS built. and for six days the three men
fioaied down the river living On berries
and rose apples They were without
shoes or moecasins. their feet being COW
cred by canvas tied BY strings. and Just
as hope Was almost gone the party drift
ed into an encampment of Tanana In
dians. Here they were Hospitality received
and fed. and after resting were guided
to camp or white men hundred miles
up the stream. where the party rested
until boat could carry them to the Yu-
kon. After that II was plain sailing,
and the lieutenant pushed on 10 Dawson.
The trip was a stupendous Undertaking
as the Interior of Alaska Is absolutely. an
known. Lieut. Cashier found all maps
10 DO incorrect His aneroid barometer
failed TO work. and In consequence he
was unable to measure the height OF the
mountains or the passes. The lieutenant
says however that there Is a feasible
route for trail or q railway from the
coast to a point on the Yukon below Cir
Gle City, but lack OF provisions prevented
him from taking the time 30 map II out.
While no great amount Of prospecting
was done stu gold silver and coal were
found all along the route travelled.