The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-01
TRACKS STILL BLOCKADED.
Hard Work~CIa airing the Railroad
From Skagway TO Bennett-Teams
break ThrOuRh the Ice.

SKAGWAY, Jan. 24-The railroad to
Bennett is still biockaded with snow, and
predictions as to when trains will again
be running are very risky. The passen-
ger train which left Skasway two weeks
ago today Is sttll In Bennett, while the
rotary snowplow has been in the neigh
borhood of the summit for the past week.
About 100 men have been endeayoring
to shovel the track clear Of snow from
the summit TO the switchbaek, a distance
OF two miles, and the rotary has been
backing down as fast as the track was
cleared. Progress has been so slow, and
the snow and wind have been so busy
meanwhile. that the task has been very
difficult.
When the switchback is reached ID is
believed that it win be no great ditficulty
the point near Heney that Is clear TO
Skagway.
News was brought from Bennett yester-
day by men who came over the trail on
snowshoes that snow fell so deep on Lake
Bennett during the late storm that travel
suspended for three days. and that eighty
people bound out from Dawson were
blockaded at Caribou
The trail was covered so deep at the
upper end of the lake that II was neces-
sary to send out big party to reopen
II from this end. The Red Line Company
sent seven teams from Bennett Saturday
morning. and at noon they were not out
OF sight of town.
Telegraphic report from Bennett yester-
day was not exactly corroborative of that
the effect that the trail Is in bad eondi-
ton, but is being used right along. Some
say there was much water on the lake.
report only slush or heavy snow.
Two teams belonging to NJ J. Heney
went through the ice at Lake Bennett
just north Of the island and were drown
ed. II is said by some they were off the
regular trail seeking to make short cut
and that the second went in while an at
tempt was being made to rescue the front
team.
From Bennett to Skagway the trail is
now In passable shape for dog teams.
lightly loaded. All the mails have had to
be sent over by dog teams, and at times
amount of mail on hand has Mt times ran
up to nearly 1000 pounds. one batch Of
mail was started out four times before
the drivers were able to get through as
and that point the snow Is from six to
ten feet on the wagon road and as the
snow Is soft, It is impossible to get
through with horses
The winter canyon trail was attempted
by Big Jack Parkinson. with mail. and
TAYLOR Armantrout. with sled load OF
newspapers. but after both men had
broken through the ice and had had mar
row and thrilling escapes from drowning
they gave up the attempt Two or three
scores of others, who were waiting to
see how Parkinson and Armantrout sue
ceeded In their undertaking Immediately
gave up the canyon route. The Bracket
road TO White Pass City. the canyon to
the summit and the railroad grade to
Bennett Is the route used by dog teams.
The wind changes from north to south
and vice versa almost daily. and the tenn
perature ranges from zero TO freezing
point at Skagway. and twenty degrees
below those points at the summit and
Bennett.
There Is a serious shortage OF provi-
sfons reported at Frazier. at Log Cabin
and at Bennett More than one man has
gone hungry already, but now that dog
teams can be used, there is no danger OF
famine.
The Canadian customs house. which has
heretofore been at Log Cabin. has been
moved TO the summit now known as the
"modus vivendt' boundary. The customs
house will be maintained there Indefinite
~. The first Canadian customs house 10
be encountered by travellers from this
side may he expected to be found at the
summit until the boundary dispute is set
tied