The labor world., 1900-02-03
STORY FROM ALASKA
HOW A MAN WAS STRANGLED HY 4
MOUNTAIN DEMON.

Captain AbercrOmbie Makes Inter-
esting Reports Upon Our Arctic
Possession-Meets Many Crazed by
Terrible Exposure in Trying to
Cross Valdez Glacicr-very Sam
Euine as to Agriculture.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-Captain
W. 3. Abercrombie, Second United
States infantry, commanding the Cop
per river, Alaska, exploring expedition,
during the season of 1S99 made an
official report of his operations to the
secretary Of war today. y.+-a.-. e-s-...s
The report covers a variety of sub
jects upon which the inhabitants of
the United States are deeply interest
ed. One Of the important topics treat
ed Is the work thus far performed in
laying out the great trans Alaskan
military route from Port Valdez, AL
aska,. to Port Egbert on the Yukon.
Captain Abercrombie left Washing
ton, D. G., March %, 1899, under in
structions from the war department
to open a military road from Valdez
to Copper Center, Alaska. In the
course of his labors he was instructed
to select suitable locations at Valdez.
Copper Center, the crossing of the Up
per Copper, the crossing of the Tan
ana, the, head Of Forty Mile Creek,
and such other points as in his iudg-
ment might be deemed proper for mill
tary reservations. In addition to
selecting available routes Of travel and
feasible routes for railroad construct
tion, he was to ascertain the adapta-
bility of the country for agriculture
and stock raising. He was also to
take note of the mineral resources Of
the country passed over, as we'll as the
resources in matters of timber, fuel
and food products. He was expected
also to report on the material best
suited for food for animals, as well
as the location and condition of the
natives Of the territory explored.
b On the arrival of Captain Abercronl-
bic April 81. 1899, at Valdez, he met a
motley looking crowd that had Just
arrived from a long journey over the
Valdez glacier from the Copper river
valley. From reports received he was
led to believe that hundreds were dy-
ing of starvation and scurvy in the
region named. Subsequent investiga-
ton demonstrated that these reports
We're not exaggeration. He visited the
various cabins in which upwards of
a hundred of these destitute prospect
tors were housed and found them in a
most pitiable condition. They were
crowded together. in detachments Of
from is to 90 sssIl iii log CABINS, III
by Is, in the center Of which was a
stove. On the floor Of the cabin at
night they would spread their blankets
and lie down, packed like sardines in
a. box. There were no facilities for
bathing. Most Of the sufferers were
afflicted with scurvy, while not few
Of them had frost bitten hands, faces
and feet. Their footwear in some in
stances consisted Of the tops of rubber
boots that had been cut of and manu-
factured into shoes. Around their feet
were wound strips of gunny sacks,
which We're used in place of socks. The
oSNAASAA - JILL SAASoC ESC1DAnS, SdpIdlll k4Oc
ercrombie states, was intolerable. In
talking with these pitiable objects,
Captain Abercrombie says that up
wards of. Z per cent Of them were men
tally deranged.
His attention was especially directed
in his investigation to. a big, raw
boned SWede, who described to him
how a demon had strangled his son on
the glacier. The Swede's narrative
was to the effect that he had just
started from Twelve Mile Plant Ca
small collection of huts just across the
coast range of mountains at Valdez
with his son to go to the post in COM
pany with some other prospectors.
When half way up the summit of the
glacier, the old mans son, who was
ahead Of him, hauling a sled, while
the father was behind pushing, called
to his father that demon had at
tackled him. He ran to his sons as
sistance, but as his son was very
strong, the latter soon drove the demon
away. Then father and son passed on
their way towards the summit of VAL
dez glacier The weather was ex-
tremely cold and the wind blowing
very hard. Travelling was very diff
cult in passing over, the ice between
the huge crevasses through which it
was necessary to pick their way to
gain the summit. While in the thick
est OF these crevasses the demon sud-
denly appeared again. The old man
described the demon as small, heavy
built man and very active. He sprang
on the sons shoulders with a grasp
that that could not be shaken off, The
father ran to his assistance but the
demon succeeded in strangling the
son to death. The old man then put
the sons body on the sled, according
to his story, and brought him down to
Twelve Mile Camp, where the other
prospectors helped to bury him.
Captain Abercrombie relates that
during the recital of this tale, the old
mans eyes would blaze at time with
fierce light and he would go through.
all the action to illustrate just how
he fought off this imaginary demon.
While the old man was relating his 1
story, some ten or twelve other men in
the cabin, who were listening, showed
great excitement and Captain Aber-