The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-07
THE NEWS IRON NOME
Gambling, Suicides, Murders, Coed
Times and ShILwrecks

Times and ShILwrecks
SAN FRANCISCO, June So-Tbere
are hard times ahead for the gold hunt
ers at Cape Nome, according to news
brought by the Zealandia, which re-
turned from Nome yesterday The
night the Zealandia reached Nome 1900
men walked the streets looking for a
bed and could not find one Bunk
houses were making from $500 to $1,000
day. Restaurants We're coming mon
ey. The gambling places were doing a
thriving business. Suicides were of
daily occurrence. Every man from
Nome to York was afflicted with what
s known as the "Sitka cough" The
smallest coin in circulation was two
bit piece. Little or no mining has been
done, as the gold hunters have been
afraid to leave their town lots for fear
they would be jumped Shooting
scrapes We're frequent and might was
I right. The women have become better
shots than the men and they keep the
,arder supplied while their husbands
guard the claims. So far all the light
ering at the gold fields has been done
by the Pacific Steam Whaling Com
pany. The other concerns had not sue
/ ceeded in getting their plants in oper-
alton when the Zealandia was there,
and in consequence the entire welfare
u the camp depended upon the whaling
company.
a private letter which came down on
he Zealandia from Captain Hum
phries of the whaling company de-
scribes the situation as follows:
NOME, Alaska, June 10, 19O0-Since
writing you my last letter, which was
sent out on the Portland, this great 90
sity of Nome has grown TO alarming
proportions. The Oregon has arrived
with some 600 passengers, the St. Paul
with 800 San Bias with 500, Oregon $50,
George w. Elder with 400 and the Ia
coma with 800. The Alliance, South
Portland, Rainier and Signal. the barge
Dewey, in tow of the. Luella, and the
schooner Seven Sisters, also the steam
ship Sadie and Annie NJ. Fay from st.
Michael have arrived.
The Sadie reports that the Thrasher
/ arrived at St. Michael a few hours be-
/ fore she sailed and will leave imme-
diately for Nome, with a full load of
/ passengers, and ii is reported there are
| 1000 passengers at st. Michael waiting
/ for chance to reach this place.
NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS.
/ Reports of accidents, and serious
ones, arrive daily. To-day l have the
report of the loss of the brig Pitcairn
which was crushed in the ice off St.
/ Lawrence. The steamer Rainier picked
( up some passengers in an open launch
at sea off st. Lawrence and reports the
! total loss of the bark Hunter which
was crushed in the ice near st. Law
renee Island The Nome City, which
was in company with the Rainier, re-
/ turned to St. Lawrence Island for the
I wrecked passengers. The schooner
Eclipse was also crushed in the ice and
the whereabouts of the crew is not
known. The bark Hunter, which was
without food, boarded the schooner and
took her stores previous to the time of
her being wrecked. The steamer Grace
Dollar was stove in the ice and is now
beached near Sledge Island. These are
the reports of the day and, on the
whole, can be relied upon.
The streets are full of people at all
hours OF the day and night and the
beach is strewn with tents, so that it
is impossible to land cargo from the
steamers which / am discharging. The
steamship Senator has arrived, or did
/ arrive yesterday, and has discharged
7 her passengers and baggage, but to-
day a heavy surf is running and it is
impossible to do anything. / also dis
charged the steamship San Bias, which
sailed this morning, June 10, for st.
Michael. Also discharging the George
/ w. Elder. / also discharged the steam
ship Portland, which sailed for San
Francisco, and steamship Dora, which
sailed for st. Michael. The harbor is
full of shipping, the city is crowded
with people and suicides are of common
occurrence. Thousands of people have
ventured here with the same old idea
In their minds that they could pick up
gold in the streets, only to be sadly
disappointed.
The steamship Ohio arrived yester-
day with $50 passengers and smallpox
on board. Lieutenant Jarvis took the
matter in hand and has ordered the
Ohio into quarantine at st. Michael.
AS I think / have stated the beach
is strewn with tents and 1t is iTnpossi-
BILE at the present time to get room
enough to land the cargo on the each.
/ I have seen the commissioners ara ask
ed him If he could not clear that beach
and give me chance to land the cargo
of these steamers and he has appealed
to the lieutenant in charge of the Mill
tary, who has refused to assist him,
but he is trying to accomplish some
thing at all events.